GCCS BITES Issue 01 2014/ April 2014

GCC SERVICES BITES page 1

This year’s bowling tournament proved to be a success! Held last 27th of March, 2014 at Dubai Bowling Centre, this was Corporate Offi ce’ 3rd Year in holding a Bowling Tournament. It was themed Hawaiian Bowling Night.

All employees who par cipated were all excited and fi red up to bowl and have fun. Prior to the event, employees were grouped into teams and they were asked to come up with team names. They came up with crea ve and fun names. The ten teams were: The IncrediBowls, Steamrollers, The Pentagons, Strikeforce, Alley Gators, Fantas c Five, Target Hi ers, GCC Royal es, Wrecking Balls, and Rolling Stones.

All teams warmed up for the game for ten minutes and a erwards, the heat of the game began. The alleys were on fi re, bowling balls were ablaze here and there. Strike, spare, hits were thrown by our staff ! You would think for a while that some of our colleagues are pro bowlers. All team members were very suppor ve of each other; one could hear cheers, laughter, applauses, and words of apprecia on for each member’s eff ort to score for the team.

While the games were ongoing, the a endees were unaware that we have “Judges” who are on the lookout for special awardees. Thanks to our

judges, Madhawee (HR) and Bisrat (PLD), they went through the en re game searching for the special awardees.

A er more than an hour of hardcore bowling ac on, the score sheets were delivered and the highest scoring team was determined. Rolling Stones was the team who got the highest average team score, toppling Alley Gators by just 3 pins! The 2nd round was arranged, where the top scorers for each team were to compete against the other team’s top bowler. The ten contenders were: Jerson (Alley Gators), Ana Joy (Target Hi ers), Joeper (Wrecking Balls), Newton (Steam Rollers), Alazar (Fantas c Five), Darryl (IncrediBowls), Norman (Strikeforce), Ajay (The Pentagons), Anton (GCC Royal es) and Fawzi (Rolling Stones). Newton had to opt out as he had shoulder injuries, Jhapat played for their team.

The compe on grew more intense and a er 10 frames, the Top 3 Bowlers were revealed. These three were Jhapat Bahdur (Steam Rollers), Norman Yap (Strikeforce) and Anton Tus n (GCC Royal es). The top three contenders were now up against each other to vie for the GCCS Bowling Tournament Champion 2014 tle. Their teammates cheered and applauded them for every ball they threw. All eyes were on the score board, wan ng to know who would emerge this year’s champion. A er a round of fi erce bowling ac on, the results were fi nalized and winners were determined.

Everyone was ushered to the restaurant where the awarding will take place. Much to the a endees’ delight, they were exhilarated to discover that a raffl e draw will take place. Discount vouchers to...con nued to page 3

Corporate Office Holds Hawaiian Bowling Night

01I S S U E

2 0 1 4

In this Issue

Hawaiian Bowling p1 & 3

Vision, Mission & Values p2

Sharing Our Success p4

EGCL: Sponsoring... p5

EGCL: Sports Day... p6

ACS: Our Identity... p7

Updates from Asea.. p8

France: Weaving... p9-10

Indonesia: Updates... p11

Iraq Organizes Special... p12

Iraq: Chinese New... p13-14

Tree Planting... p15

Sudan: UNAMID... p16

Iraq Visit... p.17-18

Uganda: Updates... p.19-20

Spotlight: Bisrat Afeworki p.21

Health me Up: Delicious... p.22

Seriously QHSE p.23-24

Work&Fun: Unbeaten.. p.25

Fun@Work p.26

by: Roda March S. Collado

Norman (L) & Alistair (R) throwing like Pro Bowlers!


Corporate Values, Vision, & Mission

ValuesReliability

Our clients can always count on us to fi nd crea ve and suitable solu ons to their needs on me, and in the most cost eff ec ve way.

QHSE

It is our utmost commitment to make sure the highest standards in Quality, Health, Safety, and the Environment are prac ced and con nually improved, for us we don’t

just say it, we live it.

Integrity

Establishing las ng rela onships with our clients through the consistent quality of services we provide without ever compromising our code of ethics in doing business.

Partnership

We work as one united team within our company, with our customers, and with our suppliers and contractors, always building long-term rela onships.

Las ng Legacy

We make sure we leave our clients, their customers, our partners and the community with a heritage that transcends me.

VisionTo create an everlas ng heritage for our clients, our people and our communi es

through becoming your preferred choice in the construc on and life support services industry.

MissionTo deliver recognizable quality, capability and the highest standards in service to provide those we serve with a safe environment, a home away from home. Our

approach is one of teamwork, striving for con nuous improvement and driving cost compe veness, off ering you value for your money.


Corporate Office Holds Hawaiian Bowling Nightcon nued from page 1...

...diff erent establishments were given (thanks to Ibis & Novotel hotels). Mike Al Samman, Public Rela ons Director with his unmatched wit and humor distributed the raffl e prizes. Staff were laughing and giggling throughout the raffl e.Then me came to recognize the best players of the night. Best Team of Bowlers 2014 was awarded to The Rolling Stones composed of Clarice (HR), Fawzi (ECD), Osbert (Finance) and Faith

(BD). A surprise award, Most Lively Team was given to the team, who the judges felt was the most alive and energe c bunch. Alley Gators bagged this award, team members were Ian (ECD), Jerson (ECD), Sheila (Finance) and Roda (HR). Both Rolling Stones & Alley Gators received cer fi cates and dinner buff et vouchers. That did not stop there, Unique Team Name was awarded to the group whose chosen name was unique and had a striking character to it. This was awarded to Wrecking Balls, Joeper (ECD), Edmund (ECD), Elineth (P&L) and Eric (HR) gladly accepted this award along with movie ckets for their team.

As the crowd se led down a bit, Mike announced that there were s ll some awards to be given away. He called in two special awardees and the criteria was simple, those who scored the lowest among the men and women, they were to be crowned Gu er King and Queen. Somanna (ECD) and Joyce (Finance) were the recipients of the crowns and tourism vouchers from Al Tayer. People were evidently amused with such awards and they enjoyed it a lot. Photos were taken throughout and just about when people were ready to eat their food, Mike broke the audience’ laughter to say another special recogni on was to be given. Due to the dedica on and determina on of this person to the game, he was willing to go all the way and wing it; he was willing to risk it all. Alley Sweeper was awarded to Alistair Smylie (BD Director). Only the people who a ended the event knows exactly why. He was rewarded with an exclusive one hour massage at the Novotel Spa in Al Barsha. Everyone cheered and applauded all awardees.

