The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussions (R/D) with the Government of the Republic of South Africa on March 28 in Pretoria for the technical cooperation project “Quality and Productivity Improvement (Kaizen) Project.
JICA has been working to develop human resources and strengthen organizational structures to promote kaizen in more than 30 developing countries (see note).
South Africa has dispatched “Automotive Industry Human Resource Development Advisors” (2017-2020) to train consultants to provide kaizen guidance to automotive-related companies and help auto parts manufacturers improve quality and productivity.
The objective of this project is to create a sustainable mechanism to disseminate quality and productivity improvement (kaizen) activities to three or more states and multiple industry sectors such as metalworking and service industries, utilizing the human resources and training programs developed in the preceding projects. By building a network with business support organizations, industry associations, academic institutions, and others, and by strengthening the human resource development and implementation systems necessary for the continuous dissemination of kaizen knowledge and techniques, the project aims to improve quality and productivity of small and micro enterprises and enhance their competitiveness. Through this project, we will contribute to SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Goal 8 (both job satisfaction and economic growth) and Goal 9 (create a foundation for industrial and technological innovation).
(Note) “Kaizen” is characterized by the use of tools and approaches such as 5S (Seiri, Seiton, Seitonai, Seiketsu, Shitsuke), 7 QC tools, and Total Quality Management (TQM), while promoting mindset change among management and employees, fostering teamwork and communication, and developing into a company-wide and continuous effort. The program is characterized by its ability to improve quality and productivity while developing into a company-wide and continuous effort.
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