Elżbieta Krodkiewska-Skoczylas, president of the Polish ISO 9000 Forum Club, talks to Wojciech Jankowski.

When was the Polish ISO 9000 Forum Club formed?

Following the introduction of ISO 9000 quality management standards, from 1990 the Central Bureau of Goods Quality (CBJW) and the Center for Technical Staff Training affiliated to the Warsaw Council of the Central Technical Organization (RS NOT) began organizing training sessions and popularizing the implementation of quality systems in Polish companies. Training came up with the idea of establishing a club which would gather all those interested in the introduction of ISO 9000 standards. The first assembly was held in 1991. The idea was quickly taken up by the business community because representatives of nearly 100 companies, training and consulting centers, scientific research institutes as well as academic institutions, took part in this meeting. At the first assembly I was appointed president of the Polish ISO 9000 Forum Club.

How many members does the Polish ISO 9000 Forum Club have?

We had our heyday in 1996-98, when the club included over 700 organizations. But the economic situation brought a decrease in the number of members. A lot of companies were crossed off the list because of liquidation. Now, the club consists of about 600 members, 400 of which are active members.

What are the main areas of the club's activity?

The main purpose of our activity is the promotion of management systems and standard maintenance evaluation as well as a comprehensive exchange of experience in this field. We do our best to make the most reliable information reach all those interested.

Members of the Board of the Polish ISO 9000 Forum Club are not paid for the performance of their duties. We have no subsidies and are maintained only from membership fees-zl.1,200 per year. We want this money to go back to our members in the form of training sessions, publications and the like. We try to spend as little money on the club's administrative work as possible.

How does the club promote quality management systems?

During member sessions, which are held on a regular basis, we discuss new regulations. The Polish Center for Testing and Certification publishes the ABC of Quality, which reaches all club members. We also issue an Information Bulletin with articles from the Polish and foreign press. We organize various conferences, symposia and seminars on both a national and regional scale. We want such meetings to provide opportunities for the exchange of experiences. We present both theoretical papers and give examples of practical solutions implemented by selected companies. This was the framework of our recent national conference-Process Quality Management-held in Krynica.

Although we operate in affiliation with the Polish Center for Testing and Certification and promote a national system of certification, our club gathers all those interested in this topic.
We associate companies certified by different certifying units and therefore the flow and exchange of information is smoother. We invite people from different certifying units to present papers and share their experiences. Such an exchange of opinions shouldn't take place within only one certifying unit.

Does the club stay in contact with local authorities?

So far, communes have shown little interest in the club. Foreign certifying units have found their way to many communes and I'm surprised that Polish administration obtains certificates from foreign units. But we're gradually getting in touch with them.

Does the club cooperate with other institutions abroad?

Zygmunt Niegoda, who is the deputy chair of the club's Program Council and at the same time director of the Bureau for Cooperation of the Polish Standardization Committee, is our intermediary in foreign cooperation. He promotes the club abroad. There's no other organization outside of Poland which operates on such a big scale. I have taken part in European conferences held by the European Organization of Quality for many years and have always encountered enormous interest in the activities of our club.