Everyone then was enjoined to enjoy their food and each other’s company. When everyone thought it was over, HR team started distribu ng loot bags (containing sweet treats) to everyone as a thank you for par cipa ng in the event.

Rolling Stones Awarded as Best Team of Bowlers 2014

Alley Gators (L) Most Lively Team & Wrecking Balls (R) Unique Team Name cheerfully received their awards

Our Gutter Royalties

Our Top 3 Performers, Jhapat- 2nd Runner Up (L), Norman- 1st Runner Up (C), Anton- Grand Champion (R)

Alley Sweeper awarded

W h a t a n i g h t ! I a m s u r e a l l t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s w o u l d a g r e e t h a t w a s o n e p u r e f u n n i g h t . D e f i n i t e l y l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o n e x t y e a r ’s G C C S B o w l i n g To u r n a m e n t !

Then we reached the highlight of the awarding, where the best of the best were recognized. 2nd Runner-Up tle was claimed by Jhapat Bahdur, who was awarded a cer fi cate and a tourism voucher for two (thanks to Al Tayer Travels). Norman Yap was declared 1st Runner Up, receiving a cer fi cate and dinner vouchers for two (thanks to Novotel). Announcing this year’s GCC Bowling Tournament Champion, the crowd were cheering and applauding as Anton Tus n was called in. He was presented with a trophy, a cer fi cate and a hotel voucher for one night stay for two at Ibis Hotel Al Barsha. Congratula ons, Anton!


GCCS Photo Competition 2014 Winners

We would like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s GCCS Photo Competition. Thank you for taking time and showing enthusiasm in participating in this contest. We have received a number of entries and indeed choosing the Top Three proved to be a tough challenge!

All of the photos submitted exhibit the spirit, enterprise and dedication of our company and our employees. We have shortlisted photos and allowed our employees round the globe to choose their Top 3 entries. Votes were casted online and closed on April 10, 2014.

We are pleased to announce the winners for this competition; 3rd Place winner is secured by Kamel Belkacem from Sudan, with the photo entitled, Dedicated to Quality. 2nd Place Winner goes to Joeper Famorcan from Corporate Head Offi ce, with his photo entitled, Foreseeing Your Home Away From Home. Our Grand Prize Winner is Abdullah Ansar from Iraq who submitted a photo captioned, GCCS Step for Steps.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Let us not stop at capturing our values in photos, let us recognize them through these photos and live them everyday.

Winning Photos (clockwise from left) Grand Prize Winner: “GCCS Step for Steps” by Abdullah Ansar- Iraq, 2nd Place: “Foreseeing Your Home Away From Home” by Joeper Famorcan- Dubai, 3rd Place: “Dedicated to Quality” by Kamel Belkacem- Sudan.


EGCL sponsored the “Congres Maths en Jeans” event at the French School Lycee Louis Massignon in Abu Dhabi, which was held last 20th, 21st and 22nd of March 2014.

“Maths en Jeans” is a collabora on involving all schools in the area. Communica on, research methodology, collec ve intelligence and civic values are at the heart of the project.* The congress aims at promo ng science and broadening the students’ horizons by discovering the city of Abu Dhabi (between tradi on and modernity). *Reference: www.akromat.fr

EGCL served the food at Abu Dhabi Sorbonne University as well as in Lycee Louis Massignon, Abu Dhabi.

The buff et was spread with an elaborate menu, keeping the palate of the a endees in mind. It heightened the collabora ve and warm atmosphere. The students, faculty members, as well as the organizers were very pleased with what we have off ered them. The smiles of the people say it all.

The clients specially thanked EGCL management for the quality of food and our hospitality!

Indeed they have experienced Home Away From Home during this catering experience.

Sponsoring “Congres Maths en Jeans” Eventby Apple Luciniada, HR Offi cer

Keeping in mind our clients’ tastes, we adjust our menus.We are pleased to know that

our clients were pleased with

what we have offered them.


EGCL’s Sports Day Celebration 2014by Manjeet Sahota, HR Manager

Emdad Gulf Catering Logis c (EGCL), UAE hosted the GM Cricket Tournament in February 2014 in celebra ng Sports Day.

This me, the excitement was kindled by all the team members, players and the non-players. This is because we also added raffl e draws for all the employees working at EGCL in addi on to the cricket matches. This addi on to the program made the event far more exhilara ng for all par cipants. To keep the thrill going from start to fi nish, it was decided to keep the raffl e draw towards the end of the game with the awarding ceremonies.

Inter-loca on team matches were organized and completed to determine the fi nal match contenders. The fi nal match was played between the Abu Dhabi Aircra Technology (ADAT) loca on and Saadiyat Accommoda on Village (SAV) loca on. The staff enjoyed the spectacular, high voltage match between the two teams.

Special recogni on and awards were given to excep onal players during the awarding ceremony as well. Faroukh Hossain was declared as Man of the Match. Suresh Kumar and Mohammed Sherif were both awarded the tle: Best Bowler, while Sherif Hossain was awarded as Best Batsman. Trophies were awarded to the deserving players and teams.

“I was thrilled in many folds when along with the trophy for the Best Batsman, cash award for the Best Batsman , trophy and cash award for the winning team, all of these were topped up with a Nokia Mobile in the raffl e!”, proudly exclaims Sherif Hussain. He literally won in every awards category.

Congratula ons to all the winners, all par cipants and to the organizers of this successful Sports Day! See you in next year’s Sports Day.

“

”

I was th r i l l ed in many fo lds when a long w i th the t rophy fo r t he Bes t Batsman, c ash award fo r t he Bes t Batsman, t rophy and c ash award fo r t he w inn ing team, a l l o f t hese were topped up w i th a Nok ia Mob i le in t he ra f f l e !

As these awards were being given, the an cipa on from the crowd grew more as the raffl e drew near. Soon enough, the raffl e draw started and one could feel the excitement from the staff , each eagerly wai ng for their names to be called. Several prizes were given away and each corresponding winner fl ashing an ear-to-ear smile. Staff who were lucky to receive prizes were indeed happy and those who did not receive were hopeful their lucky day will come, too. All the employees look forward to next year’s Sports Day.

