fbpx

AlGhad Training Institute Quality Management System

Quality Monitoring and Risk Management Policy

Policy Reference:

T/QA/001

Version:

2

Person Responsible:

Quality Assurance Advisor

1. Policy Statement

  • The purpose of this policy is to ensure that informed decisions are made with respect to GTI’s operations by appropriately managing risks. The policy provides guidance on how to identify, avoid and/or mitigate any risks that might affect GTI’s business continuity or its ongoing sustainability.
  • GTI recognises that risk management is essential in effective management practice and therefore, this aspect is considered as an integral part when planning training as well as all the other functions and activities that GTI is involved in.
  • GTI will ensure that risk is identified and managed in a planned way through an annual quality monitoring procedure linked to GTI’s institutional evaluation in order to minimize the frequency and impact of any risks.
  • For risks that are unanticipated, this policy establishes a risk management strategy, outlining processes for recognizing, analysing, and dealing with risks.

2. Application and Delegations

  • This policy applies to risks affecting the quality of training and GTI’s support services, and thus applies to all staff, trainers, learners, contractors, and visitors while on any of GTI facilities, training venues or vehicles. All new staff and learners will be notified of the requirements of risk identification and next steps through staff/trainee inductions. All contractors will be informed of the requirements of this policy prior to commencement of their services.
  • It is the responsibility of all managers (Heads of Sections and coordinators) at GTI to make sure that guidelines and associated procedures stated in this policy are followed in the activities under their authority.
  • This policy applies to any GTI activity that is negatively impacted by an event. These events may include financial loss to Leaders, damage to Leaders’ reputation or adverse media coverage, damage to physical environment, and failure to meet regulatory or legislative requirements. It is noted that Health and Safety hazards are dealt with under the Health and Safety policy O/A/004.

3. External Requirements

  • This policy and associated procedures help GTI meet the requirements of government quality assurance agencies, such as the Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA), and the Bahrain Directorate of Institutes Affairs, Bahrain Ministry of Labour.
  • They provide assurance to industry partners and other stakeholders that GTI is a quality training provider, committed to ensuring training continuity, and honouring its commitment to learners and to the funding agencies, despite operating in an environment of unprecedented challenge and unforeseen risks.
  • This policy allows for international acts, regulations, and guidelines to be used for guidance purposes for aspects of policy not covered by existing Bahrain legislation.

4. What is Expected

4.1 The following principles underpin GTI’s expectations regarding this policy.

  • Risk is inherent in GTI’s training, administrative and commercial activities, so a proactive risk management strategy linked to annual institutional evaluation processes aims at eliminating exposure to adverse risks or, if not possible, mitigating their effects.
  • GTI will promote a work environment where staff and concerned individuals assume responsibility for managing risks, especially those unanticipated by forward planning processes.
  • Any risk management strategies applied shall be in accordance with Bahrain legislation and regulations that drive the requirements of policy.

4.2 Based on these principles, GTI’s Minimum Threshold Requirements are to ensure that:

  • Risk assessment is conducted annually, as part of GTI’s overall institutional evaluation and for all new business activities and projects prior to commencement or signing of contracts.
  • All risks identified and assessed will be assigned to a staff member (‘owner’) who has the responsibility for managing and ensuring that proper controls and remedies are being applied so that risks are eliminated or mitigated to tolerable levels.
  • Risks identified will be monitored according to the risk categories, which are low, medium, high, or extreme, as defined by the QAT, which acts as a Risk Management Committee (RCM) when required. High-risks will have a contingency plan developed.

5. Procedures for risk management

  • The following steps will be taken to implement the risk management aspect of this policy.

Step

Responsible

Process

Notes

  • Identification and classification of business risks

QAT

  • Where any staff member or GTI associate identifies a potential risk, the General Manager or any member of the QAT should be advised.
  • The QAT urgently meets (virtually if necessary) to receive the risk advice, and categorizes the risk, considering the reasons why the risk may be occurring and what can be done to mitigate it.

QAT acts as risk management committee.

  • Risk mitigation

QAT

  • Each high-risk category will have a risk mitigation plan identified. After assessing the degree of risk and potential impact on the business, training continuity, and learners and staff, a contingency and follow-up plan are identified.
  • The GM will identify person(s) responsible for the implementation of the contingency plan, if not himself.
  • GTI Owner to be advised.
  • Plan to be monitored in case risk escalates.

Currently COVID-19 is a high-risk category with a contingency plan and specific policy to deal with extenuating circumstances in place. 

  • Risk Register

QAT

  • The risk, with a description and categorization as to the level (low, medium, high, or extreme), is entered into GTI’s risk register.
  • Any follow-up actions are recorded.

An annual analysis of risk register is undertaken as part of GTI’s quality monitoring procedures.

6. Procedures for Annual Institution Review (Quality Monitoring)

  • The following steps will be taken to implement the quality monitoring aspects of this policy.

Step

Responsible

Process

Notes

  • Annual Institutional evaluation

General manager

  • At the commencement of each year (or at least annually) a planning workshop will be held of all full-time staff, QAT members, and any available part-timers to conduct a review.
  • Institutional review will cover all aspects of GTI business, particularly training, identifying the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities facing the institution in the foreseeable future. (SWOT analysis)
  • These will be considered within the environmental context (Political, economic, social, technological, and legal).
  • Recommendations will be developed for at least the opportunities and threats categories.

On Google Docs

  • Risk register update

General Manager

  • Any identified potential risks will be categorized and added to a risk register.
  • Any of a high-risk nature will be identified and contingency plans put in place to ameliorate same.
  • GM will allocate responsible person to oversee contingency plan, if not himself.
  • Strategic plan

General Manager

  • GTI’s strategic plan will be updated.
  • Roles and responsibilities for specific actions will be identified.
  • Monitoring report to be conducted annually.
  • Any short-term improvements added to QIP.
  • Weekly meetings monitor progress in QIP.

Quality improvement plan F2/T/QA/001

7. Related Documents (Rules, Guidelines, Flowcharts, Forms)

8. Key Dates

First Approved:                    2 January 2016

This Version Approved:       26 September 2022

Next Review Date:               September 2025 or earlier if any changes to legislation or the external environment require it.

Version Effective Date     Description of Changes    
01 26/01/2018  First approval of the policy
02 23/09/2022 Revision to add risk management and details of procedures, format consistent with QAM.

Approved by the General Manager, effective immediately:

Signed by General Manager: Abbas Ali Date: 26/09/2022

 GTI’s current policies are available on the website. If you are using a hard copy of this policy, please check that it is the current version before proceeding.