MONITORING OF QUALITY OF SERVICES
Genera l
SCOPE
Monitoring of Quality of services within M&O Product Line consists of:
monitoring of key performance indicators,
monitoring of reports and other documents issued by the Society,
activity monitoring of technical staff,
annual performance review of staff,
risk analysis relative to services performance.
ORGANISATION OF ACTIVITY MONITORING/ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Activity Monitoring and Annual Performance Review are planned:
in Countries by:
the M&O Manager or his / her delegate, or the SSQM/CSQM/ESQM, NC manager, RO Lead Surveyor, LPO manager, MPA unit manager as applicable
at Head Office by:
Directors of M&O HO Departments or by their delegates according to specific instructions.
monitoring of KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
General
At Group level, as per Group QHSSE Manual, Quality Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are consolidated based on the reporting from the Operating Group on:
deployment level of the Group Scorecard – quarterly reporting as per the Group QHSSE 025-R Scorecard Deployment-Self Assessment,
significant Quality Incident – as soon as identified
Within M&O Product Line, specific KPIs may be defined for particular activities (Plan Approval, New Construction, Ships in Service, Equipment and Materials Certification) and/or Regions / Areas / Countries.
These KPIs are monitored by the departments in charge of these activities; achievements of KPIs are presented to M&O Executive Committee on a monthly basis as defined in the related management procedure.
Local management is responsible for monitoring their KPIs on a monthly basis, with a view to act upon any deviation from the assigned value.
The Departments in charge of the activities issue quarterly status reports to the Network to ensure effective follow up; should a deviation be identified an action plan is requested to local management to address the issue.
Classification and Statutory Services Quality Committee convenes on a quarterly basis as explained in the related management procedure Annex A.2, in order to assess the quarterly reports of the Departments in order to ensure the effectiveness and the achievements of the KPIs and their action plans, where needed.
Group KPIs definition and collection within M&O Product Line
Significant Quality Incident are defined as follows within M&O Product Line:
loss of an accreditation/certification/agreement in particular within the framework of RO (Recognized Organization) oversight programme,
customer complaints provided that a formal letter has been addressed to the M&O Executive Vice President, or other EXCOM members and from clients for which Key Account Manager is appointed
major non-conformity raised by the European Commission in its Recognised Organisation (RO) assessment as Recognized Organization,
TOC index lower than 1 (TOC index being defined as the yearly moving ratio of the number of TOC “in” over the number of TOC “out”).
Significant Quality Incident data are collected by Quality department on a quarterly basis through a specific memo sent to M&O Chief Executives. These data are then sent to the Group TIQ VP on a quarterly basis.
This quarterly sending includes scoring of the Group Scorecard deployment for activities assigned to the latter and as agreed by the M&O EVP.
monitoring of reports
General
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For ships in service surveys and audits; at least 2% of all reports issued are subjected to report monitoring by DO_QMC.
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For new construction surveys monitoring, 2% of delivered vessels are chosen and subjected to VCA as part of year's internal audit program
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For RO activities, monitoring at the local level is done for each category of certification as described in the related qualification procedure 8.1. Additional monitoring at Head Office level is done on a sampling basis as per the risk analysis and according to the related qualification procedure 8.3.
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For reports issued by LPOs refer to specific instructions in the related procedure.
ACTIVITY MONITORING of technical staff
Purpose and Definition
Purpose
Activity Monitoring is an assessment by the Society of the Society’s technical staff, conducted by a monitor, for plan approval (including MPA) or in the course of a NC, NS or RO survey, an SMS or RO audit or a MLC inspection activity.
Activity monitoring Marine has the purpose:
To determine, as per IACS PR06 Procedural Requirement, whether the individuals maintain the competence and capability to satisfactorily perform the work for which they are qualified, consistently with the Society’s policies and practices,
To identify needs for continual improvement in aligning the technical services across the organisation,
To identify need for improvements in the guidance, processes, training and supporting tools provided for the technical staff.
Technical Staff
Technical staff are exclusive and non exclusive personnel qualified to carry out:
Plan approval (including MPA),
Surveys:
inspections of material and equipment,
new construction surveys,
ship in service surveys,
Management Systems Audits,
ISM audits, ISPS audits, MLC inspections
Environmental Verification and Audits
Company recognition audits (RO audits)
Monitor
“Monitor” is the designated person who carries out the Activity Monitoring.