Among all the winners, Sherif Hossain could be dubbed as the Luckiest Man of the Day, why? Let us hear from him straight away…

A D A T T e a m w a s d e c l a r e d a s t h e

T o u r n a m e n t C h a m p i o n s a n d

S A V T e a m f i n i s h e d a s t o u r n a m e n t

R u n n e r - U p .

b M j t S h t HR M


Our Identity & Our Commitmentby Cobi Garre , Supply Contracts and Procurement Managerby Cobi Garre , Supply Contracts and Procurement Manager

Australian Camp Services’ commitment to providing

quality, fresh and local produce on its opera onal sites across Australia is ever expanding.

We commit wherever possible to purchase Australian food to support local farmers, growers, suppliers and local communi es surrounding our ac vi es.

This commitment and short supply chain assists in local economic sustainability and provides us with the very best seasonal produce on our menus, further assis ng our chefs in producing dishes that are fresh and full of nutri on.

Our Local Industry Par cipa on Policy is a commitment to the principles of sustainable development.

In our procurement decision making processes, we provide full, fair and reasonable opportunity for local

Industry to contribute to our ac vi es subject to sa sfying our prequalifi ca on requirements.

Australian Camp Services is commi ed to early communica on to interested par es to maximise the poten al for local industry par cipa on, and to regularly audit our Local Industry Par cipa on Policy outcomes.

To implement and comply with this commitment, Australian Camp Services is:

• Proac ve with local suppliers to maximise the local sourcing opportuni es

• Iden fying capable local suppliers of goods and services in regional centres

• Commi ed to the development and implementa on of specifi c Local Industry Par cipa on Plans

designed for regional supply considera ons

• Considerate and suppor ve to small business supplies during the development of product specifi ca ons and requirements for supply

• Commi ed to providing full, fair and reasonable opportunity for local industry consultants, Suppliers and Contractors to prequalify for work with our company

H e n c e , i f y o u a r e a c o m p a n y i n A u s t r a l i a s e e k i n g a c o m p a n y t h a t n o t o n l y p r o v i d e s f r e s h a l t e r n a t i v e i n r e m o t e s i t e s e r v i c e s , b u t a l s o c o m m i t s t o l o c a l s u s t a i n a b i l i t y , y o u c a n r e l y o n A u s t r a l i a n C a m p S e r v i c e s !


Updates from Asea Pacifi c Group

By Bill Gibson / Donna Pearce / Sara May / Tim Cork

We are now in mid autumn with clear blue skies and temperatures during the day of up to 30 degrees Celsius, and a comfortable 17 degrees overnight. With the public holidays recently, the crowds are fl ocking to the beaches and recrea onal areas. Now is the last of the long weekend un l summer, so most people are making the most of the holidays. All of us here enjoy the climate and the outdoor lifestyle.

The economic climate however is a diff erent ma er. With the Federal Budget due next month we wait to see if there is any eff ect on our industry. The treasurer is commi ed to decrease the current defi cit. This is the fi rst budget of the new government and will be an interes ng one.

Precious few projects are currently available in the short term. Fortunately we are well placed with good quality stock in good loca ons. We currently have 474 rooms on hire in 3 loca ons in Queensland.

Inquiries have been strong for projects to commence mid to late this year. We have been invited to Tender for a 200 person BOOT which is due for opera on January 2016.

To be be er placed in the market, we are currently manufacturing a 30-person containerised camp with full facili es and a separate kitchen / diner with a current sea ng capacity of 76 and capability of preparing meals for 200. The kitchen / diner forming the base of a 70 – 200 person camp, while the 30-person camp can stand alone.

The 30-person camp is due for comple on at the end of June / July 2014 and the kitchen / diner will be available mid May.

History has proved that with good quality stock available, we will be successful.

We look forward to the future and the next project with posi ve an cipa on.

We congratulate Asea Pacif ic Group for their recent achievement in gaining ISO Accreditation!


Weaving Operations, Community Service, & Partnerships in Harmony

During the last quarter, DGS France’ activities have been marked by:

• Our participation in a meeting of the villagers of Tienfala, a village in Mali, where we are carrying out waste management services.

• Continuation of our activities aiming at growing in Mali by getting more customers.

• The development of cooperation between the GCC SERVICES and DGS France structures during a tender in Central African Republic (CAR), which better guarantees future success.

On the occasion of his visit to Mali, Pascal Braun, our Business & Operations Manager, was invited to participate and contribute to the success of the meeting organized by the Chief of the Village of Tienfala. This was held last March 15, 2014. During the event, the Chief of the Village highlighted the positive impact of our activities in their community, specifi cally on the employment of a dozen of their villagers. He stressed that they are bearing an average of twenty families in a village particularly affected by unemployment.

by Benoit Guillermit, General Manager

In addition to our commitment towards the Malian authorities to carry out waste management operations, we have contributed to the success of this meeting by offering various hygiene products such as soap and informative fl yers outlining the main rules of hygiene. The use of French language in Mali has allowed us to collect various leafl ets distributed in France and handed them out them in Mali.

In addition, we strive to distribute to this community tools and equipment, such as nets, tents, movable sets and materials discarded by European or French forces when they went for rotations or moved out. In many cases, such materials and equipment are appreciated by locals and they benefi t from these.

Frequent travels in Mali not only allow us to monitor the waste treatment operations, these also give us the opportunity to seek new clientele and check possibilities of extending the current contract with the French and European Forces.

continued to page 10

In addition to very high unemployment rate, which affects nearly 40% of young people in his community, the Chief of the Village wanted to take advantage of this meeting to address and increase health awareness to his constituents as well. For this reason, the nurse of the village explained general and basic hygiene rules to the people in attendance.

Pascal Braun with the villagers of Tienfala, Mali

Giving of various hygiene products to villagers


continued from page 9

These efforts started to show fruits since:

1. Recently, we have been entrusted by the European Forces to organize the logistics associated with the establishment of temporary camps. These camps will be used to host Malian trainings out of the European camp of Kouliloro. As such, we supplied the Europeans with electrical energy production equipment, sanitary water, in addition to the activities of collection and elimination of wastes. Our responsiveness to their needs has already led them to ask for additional equipment such as tents.

