Thursday, September 7th, 2006
APO Conducts E-Learning Program on Green Productivity and ISO 14001
4 Day Course Given in 2 Phases for 8 Member Countries
The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) conducted a 4-day e-learning program on Green Productivity and ISO 14001 from August 21 to 24, 2006. This first phase was given to member countries Sri Lanka, Nepal, India and Mongolia, connected via the GDLN with speakers from India and the TDLC in Tokyo. The program was repeated from September 4 to 7, 2006 for Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, reaching a total of 8 member countries.
The APO has integrated videoconferencing into its training programs, previously conducted as face-to-face sessions, to expand its reach in a cost-effective manner. It began its first fully-funded training program in March 2006 on the Toyota Production System, which concluded successfully on August 9 after 3 phases given to a total of 10 member countries in Asia.
Green Productivity (GP) was developed by the APO as a strategy to leverage the power of productivity to improve the quality of our environment. It was conceived on the understanding that a healthy environment and a robust, competitive economy are mutually dependent. GP has proven to be a practical approach for any type or size of enterprise, as its tools and techniques can be adopted in its entirety or in part, and the APO supports efforts to apply GP to help local and national economic development.
The 4-day course combined 3 days of lectures via videoconference and 1 day of group work at the local level. On the third day, participants took a field visit to enterprises which have obtained or implemented ISO 14001 certification, followed by discussions with the local coordinator and with speakers through e-mail. Findings were presented to all participants on the final day.
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