By RANOBA BAOA
Over the next three days, Fiji Business Excellence Awards evaluators will undergo vigorous training which will enable them to critically assess applicantion for this year’s awards.
The Fiji Business Excellence Awards is organised by the Fiji National University’s National Training and Productivity Centre.
Ninety evaluators, out of whom 41 are new, are converging at the Holiday Inn Suva to learn more about evaluating organisation applicants as stipulated under the Malcolm Baldrige Framework.
The US framework was introduced last year and for the first time, Fiji Electricity Authority won the highest award, the President’s Award.
The evaluators are selected from past recipients of the awards and also from organisations that support the awards in Fiji.
The head facilitator is Technologies Engineering Limited Business Excellence vice president/director in Singapore as well as Singapore Quality Award Assessor senior, Harnek Singh.
He said the training will enable evaluators to familiarise themselves with the criteria and how to assess applicants.
“We want to encourage the applicants to continue on this journey and encourage the applicant to understand the criteria,” Mr Singh said.
“In the process of evaluating, they will not only be just evaluating but also engaging the applicant to better under what the criteria what to do.
Importance of evaluators
In his opening remarks National Training and Productivity Centre director Kamlesh Prakash said evaluators were the backbone of the awards process.
“Evaluators play a critical role in not only assessing the applicant organisations; but indeed are the advocates and brand ambassadors for the awards,” Mr Prakash said.
“Without your commitment and dedication, the Fiji Business Excellence Awards cannot be made possible.”