2. UNICEF has contacted us to evaluate the solutions to evacuate and treat 100 tons of waste, which had so far been stored due to lack of adequate means. UNICEF, being aware of the existence of our waste treatment center fi tted with an incinerator, requested a quotation for the handling and treatment of such wastes. While waiting for this purchase order, UNICEF already asked us for another quotation to incinerate 40 additional tons of obsolete pharmaceuticals.


In parallel to their deployment in Mali, French forces have been recently involved in the Central African Republic crisis. Thanks to the privileged customer relationship we have with the decision-making body in Paris and to the great feedback given by the client in Mali, we had been called to answer to a bid dealing with food supply in Central Africa Republic (CAR). This call for bid was focused on supplying food in up to 30 locations within the country, sometimes separated by about a thousand Kilometers by road and some areas were not secured yet.

The skills and knowledge of GCC SERVICES, now settled close to our Branch offi ce in Abu Dhabi, were great assets to provide the client with an offer, remarked for its high quality over all technical aspects. This collaboration also represented a great opportunity for our local offi ce in the UAE to work closer with our colleagues from GCC SERVICES Corporate Offi ce in Dubai. Despite being less than 150 Km away from each other, there was no opportunity so far to merge the skills of those two entities (DGS France Abu Dhabi Offi ce and GCCS Dubai Corporate Offi ce) to win new markets.

The long hours spent and invested working for the CAR tender highlighted the possibilities offered by this cooperation. Outputs were interesting and could enable us to use this collaboration again for two new coming opportunities: a full camp life services for the Italian forces and the supply of wide range of food products for a military ship expected to be on call in Fujairah. Even if all these prospected projects have not been concretized yet, the advantage of the collaboration between the two offi ces is, on its side now, a renowned reality.

Photos showing our activities and equipment on site

ti d f 9



There is one particular big tree in one of the client’s project site, it is about 60 meters and local people call this kind of tree, a “Honey Tree”.

The reason why it is called as such is because, on top of those trees are beehives and the locals climb up these trees during specific periods and collect large amounts of honey, which they sell to the local market.

Our client was to remove that tree for the project and they have been stopped by the local people because the tree represents an important source of income to them. So they have tried to negotiate and the local people asked for $100,000 to cut that tree plus the revenue of the wood!

So the client decided not to cut it and changed the design of their project.

We say thank you to the local people who have succeeded to save another beautiful tree for our planet!

These photos show our project site in Nunukan. Pascal Arnaud seen on the photo to the left wearing orange vest with our Team in Indonesia

Saving Trees

Updates Straight from Indonesia By Pascal Arnaud, General Manager

We are pleased to share that we have just been awarded the rubbish/garbage removal service, maintenance of air conditioners and water heaters as well.

At present, we are targeting general maintenance of camps and offices, water treatment plants, sewerage treatment plants, landscaping and generators. If these targets materialize, we could get the entire facility maintenance services, which would be a first for GCCS Indonesia with no previous references!

Before I conclude these updates, I would like to share a local, nice true story which is typical of Indonesia. Please see side story...

The latest addition to GCC SERVICES Indonesia’s projects is

a new gold mine owned by a domestic investor, J RESOURCES. The mine site is located near the town of Nunukan in north Borneo, right at the border of Malaysia (Sabah). This is a very remote site; it is on an island and needs a of couple days to reach by plane, car and a boat, mostly it’s like this everywhere in Indonesia.

GCCS Indonesia is now attending to one thousand two hundred people, servicing three times a day with laundry, housekeeping and office cleaning. We have invested everything required for the camp, kitchen, dining rooms and laundry.

GCCS Indonesia is now attending to 1,200 people, servicing 3 times a day...

The Honey Tree standing tall & withstanding threat of being cut down


GCCS Iraq Caters & Organizes a Special Event for Al ATEIA Groupby Nirvana Moujaes, Development & Planning Manager

To celebrate the opening of the new LUKOIL DFAC at West Qurna, Al ATEIA Group invited its clients, SAMSUNG and LUKOIL for a special oriental night.

GCCS Iraq presented a rich, oriental menu inclusive of a variety of oriental salads and appe zers, Shawarma live sta on, Oriental lamb sta on, and the tradi onal ‘Mazkouf’ (fi sh grilled the tradi onal Iraqi way), not to men on the ‘sahlab sta on’ complimented by a wide variety of Oriental sweets and colourful candy sta on.

To add to the oriental touch, a welcome drink sta on was set with non-alcoholic oriental beverage, coff ee and tea were served and presented the tradi onal way, fruits were displayed in market fruit cart, all accompanied by music played by an authen c Iraqi band.

Guests got to live a special oriental culinary experience, and thanks to the photo booth GCCS team has arranged for them, they got to take back home their instant taken photos to add into their souvenirs’ boxes.

The event in photos...


Chinese New Year Celebration 2014 by Keith Weaving, Senior Operations Manager

GCCS Iraq Team began planning for the Chinese New Year (Year of the Horse) festival as early as December 2013. This festivity was to be held in the Phase One Dining Facility at BP/ROO.

The Chinese New Year Festival is the biggest event on the Chinese calendar. This year’s Chinese New year falls on January 31, 2014. With this, early menu planning and lots of procuring certain specialist Chinese food items from other countries were vitally important.

Hu Bao Liang, the Chinese Head Chef, along with his three fellow Chinese compatriots, began menu planning with the guidance of Mr. Wentao of Business Support. This is to ensure that the event featured as many traditional Chinese dishes as possible, given the challenges that we face with procurement in Iraq.

These dishes included traditional dishes such as Whole Duck Heads, Chicken Claws, Chicken Gizzards, Stichopus (sea cucumber) and “live” fi sh.

All of the orders were gathered together by Keith Weaving, Wayne Owen and Rohitha. These were forwarded on to PLD in Basra offi ce to begin their part of this event, and soon enough, email traffi c was back and forth between PLD, Rohitha, Keith, Wayne and Andy Fletcher at BP/ROO for the latest updates.

Towards the 3rd week of January, having only one week before the big event, there were still few Items that were not available, so Andy and our Chinese cooks got together to fi nd

solutions. Andy suggested that one of our local Iraqi cook to try the market near his home in Basra and as luck would have it, he managed to purchase the Chicken Feet and Gizzards, much to the Chinese cooks’ delight.