Activity Monitoring shall be carried out by designated persons who are qualified in the field of activity being monitored, as appropriate.
Alternatively, a specialist (i.e., an individual with appropriate knowledge and experience) from the relevant department in the activity being monitored, who is designated by the corresponding Head Office department can also carry out the Activity Monitoring.
Periodicity of monitoring, suspension and reinstatement of certification
Periodicity
Separate activity monitoring may be needed for each sub-activity/qualification if required by the specific procedure of the activity concerned.
The activities requiring separate Monitoring are those listed in Technical Staff. for classification and statutory services (seagoing, inland or offshore) and any other certification activities (offshore, floating offshore wind).
From 01 July 2026, technical staff shall have an Activity Monitoring conducted within twelve (12) months of the first qualification being issued in each field of activity listed in 4.1.2 with the exception of new construction surveys.
All technical staff in scope of classification and statutory services shall have an Activity Monitoring being carried out at least once every other calendar year for each activity for which the individual is qualified (see NOTE).
All technical staff other than those involved in classification and statutory services shall have an Activity Monitoring being carried out at least as frequent as required by the certification/accreditation standard the subject requirement of which should be fulfilled. In case no periodicity is required within the standard the latter should be as defined by Group QHSSE-001-PO Monitoring of Technical Staff, which is minimum every five yearly.
Suspension and reinstatement
Failure to complete the Activity Monitoring within the required timeframe will result to its related certification being suspended and the individual not being permitted to carry out any activity in the related certification until the activity monitoring is satisfactorily completed.
The individual whose activity monitoring is overdue, may be assigned to carry out the next activity job, only if that activity job is monitored. Then suspended certification is restored once activity monitoring is satisfactorily done.
Planning
Monitoring is planned and organised by local management, for each individual service and each Technical member or staff. When applicable using dashboard and alert system provided in the Qualification data base shall be used. For activities not covered by Qualification data base, any tool (such as excel file) should be used.
The general principles for time to be devoted for such activity monitoring is:
for inspections of materials and equipment: as deemed necessary for each particular inspection, or at least half a day with the Surveyor,
for new construction surveys: at least half a day with the Surveyor,
for on board surveys of units in service: the necessary time devoted for each particular survey, or at least half a day, if the survey extends over several days,
for LPOs: see the related procedure 2.3 for instructions,
for MPAs: see the network activities qualification procedure 7 for instructions,
for ISM Code audit: at least half a day with the auditor.
for MLC inspection: at least half a day with the inspector.
Managements/Departments may indicate additional provisions in their instructions.
Job selection and Monitoring scope
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The job selected for activity monitoring shall be representative of the work of the individual being monitored and therefore be sufficient to enable the monitor to effectively assess the performance of the individual against his/her qualifications.
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The scope of the monitoring shall be sufficient to effectively evaluate the performance of the individual at work.
Activity monitoring may be conducted through, but not be limited to, reviewing report and certificate accuracy, meeting objectives, received complaints, PSC detention feedback. Plan Approval activity monitoring may be carried out after completion of plan approval work.
Activity monitoring is to include, as applicable, but not limited to, an evaluation of the individual’s:
personal safety awareness and adherence to the Society’s safety policy,
professional behaviour and performance,
preparation, execution and follow-up of the activity,
understanding and application of the relevant requirements,
technical capabilities, including proper judgement and decision making,
reporting and communication, both internal and external.
Reporting
Each activity monitoring for each individual (and each related certification) is recorded into the Qualification database QUALIF. A generic Activity Monitoring report is to be processed into this data base (through an integrated questionnaire). Check lists respectively for Marine and Offshore activities corresponding to this questionnaire and key for use (which could be used as a support for the monitor during performance of the activity monitoring) are given in the folder “attached document” of this procedure.
This generic report may be complemented by another specific report as specified in relevant procedures of managements /departments, It is then uploaded in the database, as a complement to the generic report.
The report shall include any remark (such as need for training) or deviation from the expected way to perform the monitored job. In case of significant deviation, a course of action should be proposed to rectify it.
Whenever monitoring carried out is identifying needs for improvement of the processes, instructions, rules and tools, this shall be entered in the corresponding report (Conclusions - areas of improvement) and communicated by separate means (e-mail) to HO management of the activity for consideration.
