Improving the quality of goods

The quality of goods donated to government bodies by UN organisations had come under criticism particularly those made in country. Whilst trying to promote local manufacturers and at the same time to help government agencies with material assistance it was often becoming a tough balancing act for the UN agencies to perform.

The UN agencies called upon Crown Agents to assure the quality of goods manufactured locally and provide advice to the manufacturers in improving their quality management system. Goods inspected included hand pumps, water pipes, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, blended food, printing quality of educational materials, salt iodation plants and arsenic removal plants.

Goods manufactured locally were thoroughly inspected and problem areas in the production processes identified. This resulted in the manufacturers gradually improving quality of the goods they produced.