Then with only 31 duck heads arriving, Andy quickly ordered another 30, as it was essential that there were 61 heads (one per person), which Rohitha quickly procured through PLD Basra offi ce.

The last big stumbling block was to procure “live” fi sh. Andy was very quick to point out to the Chinese cooks that this was not possible! However, through a chance visit at that time by GM Farazdak, Andy happened to mention this. Within fi ve minutes and two phone calls, the live fi sh were arranged, much to the humor of the fellow managers around the table at that time. Luck was on our side and it was confi rmed that by 5:30 am, same day of the event, the fi sh will be delivered! This again, pleasantly surprised the

Chinese cooks. By the eve before the event, the only item that we had been unsuccessful with was the Stichopus, but Hu Bao was not too perturbed by this.

On the day of the event, with the input of the new Chinese Camp Boss John and the handy work of several Chinese clients, decorating began and by 11:30 am, all of them were complete, apart from the actual tables, which had to be left until after lunch.

With copious amounts of red Chinese style umbrellas, lanterns and numerous different decorations hanging from almost every available pillar and ceiling fi xture, the dining room resembled China Town itself. The excitement of the Chinese clients ... continued to page 14

The dining room transformed into a Chinese diner from China Town


... was growing as the hours ticked by.

At 6:30 pm local time, all of the Chinese clients gathered in a separate room, which had been decorated with the same exhilarating decorations as the dining room. They gathered to watch the festival celebrations back in their homeland and as the clock struck 7:00 pm local time, their new year was upon them and the celebrations were in full swing.

Meanwhile, in the Dining room, the fi nal preparations were being made for the clients’ arrival. The cold starter dishes, including Chicken Feet in Oyster sauce, Jumbo Shrimps and Chicken Gizzards were placed on the tables. These were side by side with the hot dishes served from chafi ng serving dishes. A large cake was prepared by Raja the pastry chef, with the Chinese words for “Happy New Year” piped in the centre.

The party centre piece was a Horse crafted by Jian Bin Bai, the second chef to Hu Bao Liang. This had been meticulously crafted over several hours from blocks of cheese (although just by looking you wouldn’t have known it was cheese). Along with the horse, were several other carvings including canaries made from carrots.

The atmosphere was very excitable as the Chinese clients sat and talked about the food whilst sipping their wine and then they all began to eat. For most this was a time to just “Tuck in” although for a few of the non-Chinese expat invited guests, there seemed to be more skepticism about the

traditional Chinese fare on offer, but with a few words of encouragement from Mr. Wentao, they obligingly tried the dishes.

Once everyone had their fi ll of the cuisine, Mr. Wentao then made another speech and called for the Chinese cooks who had prepared and cooked the banquet. He thanked them on behalf of everyone for all of their hard work and dedication.

f f

Chinese New Year Celebration 2014 ...continued from page 13

At 8:00 pm all of the clients gathered in the dining room and posed for group photographs around the centre piece carving, which would be their own personal memento of the occasion while in Iraq.

They all sat to dine and Mr. Wentao raised a toast to all of the clients with a chilled glass of non-alcoholic sparkling wine.

Our Team’s Crea vity & Ingeniuty on display

As a token of appreciation, he presented them each with a red envelope (called hung bao or ang paw) containing money, which is part of the Chinese tradition. All of the clients applauded the cooks and some posed for pictures together.

As the time ticked towards 11:30 in the evening, the clients started to disperse and headed to their rooms for some well needed rest and the same was to be said for the Chinese cooks, too.

Following tradition, the decorations stayed in place in the dining room for the next 3 days, which was also a reminder of the exceptional evening that was enjoyed by all.

The Year of the Horse celebration is the benchmark set to be bettered for the next year -Year of the Sheep (2015).


GCC SERVICES Tree PlantingBy: Jerilee Joseph, Government Rela ons Manager

On March 15, 2014 GCC SERVICES’ Dubai offi ce organized a tree-plan ng event at the Al Barari Farm – Green Works Nursery. As part of our Environmental Sustainability Program, tree plan ng became an educa onal event that focused on the indigenous desert environment and its Ghaf tree.

The Ghaf tree is na ve to the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. It is a drought-tolerant, evergreen tree that has o en been called the ‘tree of life’. This is due to its root systems’ ability to fi nd water in the desert – even up to 30 meters deep. The early inhabitants of the region relied on sigh ng a Ghaf tree to locate water.

The Ghaf tree taps withstands drought and can survive off of very li le water. Its fl owers, fruit, leaves, branches, bark and roots provide a natural habitat to many desert birds. The Ghaf tree provides man with wood and its leaves and bark are used in many medicinal applica ons – from curing the common cold to trea ng snakebite.

The Ghaf is endangered by camels and goats who feed off of its bark and leaves and by man, who cuts it down. Its existence is further threatened by plan ng ini a ves that focus on water-thirsty imported varie es of plants and fl oral trees that require extensive amounts of water.

GCCS joined the “Give a Ghaf” program by organizing our fi rst special tree plan ng. The event began with an introduc on lecture on the tree and opening of pods that hold precious seeds. The seeds were then planted in special pots labeled with our company name. The seeds are expected to germinate at the nursery greenhouse in 3-6 months, and then will be planted at select schools, communi es or desert loca ons.

“Death will not visit a man, even

at the t ime of famine, if he has a Ghaf, a goat and a camel, since the three together will sustain a man even

under the most trying condit ions.”

- a popular local saying

Did you know that?Ghaf trees tap into water up to 30 meters below the surface of the desert!

B J il J h G t R l M


GCCS Staff Representing UNAMID Cricket Team for UN Gamesby Videsh Kinalekar, Warehouse Manager

The United Na ons Interagency Games 2014 are to be held in Long Island, New York, USA from 23rd to 27th April, 2014. Diff erent UN agencies will compete against each other in diff erent sports, including Cricket.

I, Videsh Kinalekar, being a team member of the UNAMID Cricket Team for the UN Interagency Games feel really proud to take our company’s name forward to the United Na ons, not only in the usual mission support, but also to par cipate in extracurricular ac vi es organized by UN.

To make use of my leisure me in a healthy way, I joined the cricket team with the UN civilian and military personnel and played rou ne prac ce rounds with them. We also organized and played many cricket matches with the Bangladesh and Pakistan con ngents.