Evaluation
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The local activity manager (SSQM, CSQM, ESQM, NC manager, RO Lead Surveyor, LPO manager, MPA unit manager) will review the completed report (and specific report as applicable) and where necessary will ensure that the proposed course of action related to significant deviation, as appropriate, is implemented (evidence of such needed action shall be recorded locally).
This review is recorded in the Qualification database QUALIF as validation of the monitoring.
In case where the local manager (acting as surveyor, auditor or inspector) is monitored, the review and validation in data base shall be done at Head Office.
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At the time of Area/Country Management Review, the results of the activity monitoring realized in that calendar year are analysed, the actions as decided by these reports are verified for completion and these are reported in the MSR including any possible need for improvement for the coming year.
Other
The activity monitoring of a surveyor/auditor/inspector may be carried out concurrently with a vertical contract audit of the same activity provided that all applicable requirements for both monitoring and vertical audit are complied with.
ANNUAL staff pERFORMANCE REVIEW
General
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In compliance with Group requirements and as requested in IACS PR7 an annual performance review is to be carried out at least on an annual basis to all technical staff. Unless specified otherwise by Group requirements, this shall normally be carried out in the first quarter of each year.
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The annual performance review is consisting of an interview between the employee and his N+1 line manager.
Purpose
The general aim of such review is:
assessment (self assessment and assessment by N+1 manager) of past year behaviour, objectives and results,
assessment of Recognised Organisation (RO) Code of Ethics values, in particular impartiality and respect of confidentiality requirements,
assessment of effectiveness of past trainings, last activity monitoring, when applicable,
possible change in role and position for next year,
objectives for the next year, and support to achieve these objectives, including training actions,
possible succession and development,
any further comments.
Reporting
Annual performance review is to be reported and shall contain at least the points covered in Purpose. As a guidance, template given in the folder “attached document” of this procedure may be used.
The reports are personal and confidential. However they shall be used by the managers as an input - as applicable - of the management review and of training plan.
risk ANALYSIS
General
A risk analysis system is put in place in Marine & Offshore Product Line, with the following principles:
systematic risk analysis, aiming at detecting those cases (ship in service, new construction) where - owing to characteristics of the ships, or general analysis of ship records (e.g. through analysis of data bases Neptune or VPM) - there is a need for closer follow up of these cases,
case by case ''horizontal risk analysis'', acted upon detected anomalies and / or complaints, needing possible corrective actions on a larger scope than the unique case detected.
Implementation of these systems is left to the departments managing Marine & Offshore activities.
Systematic risk analysis
Each department defines parameters (such as risk factors) which aims to detect cases where risks in terms of quality of ship classed may exist at a higher level than expected average. Such analysis may take into account external events (such as flag notation as given by external organisations, age of ship, etc.) or recent event having occurred on the ship (detention, casualty).
The cases selected may then be submitted to a closer monitoring, consisting of vertical technical audits (assessment of ship condition), systematic verification at given surveys, closer examination of reports, etc.
A periodic review of the fleet concerned and of cases selected allows to review the list of cases detected and of actions taken.
Horizontal risk analysis
Horizontal risk analysis may be acted after detection of an anomaly in the service rendered or in a defect coming to the attention of the Society through various events, such as detentions, vertical technical audits, monitoring, customer complaints and internal or external audits.
Decision for such Horizontal risk analysis is generally taken at the level of HO managements.
The process of a horizontal risk analysis consists of:
Analysis of the anomaly in order to determine:
its degree of severity, (and possible threat to the safety and pollution prevention aspects of the case),
the root cause of the anomaly, and possible existence of recurrence in other ships or products or services delivered.
A programme of systematic detection/evaluation of other potential similar anomaly may then be put in place.
the extent of detection to other cases is depending on the root cause of the anomaly. As an example, following parameters could be considered:
defect on a specific type of equipment (or produced by one manufacturer),
defect on a specific type of ship or ships built in a given yard or in a given period,
surveys performed by one surveyor,
the scope or method of verification (survey, report monitoring, ship file or drawing examination, etc.) is also specified for each case
depending on the result of the analysis, further actions may then be taken, as appropriate, such as:
modification of Rules, instructions,
specific training,
closed monitoring of surveyor,
extension of verification to other cases,
repairs, or other technical decision.