DAR Regional Office Caraga clinches ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification

In a remarkable feat of organizational development, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Regional Office Caraga has secured the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) certification on August 16, 2024.

The International Organization for Standardization or ISO provides organizations with guidelines to consistently achieve universally recognized standards.

As such, the ISO 9001 is defined as the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. It also focuses on customer satisfaction, process improvement, and risk management. And with its latest version released in 2015, hence its moniker 9001:2015.

The Caraga Regional Office's journey toward certification began in April with an ISO awareness orientation-workshop, facilitated by consultants Ms. Cristine Lazaro and Engr. Jason Patrick Reaño. This initial phase was instrumental in fostering a foundational understanding of the ISO QMS standards and their implications for the agency's operations and improvements.

Following a series of required trainings, including risk and opportunities training and Internal Quality Auditors (IQA) training, DAR Caraga implemented substantial improvements in its internal and external processes, resulting in more streamlined and standardized procedures. The agency also released its own quality workplace standards to ensure cleanliness, safety, and traceability within the office.

The culmination of DAR Caraga's ISO QMS efforts was the stage 1 and 2 external audits conducted on August 15-16, 2024, by TÜV NORD, an international certifying body. The audits rigorously assessed all of the divisions within DAR Caraga, this includes the Land Tenure Improvement Division, Legal Services Division, DAR Adjudication Board, Support Services Division, and Support-to-Operations Division.

After the thorough evaluation, DAR Caraga was ultimately granted the ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification. One of the highlights mentioned by the external audit findings include the note-worthy and organized