• Entrepreneurs
• Business information
• Certification
• CAFIA laboratories
• CAFIA opinions
• More information
• Consumers
• How to know the food market
• Results of CAFIA inspections
• Consumer rights
• List of risky sites
• Hoaxes
• Other visitors
• Press Releases
• Internships at CAFIA
• Public contracts

5. Human resources

5.1. Internal communication

The implementation of projects concerning internal communication is based on a belief that human resources are the most valuable asset the CAFIA disposes of. The internal communication in 2004 was therefore based on needs of the staff themselves, which were in 2003 probed by a survey. Projects within the internal communication were thus “only” realized wishes of CAFIA employees.

Internal magazine

In 2004, the CAFIA begun to release internal CAFIA BULLETIN which became a new platform for informal flow of information through the CAFIA. The bulletin has an electronic form and it is distributed to all inspectorates. Its content was compiled by editorial board comprising representatives of all inspectorates. The board is co-ordinated by the Internal and External Communication Unit (IECU) that gives the bulletin its final form. In the course of time also other employees began to contribute to the bulletin.

Meeting of employees - Seč 2004

The meeting of the staff was also organized on the basis of their own wish. It was not a meeting of only certain employees who wanted to do sport but it was a meeting of all employees. The meeting took place on 4th and 5th June and it had two parts: working part and social-sport part. The working part enabled CAFIA employees to acquaint themselves with the work of their colleagues by means of a number of lectures and seminars. During the social-sport part the employees had the possibility to meet and get to know their colleagues from other inspectorates in an informal way. The meeting was recorded on video that was given to all employees.

Management forums with employees

In the autumn 2004, the meetings of the management with employees of individual inspectorates continued. Apart from the Director General, department directors of the Headquarters and IECU representatives participated in these meetings. The CAFIA also initiated so called “senior program” – meetings of the Director General with former employees. Many of them still show a great interest in events happening at the CAFIA.

5.2. Personnel training

In 2004, the employees of the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority were trained in accordance with training plan on which all trainings planned for 2004 were based. The total of 312 training events took place with a total number of 2987 participants.

In 2004, the CAFIA focused above all on carrying out the professional training of various target groups. At the same time, the CAFIA organized training in communication skills, or training in computer technology (MS Word, MS Excel).

As to the professional training, the critical control point system (HACCP), food quality, food legislation and monitoring of harmful substances were the priority topics. Many of the actions were realized within the Phare project “Strengthening Food Safety Policy”. This project, initiated in 2003, offered to its participants a wide range of seminars and workshops relating to the food safety issues.

The initial training of employees in 2004 was adjusted so that its individual modules reflected as best as possible the training needs of various target groups. Within the initial training the CAFIA created so called “card of a new employee” into which training modules and obligatory training blocs attended by an employee are registered during the first year of his/her contract. The initial training system hence created a standardized method of training the employees and a uniform preparation of a new employee within the inspectorate.

As in previous years, the CAFIA paid attention to the language training. According to the internal guideline, selected employees are obliged to pass language examination of relevant level by the end of 2005. For this reason, the CAFIA aims to provide for the selected employees conditions that would enable them to successfully complete their language training. In 2004, the language courses were organized, or the CAFIA contributed to language lessons in external courses.