The UNAMID Cricket Team no ced I could play cricket well and they off ered me a chance to play for them in the UN Interagency Games to be held this April in New York. I gladly accepted the off er and I am totally excited to play cricket for the UNAMID Sudan in the USA. I take this as a pres gious opportunity for represen ng GCCS together with all the United Na ons Missions teams who will par cipate in the said event.

I would like to ask my dear GCCS Family to wish us luck, that we may come back victorious. That we may hold high the GCCS name along with the UNAMID Cricket Team’s for this endeavor.

UNAMID Football Tournament Held in Al Fasherby Harry Akrofi , Project Manager

The UNAMID El Fasher Welfare organized a football tournament to select a team for the upcoming 41st United Nations Games that will be held in New York. Our GCCS El Fasher Team was invited to participate along with other groups working with UNAMID in El Fasher. The tournament was held from the 27th of March, 2014 until 5th of April, 2014.

The tournament comprised of two groups, Group A and Group B, each group having 3 teams. Group A was comprised of GCCS El Fasher Team, Kenya Military Police Team and Mixed UN Civilian Security Team. Group B on the other hand was comprised of Rwanda Battalion, Gambian Battalion and Mixed UN Civilian Team.

GCCS Team played their fi rst match against Kenya Military Police last 28th of March at 4pm, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

The second match was held last 30th of March against the UN Mixed Civilian Security team, where GCCS team won by 2 goals to 1. This win qualifi ed our team for the semifi nals, topping Group A with 4 points followed by Mixed UN Civilian Team 3 points and Kenya Military Police 1 point.

GCCS Team played against Rwanda Battalion in the semifi nals on the 2nd of April, our team lost to the Rwandese by 3 goals to 1. On 4th of April, our team played against Mixed UN Civilian Security Team whom GCCS Team had beaten earlier in the group stages. GCCS Team won the third place match with 4 goals to Nil. GCCS Team couldn’t go further the tournament and we fi nished at Third Place during the play-offs. Gambia Battalion emerged as the winners and will participate in the UN Games.

Our team was awarded with a soccer ball by the organizers as a token of appreciation and recognition.

Our GCCS Football Team in El Fasher was coached by the Project Manager Harry Ohene Akrofi with Hassan Bittar, our Bakery Operations Manager, who was the Team Manager. Overall, it was a good tournament for Team GCCS. We may not have gone too far but rest assured, we will do better and play harder to make it to the top next time around.

Our El Fasher Football Team, solid & united

UNAMID Football Tournament Held in

l h

Our team was awarded with asoccer ball by the organizers as a token of appreciation and recognition.


Iraq Operations Visit: An Outsider’s Insider Reportby: Roda March S. Collado “Why not Roda to come with me in Iraq?” was a question posed by Eric Déru (GCCS HR Director) to Nirvana Moujaes (Development & Planning Manager- Iraq) during a meeting we had sometime March 2014. My mind was blank for a moment, although I remember answering, “Yes, yes, of course!” without hesitation.

I have always talked about our operations in other countries during induction trainings at Corporate Office but have never been to even one of them. So I thought going to Iraq is a very good chance for me to see what we do there, and meet our people. The only concern that lingered in mind was – Is it safe out there?

All my worries came to rest when finally on 6th of April, 2014, Eric and I travelled to Iraq. Our HR Team in Iraq did a wonderful arrangement for our arrival; we breezed through immigration and were ushered to the vehicle that will take us to our Basra office.

It was fascinating to see a new country, seeing that they are well on their way in rebuilding their country. It was evident in the surrounding what the war and conflict left behind, bullet stricken establishments and houses. But I must admit, I did not sense any kind of danger.

Arriving in the office, we were warmly welcomed by the HR Team, Management team members and everybody in the office. Straight away, we had an open conversation with Frank Al Timimi (GCCS Iraq General Manager) and Nik Guy (Project Manager) on what will be the main objectives of the visit.

In afternoon, Eric made a presentation of the main topics that will be covered during the visit and delivered the HR Strategy presentation. A collaborative atmosphere was created and set the tone for the visit. They even held a welcome gathering on our first night over dinner, and we held friendly conversations with other key members of the team. Personally, I really felt welcomed and considered part of their team.

Second day proved to be very productive. Eric conducted the 5 Time Management sessions for key members the whole afternoon and I took the opportunity to share with the HR Team our Induction Presentation we have and we went over items regarding induction at country level. We had interesting discoveries and learning. At dinner time, we went over important topics that need to be addressed, the team expressed what areas they need to prioritize and put attention to. They have asked for our inputs and vice versa. Spontaneous brainstorming sessions became a common routine every time we get a chance to rest.

Third Day was dedicated to the HR Team; we had sessions with Samer Labban, HR Manager, regarding different HR topics. We identified strengths and areas for improvement. We concluded the night with a nice dinner with the team and prepared for a whole day visit to BP site (British Petroleum) the following day. continued to page 18The famous GCC S Iraq Of f ice staircase that

welcomes you to a Home Away From Home

Reading this at the adjacent wall of the main door makes one feel proud of being part of GCC SERVICES!

A collaborative atmosphere was

created...


Fourth day was dedicated to visit BP site. We were ushered to armored cars with security staff. Though I was asked to wear a bullet proof vest, the security personnel assured us that it is safe, it was just extra precaution. It was almost a two-hour drive and when we arrived, we were literally greeted by a multitude of beautiful butterflies. Yes, in the middle of the desert!

We were welcomed by Keith Weaving, Senior Project Manager in our BP operations. It was interesting for me to see the actual site, where we perform our services, and meet our people who represent our company. Keith, Nik, Samer toured us in and around the site. We spent some time discussing topics about the operations, exchanging ideas and experiences.

Then came for us to bid goodbye, indeed it was a pleasure to meet our people and have small chats with them. They were all so welcoming and warm. It was definitely worth the visit!

Time flies, we were surprised to realize that our visit was almost over. Fifth day was dedicated to debriefing and assessment our visit. Both the Iraq team and ourselves expressed our gratefulness for the visit, it was a very good learning experience for all of us. It definitely established a partnership between corporate and operations. The visit may be over, but it just marks the beginning of the work ahead. It was agreed that an action plan will be drawn to ensure follow through and continuous collaboration. A second visit was agreed as well.

