QSAE - Quality and Standards Authority of Ethiopia

COMMITTED TO SERVE!

Profile
Vision and mission
Objectives
QSAE's core business areas
Quality Policy
Strategies
QSAE's quality programs
International relations

Profile

The Quality and Standards Authority of Ethiopia (QSAE) is the National Standards Body of Ethiopia established in 1970 and became fully operational in 1972. It has undergone several restructuring, of which the latest was in February 1998, based on Proclamation No. 102/1998, PDF 346 KB, organizing the Authority to effectively promote quality management practices as one of its central objectives in addition to Standards Development, Certification, Metrology and Testing.In addition , the Standards and certification Council established based on Proclamation No. 413/2004, PDF 195 KB, whose members are appointed by the Government delibrates on national quality and standardization policy and issue directives necessary for implementation.

The Authority is a nonprofit government organ reporting to the Ministry of Science and Technology. Its policy-making and governing body is the Standards and Certification Council whose members are appointed by the Government selected from various industry and science and technology organizations.

QSAE has about 330 professionals and support staffs, headed by a Director General, and comprises six Directorates, three services and nine Branch offices operational in various parts of the country and one representative Office in Djibouti. At present the Branches and Representative Office provide product certification, calibration and verification services within their areas of jurisdiction as well as acting as customer enquiry point on the broad range of QSAE services. Arrangements are underway to provide these offices with specialized facilities to cater for specific needs of industries and consumers.

The budget of QSAE is mainly drawn from Government budget , services rendered and publication sales.

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Vision and mission

Vision:

To be a national center for quality and standards that substantially contributes to raising the living standard of the society.

Mission statement:

To deliver effective quality promotion and conformity assessment services that add
best value to products and services.

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Objectives

The basic organization-wide objectives of QSAE are:

to promote and assist the establishment of appropriate quality management practices as an integral yet distinct management function in the social and economic sector;
to assist in the improvement of the quality of products and processes through the promotion and application of Ethiopian Standards;
to promote and coordinate standardization at all levels in the country;
to establish a sound national metrological system as a basic structure for economic development; and
to strengthen, promote and enhance the reliability of testing laboratories nation wide.

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QSAE's core business areas

The following are the core business areas in which QSAE is engaged.

1) Ethiopian Standards Development
2) Regulation Enforcement (Compulsory product certification and legal metrology)
3) Calibration
4) Laboratory Testing
5) Batch Product Inspection
6) Training
7) Standards Information

8) Public Education

In addition, the following are services to be operational in the near future.

Product certification (voluntary schemes/programs); and Pre-shipment inspection
System certification based on ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and HACCP.

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Quality Policy

The Quality Policy, PDF 46 KB and Quality Manual, (CRD/QS/007) PDF 330 KB of QSAE are periodically updated.

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Strategies

The long-range strategic plan of QSAE is under development.

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Quality improvement programs

QSAE is at present actively involved in uplifting the quality of all its services to internationally-accepted levels, which is of prime strategic importance positively impacting on all future QSAE's dealings. One of the main quality objectives is to get certified to ISO 9001 in all functions of QSAE. The other objectives are to be accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 65 in the area of product certification, and to implement ISO/IEC 17025 for accreditation of QSAE's testing and calibration laboratories. Selected quality management documents implemented by QSAE are freely available for download.

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International relations

QSAE safeguards Ethiopia's interest in international standardization through participation in technical committees, especially in the fields of agriculture and food. QSAE is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), International Electro-technical Commission (IEC), and Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). It is also a founding member of the African Regional Organization for Standardization (ARSO).It has recently become a member of South African Quality Institute (SAQI).

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