JIS on Path to ISO 9001:2015 Certification

The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) is on a path to achieving certification in ISO 9001:2015 this year.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Mike Henry, made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2019/20 Sectoral debate in the House of Representatives on July 16.

ISO Certification is part of the Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.

The objective is to raise the quality of service across the public sector, with an emphasis on executive agencies.

One of the requirements is to integrate quality management (QM) principles in the agency’s daily activities, and provide the foundation to enhance performance.

A quality management system manual is being developed, which outlines the JIS’s commitment to leadership; communications and engagement of people; a process approach; improvement; customer focus; risk and opportunity as well as evidence-based decision-making; and relationship management.

The certification project is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries.

Mr. Henry further informed that the JIS has operationalised a programme to manage the agency’s intellectual property (IP).

This, he said, follows the development of an IP Policy Manual, which directs the agency on the management and protection of its assets by providing procedural guidance.

“The development and implementation of the policy forms part of the agency’s modernisation thrust as we align the deployment of cutting-edge equipment and technologies with globally relevant management systems and tools,” Mr. Henry said.

He noted that the treatment and management of IP has become a critical component of the agency’s functions.

Mr. Henry told the House that there has been increased demand for JIS content for use locally and internationally by creative and media enterprises, for websites, social media, as well as derivative productions, such as documentaries. The JIS information is also used for teaching and instruction.

“An Intellectual Property Management Committee (IPMC) has been formed and is responsible for the administration of this policy, and for its periodic review and revision,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Mr. Henry said the programme to convert the JIS archives to digital format is in full operation, following the award of a grant in the sum of $28.78 million.

“The digitisation of content in the photo, television, radio and research and publications archives will set the stage for an integrated approach to transitioning from analogue to digital operations,” he told the House.

Minister Henry informed that the JIS continues to expand its social media footprint on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, increasing engagement with the younger demographic.

He cited the Studio 58A Facebook live interview programme as an increasingly popular communication tool, which allows the agency to receive immediate feedback from the public.