In a span of barely 5 days in Iraq, we definitely did not feel we were outsiders (I guess I need to change the title next time). We are part of the same team, and as Nik put it, only the location is different. We are from the same team and we will work with each other.

It was impressive how they have built a community over there, certainly they are bringing Home Away from Home in the site. Gardens were well kept, surroundings were clean. During the tour, I gained a deep appreciation of the operations, and it got me thinking, Ah, this is the kind of operations we are recruiting for, ah this is the working condition, etc. I really had a lot of Aha! moments.

Then came a time for us to have lunch, we were impressed with our dining facility, it was very clean and a good variety of food were offered. I was so full and could barely walk! Afterwards, they also brought us to our people’s accommodation site. We met the camp boss over there, Ziad Helou. He walked with us to look at the dining facility, accommodation, etc. We had few more chats with some of our key people in the site.

From Le : Eric, Samer, Nik, Keith & Ziad

Snapshot of the BP ROO Compound

Nik & Eric joking around in the Cofee Shop

Iraq Operations Visit: An Outsider’s Insider Report

con nued from page 17

O n b e h a l f o f t h e t e a m a t c o r p o r a t e , w e t h a n k t h e I r a q o p e r a t i o n s t e a m

f o r t h e i r w a r m w e l c o m e a n d g r e a t

t e a m s p i r i t . Yo u d e f i n i t e l y b r i n g

H o m e A w a y f r o m H o m e i n I r a q !

Nice Story behind these trophies...

Keith shared with us the story behind these trophies sitting in the GCCS Offi ce on site. These were awarded to the team during the Football League organized on site. He told the players, “Go and take these to your homes and show to your families.” They refused to do so and Keith asked why. They said, “This is our Home.”

Laundrymen we met during the site visit, Godfrey (L) and Waheed (R). They have expressed their pride working for the Company and are excellent in what they do.


Once Again We Give Back to Communityby Anita Atwine, HR Supervisor

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

- Winston Churchill

This quarter, GCCS Uganda did it again, to grab an opportunity to give back to our community. As a team, we have always believed that giving back to the community is one of the most important things we must do, especially in the communities where we hold strong relations through our operations.

Mission Camp Upgradeby Anita Atwine, HR Supervisor

At the beginning of the year 2014, GCC Services Uganda was awarded the camp upgrade project by our largest client Tullow Oil. The project was to transform the two Tulow Oil Uganda old camps Bulisa and Kisinja and to give them a home away from home atmosphere.

To date, the team is working around the clock, paying attention to detail and is relentlessly determined to release quality work on time. Changes have already been observed as GCCS winds up what it does best.

We can’t let the efforts of the team that is working tirelessly go unnoticed; we want to commend every involved party for their efforts on the camp upgrade project. For those that came from other GCCS operations to support this project, we thank you.

We will continue to bring Home Away From Home to our employees and clients.

GCCS Uganda supported this by giving financial support for this noble cause to Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, a kingdom that has existed since the 13th Century to date. It is a kingdom that is striving to see its people preserve their culture. We believe that the law of giving is an outflow that determines inflow. L o n g l i v e B u n y o r o K i t a r a K i n g d o m !Th

e Of

fi cial

Emb

lem o

f the

Bu

nyor

o Kita

ra K

ingdo

m

The Lake Albert region is known for its richness in Oil and Gas. The lake is located in Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom in Hoima district.

Since 2009, our largest client Tullow Oil Pty operates in the Kingdom. Since we believe in preservation of culture, we supported the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom cultural preservation ceremony that took place last February 10, 2014.

In Africa, the habit of abandoning indigenous cultures and adopting foreign cultures has increased in recent years. This habit has to be avoided. It is the right and obligation of kingdoms and chiefdoms to sensitize indigenous people on the importance of culture preservation. Some of the cultural preservation advantages include: moral integrity, tourism, preservation of local heritage, values, and cultures for the next generations to come among others.


Unfortunate But Inevitable CircumstanceBy Anita, Atwine, HR Supervisor

Due to new award of the maintenance contract and change of scope requirements, GCCS Uganda had to go through downsizing to maintain business con nuity in Uganda.

As a sign of support from the Company, GCC SERVICES hired two counselors for a 4-day redundancy counseling session. This was to prepare us all emo onally for the unexpected. The counseling was eff ec ve as at the end of it all, the team took the news posi vely and some of the posi ve comments the employees had about GCCS Uganda included: they appreciated the manner in which the down size was communicated ahead of me, they were thankful for the coverage of their medical with their family member on medical insurance, they recognized the fact that GCCS conducted a number of trainings to develop their capabili es among others.

More so, to avoid any surprises, a general staff memo in reference to the layoff was issued 3 weeks ahead of me to prepare each one of us. The downsizing of staff was not an alterna ve but the only decision the company had to take for the be erment of its con nuity in Uganda.

Like Paul Stevenson puts it “Ra onally, people understand what is happening, but the team and job they love is breaking up. Their grief is about loss - losing a team, an environment, a secure income.”

As this transi on takes its course, the staff has begun to se le in to the new reality and focus on making the changes work.

As the Head of HR here in Uganda, it is important to show the staff that they are equally valued and since we are all professionals, everyone will do their part to make GCCS func on well. We take this opportunity to thank all employees for the dedica on they have showed and commitment to the Company.

In conclusion, we have all survived several traumas in our life me. Surviving these experiences confi rms our resilience to life’s ups and downs. We should rely on this resilience to help us ride out this storm.

First, openly grieve the losses. Losing a job is not something for which to feel shame; it is not a statement about your value. Channel your frustra on in produc ve direc ons. Secondly, don’t hide; ask for the help you need and let people comfort you. Thirdly, do what you can today; tomorrow will take care of itself.


For this edition’s Spotlight, we have the pleasure of featuring one of our new staff in Corporate Office, Ms. Bisrat Ghirmay Afeworki, Supply Chain Manager. Let’s get to know her more in this brief interview.

Bisrat @ WorkGCCSB: What were your first impressions of the people & the work environment when you joined the company?

Bisrat: Team effectiveness and best leaders is what excited me at first, I am very humble to join a company that has good harmony & employees work towards one goal.

