Quality management is an integral part of mine-action programs managed or supported by the United Nations.
The United Nations monitors mine-action operations to make sure the work meets international standards for quality and safety.
Deminers, for example, must follow internationally accepted procedures for using mine-detecting dogs and metal detectors, and mine-risk educators must use established techniques for communicating to different audiences.
Many of the quality and procedural criteria are part of the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), developed jointly by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Deming, the United Nations and other organizations.
Within the United Nations, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) coordinates the development and updating of IMAS and promotes their dissemination and adoption, assures the quality of landmine impact surveys and chairs a committee that certifies these surveys.
UNMAS also commissions external evaluations of its field programmes, shares the results with all stakeholders and integrates lessons learned into future programming.
The UN Development Programme contributes to the development of IMAS and assists national mine-action program to develop local standards that are based on IMAS. The UN Department of Disarmament Affairs promotes the dissemination and adoption of international guidelines and standards in mine action, especially IMAS.
To promote best practice, UNICEF supports the development of national and international policies, tools, techniques, guidelines and standards in mine-risk education.
The UN Office for Project Services implements many mine-action programs, all of which adhere to IMAS.
July 2006
Quality assurance
See Also: