by Happy Tarumadevyanto (ELP 2007) | Forestry Operation Manager, Bureau Veritas, Indonesia
I began to nurture my career long before joining the ELP. I decided to become an auditor more than 20 years ago. It was not just a coincidence of focusing my skills in auditing. Another challenge to this profession is that it's not many who are defining work and life by having direct experience with being an auditor. There are not many in Indonesia with the profession of forestry auditor.
The skill in auditing is a combination of sense, ability to identify the problems and areas for improvement, and decision making. It is a practical way to implement the principles of sustainable development on the ground basis. It needs a sense to develop skills in evaluation of resource management from human aspects, technology, skills that are within the human aspects, and justification. The art of auditing is to combine our knowledge and theory to know how the theory could be implemented consequently. There are some gaps in implementing the principles of sustainable management that are not that simple.
When auditing in forest management, I need to decide what steps to take to evaluate the management. In a practical sense, we have to be equipped with knowledge of audit techniques, some background information from the management unit, a background of forestry knowledge and resource management, and of course communication. We also need to have a strong judgment to address non-conformities. Once we find problems during the auditing process, I seek strong evidence from interviewing, seeking the physical facts, and seeing what has been done against the standard being implemented.
Reading is a must to enforce the skills of analysis and strengthen the sense of evaluation. Interaction with people is like a medicine to explore better understanding on the resource management being evaluated.
In being an auditor, there are some challenges to maintaining the qualification. As an auditor where the scheme belongs to a worldwide certification standard, the process of auditor qualification is not simple. From qualifying to becoming an independent auditor to being a lead auditor, it's not a smooth history like to being a princess.
Now, I cultivate my skills and exercise every day.
Since I was involved in the ELP and its alumni network, I started to be more convincing. Having a look at my background in certification, the ELP spirit influences me a lot in determining what I want to do in the career of environmental leadership blended with certification.
