Quality management certification
In spring 2006, work began on the implementation of a Quality Management System at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), complying with the international quality standard ISO 9001.
In November 2006, the IMO aviation weather service received a quality certificate from the British Standard Institute (BSI). Iceland has an important role in security issues for international air traffic over a large area of the North-Atlantic Ocean.
The scope of the Quality Management System has been widely extended and is now as follows:
Division of Warnings and Forecasting - all services, incl. aviation weather services and
monitoring of natural hazards. Division of Finance and Administration - all services.
Hydrological observation networks, remote sensing, avalanche hazard assessment and atmospheric chemical monitoring.
The goal of IMO is that the quality management system will apply to all of the office's operations. Furthermore, BSI certification will be sought for other public services at IMO.
This will require:
- That all service is bound by defined and efficient work procedures
- That all service stands up to quality requirements
Throughout the world, quality certificates for the operation of meteorological offices are important, both to improve their management, but also to meet the growing demands of their users.
