Taking the ESTIEM Lean Six Sigma Course to Africa
Written by ESTIEM Lean Six Sigma Team
ESTIEM Summer Academy Professor and honorary member Gregory H. Watson has been developing a training program for Quality Champions, who will be training and coaching Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to be competitive in the international markets. This course is part of a new professional qualification scheme being rolled out by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in cooperation with the World Alliance for Quality (WAQ). International Trade Center (ITC) is the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization with a mandate to enhance the competitiveness in developing countries.
These activities are part of the Global Platform for Quality, a collaborative initiative between ITC and partners committed to quality in the developing world. Teams of Quality Champions are currently being educated in the context of two European Union-funded projects in the Gambia and in the East African Community (EAC).
After building the ESTIEM Lean Six Sigma course, Jukkis joined the first mission in August 2018 in The Gambia. Since then he traveled nine times to Africa to deliver training and coaching students about the implementation of quality enhancement projects in enterprises.
“Comparing the development of this course to previous ones, I must say the cultures are very different. I learnt the importance of discussions where personal opinions and experiences and how these form a critical part of the learning. How to facilitate that discussion has been something I have needed to consider more. Additionally, facilities have their own limitations.
For example, you cannot count on the internet working, which means that the simpler the material distribution, the better. In the previous courses analytics has been done with Minitab, but in these courses we use Excel. Last winter I ended up spending more time in Africa than in Europe, and when thinking about the challenges the World is facing, that is the best use of my time I can think of. On the other hand, it is a very unique experience and opportunity I have been offered.”
Working for the International Trade Center, Safari is responsible for the effective delivery of the European Union-East African Community Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP) for SMEs in selected market sectors. MARKUP is a regional development initiative that aims to contribute to the economic growth of the EAC. One programme aspect is to enhance export competitiveness which includes educating Quality Champions to support sector SMEs across the region.
What are currently the major quality-related challenges for Tanzania and the EAC?
“As a developing region, we are facing a couple of challenges in the quality domain in comparison to other developed regions. In order to clarify this aspect in the context of the MARKUP sector products let me share an example: Comparing Tanzania’s coffee production (~1 million bags in 2018*) with Brazil’s (62 million bags in 2018*) you can see it is not easy to compete based on quantity, so we need to ensure the high quality of the product, to meet and exceed customer needs. I believe that by increasing the volume and value of products from East Africa, the project will contribute to improving the livelihood of people in this region.”
As a result of this project you started building a Tanzanian Quality Association. What is the aim of the organisation and where are you currently in the foundation process?
“We are building this association as a network for experts to have ownership over quality development in the country, exchange views and experiences as part of the MARKUP programme. The aim is to stimulate and promote quality undertaking in Tanzania and raise awareness to the general public about our champion’s quality in industry and commerce. So, I also see the association to serve as a strategic platform to anchor our Quality Champions initiatives post programme implementation. However, starting an association is not easy, but the commitment of our founding members makes me optimistic that we will overcome those challenges and successfully build a Tanzanian Quality Association.”
After participating in the ESTIEM Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course, Pablo co-facilitated six quality courses in East African Community about introduction to quality and work standardization in the beginning of 2019.
“Leaving ESTIEM-land sounded like an adventure — like leaving a newly gained comfort zone. Assisting Greg and Jukkis in facilitating the courses was an experience with lots of new impressions.
Participants were between 25–60 years old, all coming from the fields of quality and entrepreneurship. They were professionals with a lot of experience, willing to share their views. Often regulations for enterprises and political context became a topic from the participants’ side, and it is necessary to understand this to make the whole programme work in the end.”
As a food inspector, Florence monitors and controls food imports and exports to ensure compliance with requirements.
What is your impression of the Quality Champions Programme so far and will it impact your daily work?
“The course is very intensive and has broadened my understanding of quality beyond compliance. Most valuable for me was to learn about management commitment, that quality is not just about the products but everything in the organization. As a food inspector, I regulate and advise companies regarding their quality management systems, so the knowledge from the course will be very useful for me while checking premises.”
You will soon start your quality improvement project with an SME. How confident do you feel and which challenges do you expect to face?
“I feel very confident regarding the knowledge obtained in the course. However, a challenge might be that SMEs do not have much previous knowledge in quality management. So I will need to narrow it down in a way that they understand and if possible, translate it to their local language.”
“For me the mission to The Gambia was truly amazing opportunity to go out of my western comfort zone and explore how business is done and quality is conducted in a developing country. Next to the course, I will also hold very dear memories of the kind Gambian people. During the first week of the course one of the participants invited us to his wedding the next week. Jukkis and I were welcomed with open arms by the family and they treated us really well. When the time came for the ceremony, we were put at the high-table — a table for +/- 20 family members and close friends — while the other guest stood around in a circle during the ceremony.”
*Source: http://www.ico.org/prices/po-production.pdf
**Interviews were made in June 2019
