UNEB granted ISO certification

___________________

The Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) is now a holder of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certificate.

UNEB chairperson Prof. Celestino Obua said on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, the acquisition of an ISO 9001: 2015 certificate confirms that UNEB’s quality assurance procedures are at international standards.

ISO 9001:2015 is a quality management standard that replaced the previous revision ISO 9001:2008. It includes requirements for documenting quality policies and objectives, establishing control procedures and conducting internal audits.

The standard sets the framework for an organization's quality management system, emphasizing risk-based thinking and understanding the context of the organisation.

He made the revelation while speaking during the release of the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education results at State House, Nakasero in Kampala city.

According to him, this year’s release is based on the competence-based curriculum (CBC) adopted four years ago. He added that last year’s exams were a completely new experience for both the board and the students and that the board was treading on new ground with each step taken.

“But I can say with confidence that this is a good curriculum. The products of the curriculum have more confidence, can communicate better, have developed the skills to do research and projects in various areas and have learned how to learn,” he said.

He said the board was grateful for interventions under the guidance of First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni that made changes to the UACE (A'level) curriculum. He said this will allow for a smooth transition of the current cohort of CBC learners from UCE to UACE. 

“The board is glad that Maama you gave the necessary guidance to the National Curriculum Development Centre and substantial changes have been made to the UACE curriculum, with which these learners will interact with in a few weeks from now,” he said.

During his communication, Obua said the reporting of achievements level attained by the learners have been changed from the 1-9 (distinction, credit, and fail) system of grading to the letter grading system of A, B, C and E. He said the transcripts (results slips and certificates) will also change in presentation.

He said although there were several options available for consideration, they settled on the letter grading because certificates or result slips produced are simple for all stakeholders, and the descriptors of the meanings of the grades are based on what the holders of the certificates can do.

With more than one million certificates issued to organizations in 189 countries, ISO 9001 is the most widely used quality management standard in the world. Within the ISO 9000 family, which defines seven quality management principles including a strong customer focus and continual improvement, ISO 9001 is the only standard that can be certified to (though certification is not mandatory).

Business benefits

According to ISO.org, the benefits of getting an ISO certification include

• Customer confidence: The standard ensures that organisations have robust quality control processes in place, leading to increased customer trust and satisfaction.
• Effective complaint resolution: ISO 9001 offers guidelines for resolving customer complaints efficiently, contributing to timely and satisfactory problem-solving.
• Process improvement: The standard helps identify and eliminate inefficiencies, reduce waste, streamline operations, and promote informed decision-making, resulting in cost savings and better outcomes.
• Ongoing optimisation: Regular audits and reviews encouraged by ISO 9001 enable organisations to continually refine their quality management systems, stay competitive, and achieve long-term success.