RMQA Concludes Its 2nd RDM 101 Training Course for 2014

The Risk Management and Quality Assurance (RMQA) training team concluded its second Research Data Management (RDM) 101 course for 2014 on 20-22 May at the I.T. Learning Center, IRRI Headquarters. Eleven participants completed the training including staff members from PBGB, SSD, and CESD as well as Bangladesh, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Iloilo, Philippines.

RDM 101 covered all areas of data management, including planning, documentation, collection and pre-analysis, storage and backup, and archival and sharing. International standards regarding information security was also briefly discussed. The training also introduced tools and software, such as Dataverse, Google Drive, Beyond Compare, and Mendeley, that can aid in research data management while Carlos Ortiz (ITS) provided support on the use of the virtual machine clients.

The training team, managed by Menchu Bernardo IRRI-RMQA Senior Manager, includes Icoy Mercado and Dec Arreza.

PBGB-RMQA Reviews Activities Through Planning Workshop

The Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology Division Risk Management and Quality Assurance (PBGB-RMQA) team held a review and planning workshop last March 20-21 at Surga, Majayjay Laguna.  The team was composed of the RMQA officers and representatives from each of the 35 groups/units within the division.  The IRRI RMQA unit facilitated the activities.

With the aim to enhance risk awareness and to continuously imbed the risk management culture in PBGB, the group reviewed the division’s Risk Register and its Business Continuity and Recovery Plan, and devised various strategies and approaches on how to better manage the risks the division is exposed to. The plans will be approved by the Division Head, Eero Nissila, and Deputy Division Head/RMQA IRS, Glenn Gregorio.    Specifically, the proposal to establish an off-site back-up seed storage facility at PhilRice for the elite breeding lines was discussed and will be initiated soon.  The participants also reviewed existing guidelines/policies such as (1) the IRRI review and publications guidelines, (2) the OU internal clearance, (3) the use of the IRRI Research Notebook and, (4) the PBGB Operations Manual and Guidelines.

The RMQA-Research Data Management (RDM) team reported on the status of the divisions’ network repository while the Biosafety Officer gave an overview of its role and functions and updated the group on issues and some policies regarding transgenics.

The PBGB RMQA Officers include: Glenn Gregorio, Vit Lopena, Norman Oliva, Joie Ramos, and Mayee Reveche. RMQA unit is composed of Menchu Bernardo (Senior Manager), Rizza Mendoza (Manager, Biosafety Office), Icoy Mercado and Dec Arreza (Research Data Management).

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.