PSMI Signs Cooperation Agreement with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
PSMI Signs Cooperation Agreement with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics to Enhance Quality Management and Statistical Projects
Ramallah – 05/12/2022 – The Director General of the Palestinian Standards and Metrology Institute (PSMI), Eng. Haider Hajjeh, signed a joint cooperation agreement with Dr. Ola Awad, President of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). The agreement focuses on knowledge, technological, and technical exchange, sharing expertise, and mutually benefiting from each party’s administrative, technical, and infrastructural capabilities.
The cooperation includes organizing training programs, conducting regular meetings on shared interests, and facilitating field visits among staff at all levels to deepen collaboration, learn about each other’s applied systems, and improve performance and excellence in work.
As part of the agreement, PSMI will implement a general training program covering the Quality Management System (QMS), conduct gap analyses, and prepare a roadmap to close these gaps according to the requirements of ISO 9001. The Institute will also develop new procedures to ensure compliance with QMS requirements, assist PCBS in documenting and establishing quality management procedures, preparing and documenting a risk matrix within these procedures, conduct internal audit training on QMS requirements, and support internal and external audits to achieve ISO 9001 certification.
PCBS will cooperate by identifying needs and programs necessary for implementing statistical projects, and will train PSMI staff on data recording in administrative records and forms according to coding mechanisms, guides, classifications, and standardized international concepts and terminology.
Eng. Hajjeh welcomed the visiting delegation and emphasized the importance of cooperation with PCBS and elevating the level of Palestinian national institutions through the application of quality management systems to provide better services across all sectors to citizens.
He expressed his happiness about signing the agreement, noting that it aligns with PSMI’s strategic plan, and highlighted the Institute’s ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation with various governmental, private, and civil society institutions to unify national efforts and spread a culture of quality as a national responsibility.
Dr. Awad expressed her sincere thanks and appreciation to Eng. Hajjeh and the PSMI team for their excellent cooperation with PCBS. She welcomed the signing of the agreement, aimed at enhancing cooperation, coordination, and partnership between the two parties and unifying all national efforts in shared fields. She praised the high-level constructive cooperation between the institutions.
Dr. Awad also clarified that the PCBS team formed to develop current procedures to comply with the latest ISO 9001 version, establish risk management within the bureau, and link ISO requirements with risk management. She added that the team maintained continuous contact with relevant departments at PSMI, which serves as the national standards body and the contact point for the global quality infrastructure. PSMI is responsible for preparing internationally aligned Palestinian standards, providing inspection, testing, measurement services, and issuing conformity certificates and marks. It is the leading entity offering scientific advice and technical support to numerous government agencies and the private sector.