Project Management
ICCSS is a pioneer and global leader and solutions provider in integrated/harmonized approaches to chemical and environmental safety and security and industry cybersecurity based on the principles of sustainability, continuity, public-private partnership; modern management; enterprise and project risk management; multi-stakeholder participation.
ICCSS is an independent, non-profit organization based in Warsaw, Poland, with several Staff and a network of international partners worldwide. ICCSS operates a regional office in Amman and develops presence in other regions.
ICCSS focuses on building capacity, best practices exchanges and cooperation in research, development, storage, production, and safe and secure use of chemicals for purposes not prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention, Chemical Conventions and other international agreements, including WHO international health regulations, and international industry associations guidelines.
As a globally acting independent institution, cooperation hub and the worldwide network, the ICCSS has developed several unique activities and brands to enhance chemical and environmental safety and security and industry cybersecurity at local, national, regional and global levels. The ICCSS leads international efforts towards global chemical safety and security governance.
ICCSS has become an international forum for those who are accountable for chemical and environmental safety and security and cybersecurity at all levels of chemical activities to share and promote best safety and security practices and cultures, network for education, centre for training and sources of publications.
ICCSS Leading Project Management Efficiency Policies. They include:
a) consolidation of benefits resulting from the results based management approach, and the refining of performance indicators in order to measure results;
b) improved evaluation and review of programs, including in international cooperation and assistance.
In the area of risk management, the ICCSS has introduced a coherent and consistent risk management approach to better identify, assess, and prioritise risks in all areas of activities, with an emphasis on reduction of negative impact of risks for ICCSS led projects.
The basic assumption underlying the planning, implementation and reporting of ICCSS activities is that the size of the budget of the activities and of their individual components must be kept to the minimum required to meet the project’s core objectives as efficiently as possible. To achieve this continuing rigorous analysis of priorities and the identification of efficiencies of operation will be conducted.
The use of social-media and e-learning tools by the ICCSS are foreseen in order to enhance the effectiveness of the effort to improve the project delivery, capacities of partners and project’s participants, as well as to improve the ICCSS outreach efforts.
Sustainability
ICCSS defines sustainable development as follows: "Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations". In practice, the integrated approach offered by sustainable development assumes that the development process should also take into account economic factors and environmental protection.
Sustainable development will be implemented directly in the Centre. Factors that determine the success of the Centre as a leading area of sustainable industrial activity include:
• the long-term vision and approach;
• effective organization and support of public authorities;
• legal liability of companies for compliance with sustainability criteria;
• an open dialogue between public authorities, the management of the area and businesses;
• willingness to work together;
• risk reduction activities by the conclusion of appropriate contracts;
• support from authorities in implementing the authorization procedure.
Application of the principles of sustainable development in the Centre will ensure that:
• development of the ICCSS programs meets the requirements of a balanced approach, i.e. allows to avoid or minimize negative environmental impact, which in the long run leads to a lowering of living conditions or environmental deterioration;
• the Centre operates in a sustainable manner on the basis of economic calculations, which ensure continuity of interest and involvement of participating entities and sustainable development of chemical safety and security;
• the development of the Centre will be closely linked to economic and social development of the partners introducing chemical safety and security. In case of the Kenyan program it will mean that motivated and well educated workforce will be essential for introducing chemical safety and security as a precondition of the economic development at local, regional and national levels. It will be important in terms of employment, connections with other forms of economic activity in Kenya and further development and protection of critical infrastructure.
Continuity
ICCSS concentrates on a human factor as a leading element to ensure chemical safety and security. Therefore we focus on enhancing awareness, training, and best practices in the broad areas of chemical security and safety issues among the professionals. Principle of continuity provides that the ICCSS approaches, efforts and cooperation are systematic, comprehensive and offer continued participation and improvement. This principle requires that the program activities to enhance awareness, training, and best practices offer permanent improvement and upgrading in the professional career in a medium and long term perspectives.
Continuity of ICCSS efforts requires to structure finances in ways that they are more predictable and transparent and enhance mutual accountability.
The ICCSS maps programs to ensure, that all partners are aware of each other’s work in the area of chemical safety and security. The ICCSS will seek the coordination efforts to maximize inter-operability, and to recognize the role of national governments, as well as the complementary roles of multilateral partners. Such an approach allows for the complementarity of efforts and avoidance of competition.
