The Panama Canal Authority’s (ACP) Human Resources Department received ISO 9001-2000 certification resulting from an audit of its Quality Management System, performed by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), during an official ceremony today. The recognition underscores ACP’s commitment to quality and validates procedures that help make the Canal safe, reliable and efficient.

“We, at the ACP, are greatly honored that our Human Resources Department has been ISO certified on quality procedures. Having ISO certification for our training, client services and all other programs under the Human Resources Department is a testament to the hard work and devotion to excellence by our managers and world-class workforce,” said ACP Executive Vice President of Human Resources Francisco Loaiza.

The ACP sought the certification because of its firm commitment to innovative, first-rate management. Moreover, receiving this recognition confirms that the ACP is implementing robust management procedures.

ISO 9000 standards are implemented by more than 610,000 organizations in 160 countries. These standards help to enrich quality management at organizations, including enhancing customer satisfaction and continually improving performance. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a non-governmental organization, is the “world’s largest developer of standards” (www.iso.org<http://www.iso.org>).

ACP’s Human Resources Department ISO certification will be valid for a period of three years, during which quality standards will be audited every six months to ensure that performance remains at optimal levels.

Other departments and divisions at the ACP have received ISO 9001:2000 certification, including the Operations Department, the Contracting Division, the Industrial Shipyard, Electrical and Aqueduct Divisions and the Safety Division. ACP’s Environment Division also was certified ISO 14001.