RMQA-RDM Training Team Conducts First RDM 101 for 2014

Thirteen IRRI staff were participants in the recently held Research Data Management (RDM) 101 course—the first batch for 2014.

RDM 101 is regularly offered by IRRI’s Risk Management and Quality Assurance unit and covers data management planning; data collection, validation, and checking; data transformation and retrieval; back-up; and archiving and sharing, with emphasis on documentation and metadata.

Menchu Bernardo, RMQA senior manager, also discussed IRRI’s current IT infrastructure that staff and scholars can use to help them manage their data more efficiently.

IRRI Dataverse, developed by IQSS at Harvard University as a cloud-based research data repository, was as introduced as tool for use in archiving and sharing the Institute's research findings.

RMQA Holds Review and Planning Workshop

Workshop resources and materials can be downloaded here.

RMQA Holds Mass Metrology and Calibration

A training-workshop, Technical requirements for calibration and measurement traceability of weighing instruments and meter sticks, was held at IRRI on 12 September 2012 to enhance accuracy and traceability of data collected using the weighing balance and the meter stick.

The workshop was held in two parts: a lecture on technical calibration requirements and traceability, and a hands-on session on calibration of electronic weighing balances and meter sticks. It was attended by 55 staff from IRRI's various laboratories.

Proper calibration of weighing instruments will ensure that measurement data are accurate and traceable to international weight standards. Previous calibration workshops were held in December 2010 and July 2011.

Resource for the workshop was Roxan de Luna Roxas, quality and technical manager of Metrologie Concepts Solutions, Inc. in the Philippines.

The workshop was organized by IRRI's Risk Management Quality Assurance unit.

RMQA Conducts Information Security Management System Training

Forty-four IRRI staff members underwent training on information security management systems (ISMS) to enhance staff awareness on emerging threats on information security.

The training was conducted by the Risk Management and Quality Assurance (RMQA) Office and the Information Technology Services to support the corporate effort to protect IRRI’s information assets.

The 3-day course, which ran 4-6 July 2012, provided an in-depth look at how ISMS uses an international benchmark—ISO/IEC 27001:2005—by presenting the requirements of ISO 27001 as well as 11 security control domains.

Richard Regalado, consultant from EIAN Management Consulting, was resource speaker.

Norm MacDonald, deputy director general for management services, opened the workshop. Marco van den Berg, chief information officer, and Sophie Clayton, public relations head, on IRRI's approach regarding information security and communicating to the public, respectively.  

"While we endeavor to communicate our work to our stakeholders, it is also important to understand and appreciate the risks involving our information assets," said Marichu Bernardo, RMQA head. "Through a risk management framework, the process of selecting controls become structured and aligned with IRRI’s business needs."

Staff members who underwent the training were: Bonifacio de Ocampo, Loreto Puyod, Carlos Ortiz, Lea delos Reyes, Kate Quintos, Jose Luis, Hershey Aquino, Albert Borrero, Gerry Laviña, Leah Baroña-Cruz, Kenneth Lojo, Velinda Ilao, Betty Sarah Carreon, Fernando Florece, Dehner de Leon, Arnel Rala, Pie Moya, Teri Ulat, William Eusebio, Vic Alcantara, Jack Lagare, Norman Oliva, Grace Lee Capilit, Lilibeth Sison, Rolando Santos, Jr., Jun Ulat, Manfred Cardenas, Roslen Anacleto, Arnie Santos, Rizalina Sulabo, Jun Correa, Rowena Castillo, Olivyn Angeles, Lauro Atienza, Enrico Mercado, Deacart Arreza, Cristina Mendoza, Sophie Clayton, Ma. Lizbeth Baroña, Sharlene Santos, Marilyn Belen, Bianca Ferrer, Jemina Manansala.

RMQA Holds Business Continuity Management Planning

Thirty-three IRRI staff from research, management services, operations, and external relations participated in a 2-day training workshop, Practical course on incident management and business continuity based on BS 25999, held on 1-2 December 2011 at the IRRI Guest House.

Richard Regalado, a qualified ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and BS 25999 lead assessor, was invited as course facilitator/tutor and discussed business continuity (BC) concepts and requirements of the BS 25999 standard.

Workshop activities included identification of crisis-prepared versus crisis -prone situations, strategies, policy review, prioritization of services, business impact analysis, risk assessment, and crisis communication. Sophie Clayton, head of IRRI Public Relations, joined the exercises on crisis communications.

RMQA Holds Chemical Waste Management Seminar

A training workshop/seminar, Chemical Waste Management, was held on 11 October 2011 at IRRI.

Charita Saloma Kwan of the Research and Analytical Services Laboratory under the Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, was resource speaker for the workshop, which aimed to inform users on proper handling of various chemicals used in experiments, as well as develop effective strategies for managing laboratory waste.

One hundred fifty-three staff from various units at IRRI attended the workshop, which was organized by IRRI's Risk Management and Quality Assurance office.

Ms. Kwan spoke on the importance of reading the material safety data sheet (MSDS) of each chemical used in both laboratory and field experiments, as the MSDS contains information on toxicity, environmental hazards, and first aid and treatment, among others.

She also discussed chemical waste management and minimizing waste in experiments and other Institute activities.

Waste minimization strategies, Ms. Kwan said, cuts across offices and begins with purchasing, inventory control, chemical exchange, materials substitution, and procedures modification.

Glenn Enriquez, senior manager of IRRI's Safety and Security Services, introduced to the participants the only two IRRI staff authorized to handle chemical waste in the Institute: Rodelo Empalmado and Pablo Erasga.

RQMA Conducts Refresher Course on Proper Use of Laboratory Oven

A refresher course, Proper Use of the Laboratory Oven: Baking 101, was held on 22 September 2011 in IRRI.

The course aimed to enhance awareness of oven users in the laboratory with the risks related to improper use, such as oven fire, loss of samples, and quality and integrity of data.

Sixty-three participants attended from IRRI's various divisions.

Resource speakers were Menchu Bernardo, Risk Management and Quality Assurance (RMQA) senior manager (risks related to improper use of oven); Lithium Li, from YANA Chemodities, Inc. (technical aspects of the laboratory oven); Evangeline Ella (preventive maintenance); Rolly Torres (roles and responsibilities of oven users); and Glenn Enriquez, senior manager for Security and Safety Services (responding to oven fire).

A hands-on exercise on the proper use of the laboratory oven was facilitated by Ofie Namuco.

The course was organized by the RMQA team of IRRI's Crop and Environmental Sciences Division.