The ICCSS develops programs that are thoroughly planned in order to create opportunities for interaction between conducting business operators, which has a positive impact on the environment and protect critical infrastructure. A good example might be can be a combination of activities of any entity involved, where safety and security covers various stages of scientific activity, production, trade, storage or use of toxic chemicals (promotion of chemical safety and security chain) and the protection of critical infrastructure.
Public-Private Partnership
ICCSS seeks to engage representatives of the private sector to build public-private partnerships to enhance chemical and environmental safety and security and cybersecurity worldwide. A comprehensive approach to chemical safety and security will require comprehensive planning, organization, marketing and design of the effective activities. This requires extra efforts in preparing business plans and project development stages in comparison to the traditional approaches to business development. Close cooperation between private partners and public bodies, in which public-private partnership would be the best solution, is much more significant than in the traditional approach. This approach provides the following benefits:
• planned approach and marketing strategy;
• easier access to international funding and support of the European Union;
• integration of business and the joint use of public services, including:
• reduction of the negative impact on the environment;
• reduction of costs;
• more efficient use of infrastructure;
• promoting an image of the ICCSS and the partners and the participating bodies as business and result oriented;
Modern Management
ICCSS has decided to use the principles of Results-Based Management (RBM) in order to better measure progress in advancing its core programmes and activities. Through RBM, the ICCSS is in a position to prioritise more effectively and show progress in achieving results that are reflected in projects delivery and reporting.
The use of key performance indicators (KPI), baselines and targets will provide greater transparency toward achieving defined results. The ICCSS also implements and strengthens its capacity modern risk management, accountability and knowledge management, as essential components in managing for results.
Knowledge transfer: This key strategy provides for the orderly transfer of information and experience, and lessons learned from concluded to incoming projects and from departing staff to new staff;
Improved procurement services: The ICCSS uses procurement guidelines which ensure a streamlined and transparent procurement process that will involve best practices and offer better value for money. ICCSS procurement process emphasizes “sustainability”, which means the efficient use of resources, including environmentally friendly programmes, such as recycling.
Confidentiality and security: Since the ICCSS cooperates with many national and international stakeholders who require different levels and measures for confidentiality, with regards to confidentiality and information security the ICCSS implements relevant aspects of
the international standard for best practices in information security, ISO 27001/27002. Efforts in this area will allow the ICCSS to better ensure that information technology systems are well defended against unauthorized access.
Project risk management policies and practices
Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) implementation ensures that objectives and deliverables project activities are clearly defined and easy to measure. ICCSS Enterprise Risk Management are defined as the process of identifying and assessing the enterprise wide risks that the ICCSS is exposed to and reviewing the control in place and other actions to be taken to mitigate these. It is also the monitoring and periodic reporting of these risks. Consequently ICCSS Risk Management (RM) is the same process as ERM but related to risks of one or more programs or projects rather than the ICCSS wide risks. ERM/RM gives ICCSS managers and partners tools to view our organization and our programmes including the deliverables and processes in a systematic way and from a risk and control perspective. It provides information on what risks are restraining the achievement of the objectives contained in project documents.
Multi-stakeholder participation
A comprehensive approach toward better chemical safety and security goes beyond chemical site limits or legal or administrative arrangements. It necessitates efforts to extend the scope of safety and security culture promotion and efforts to all relevant stakeholders. Due to the use of chemical at every level of social life, the stakeholders include Governments and relevant national agencies, relevant industries, including chemical associations and companies in private industry, laboratories, international organisations involved in the international security and peaceful uses of chemistry, civil society, including scientific community and NGO’s, independent experts, and information circles.
All stakeholders, including the governments, regulatory bodies, industry, academia, nongovernmental organizations and the media, are encouraged to fully commit to enhancing chemical safety and security culture and to maintain robust communication and coordination of activities at national and international levels, by offering a whole-society approach.
National and international efforts are welcome to provide relevant support and assistance to enhance safety and security in all areas of chemical activities.
A multi-stakeholder participation mean an active engagement with the international efforts in the areas of chemical safety and security. The ICCSS promotes the implementation of the World Health Organization /WHO/ International Health Regulations /IHR 2000/, to improve global abilities to detect, assess, report, and respond to health events of international concern. The ICCSS promotes and works in line with Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management /SAICM/, Inter-Organisation Programme for Sound Management of Chemicals /IOMC/, and the national and international activities towards sound management of chemicals. The ICCSS actively cooperates with the OPCW and promotes the implementation of the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The ICCSS promotes the comprehensive implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004).