GCCSB: You have been with us for less than a year, but I know your work is filled with challenges, what would you consider the biggest challenge you have faced so far? How did you manage it?Bisrat:The biggest challenge I faced was in collecting accurate data from

different sources. All teams involved in supply chain, including our team at site worked very hard to provide precise data. The main action we took was improving our communication and reporting system, and at this stage we are able to see the progress clearly.

GCCSB: What do you find most interesting about your work?Bisrat: Basically, the world is one big supply chain. Supply chain management touches major issues, including the rapid growth of multinational corporations and strategic partnerships, global expansion and sourcing. It is becoming apparent that originations that have an effective and efficient supply chain function have a competitive edge. Supply Chain is always very interesting field to work on, the challenges we face day to day are diverse and these lead us be creative to get solutions. We are always ready to find solutions, try new things and be trained on new technology.

GCCSB: How would you describe your team in your department?Bisrat: Our team is very determined and committed to the common goals of department, always prepared to take personal responsibility for getting the job done. Our communication within team is excellent.

GCCSB: If there are people out there thinking of shifting their career to Supply Chain, Procurement and Logistics, what advice would you give them?Bisrat: It is important to be focused, there may be many bumps along the way but don't get distracted. Schedule personal time for yourself, taking personal time will make you more productive.

Supply Chain is very dynamic, goal posts keep shifting, and there is always a challenge. Difficult times come but will pass sooner or later, don’t stress. Learn as much as you can from every perspective, taking job you like will enable you to learn more and grow, the more well-rounded you are in your field the more effective you will be at work.

GCCSB: What would you consider to be the best part working with GCC SERVICES?Bisrat: What I am most impressed by is the teamwork. We all work and communicate very well to the extent you feel you are surrounded by friends and family. Especially on occasions that we all meet outside the office on social events, these reinforce the family and team work culture.

Bisrat Off From Work GCCSB: How do you enjoy your weekends or your time off from work?

Bisrat: After work, mostly I like to take a walk or do basic exercise like Zumba. During my weekend, I always want to have peaceful time, if I get a chance to have two days off; one day will be a get together with friends and do different activities. And the second day will be a day I spend for myself chilling out at home and watch movies and catching up on my office work.

GCCSB: You are one of the cheerful, positive thinking people I have encountered in the workplace, what keeps you in that disposition?Bisrat: I believe being happy and cheerful set a positive vibration around you and let you tend to be more focused at work. With these, you will discover you have lots of time and energy to do your job. Besides, you will have an image of a happy worker, which definitely helps you to grow professionally in the work place. Every minute spent griping and grumbling is a minute taken off your life, every minute spent being cheerful and happy is a minute added on and the choice is ours!

GCCSB: If you were to have a second career, what would you consider taking on and why?Bisrat: I love my career and don’t have any regrets at all, but growing up in country which is undeveloped, seeing kids who are homeless or under aged children working to survive, makes me want to work with an organization that support children like these. And I think this would make me the happiest person.

We would like to thank Bisrat for taking the time to share with us your thoughts and allowing us to get to know you more. We wish you all the best on your career and personal life!

Getting to Know Bisrat On & Off Work


Delicious Fruit Cake By Madhawee Perera, HR Offi cer

On this edi on, we are introducing you a delicious dessert of cake which is rich in diff erent fl avors of fruits. It’s lovely in texture and taste, you can eat it the same day you make it. It's even be er if you sit with your family or visitors and enjoy with them while having your tea break.

Ingredients:

200g of wheat fl our3 eggs200g of margarine or bu er150g of Sugar½ cup of fresh milk2 tsp. of vanilla essence1 tsp. of baking powder½ cup of cashews shredded½ cup of Almond shredded 100g of dried raisins150g of candied fruit mix (fancy fruit mix for cakes)

Steps to prepare:

1. Cream bu er and sugar well.2. Add eggs, vanilla essence and beat them together.3. Add milk and wheat fl our mixed with baking powder. 4. Add dry raisins, cashews, almond and candied fruits and combine with the cake ba er.5. Place the mixture into the pan with waxed paper, allowing 2 inches to extend above all sides of pan.6. Bake for 30-40 minutes in 180°C/350°F in a temperate oven. Test the cake with a toothpick to check if the cake

is cooked through, it should come clean. 7. Once you remove the cake from the oven, let it cool before cu ng to desired sizes.

Now the Del ic ious Fruit Cake is

ready to be ser ved to your family

and v is i tors.

Enjoy!


The Eight Principles of Quality ManagementBy: Saji Varghese, Director of QHSE

We have covered the First 4 Quality Management Systems (QMS) Principles in the last GCCS Bites edi on, which are: Customer Focus, Leadership, Involvement of People and Process Approach. We con nue with the other 4 principles to complete our understanding of what these 8 principles are. The remaining principles are:

Principle 5 - System Approach to Management: "Iden fying, understanding and managing a system of interrelated processes for a given objec ve improves the organiza on’s eff ec veness and effi ciency."

Steps in applica on of this principle are: • Defi ne the system by iden fying

or developing the processes that aff ect a given objec ve.

• Structure the system to achieve the objec ve in the most effi cient way.

• Understand the interdependencies among the processes of the system.

• Con nually improve the system through measurement and evalua on.

• Es mate the resource requirements and establish resource constraints prior to ac on.

Principle 6 - Con nual Improvement:"Con nual improvement should be a permanent objec ve of the organiza on."

Steps in applica on of this principle are:

• Make con nual improvement of products, processes and systems an objec ve for every individual in the organiza on.

• Apply the basic improvement concepts of incremental improvement and breakthrough improvement.

• Use periodic assessments against established criteria of excellence to iden fy areas for poten al improvement.

• Con nually improve the effi ciency and eff ec veness of all processes.

• Promote preven on based ac vi es.

• Provide every member of the organiza on with appropriate educa on and training, on the methods and tools of con nual improvement such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, problem solving, process re-engineering and process innova on.

• Establish measures and goals to guide and track improvements

• Recognize improvements.

Principle 7 - Factual Approach to Decision Making: "Eff ec ve decisions are based on the analysis of data and informa on."

Steps in applica on of this principle are: • Take measurements and collect

data and informa on relevant to the objec ve.

• Ensure that the data and informa on are suffi ciently accurate, reliable and accessible.

• Analyze the data and informa on using valid methods.

• Understand the value of appropriate sta s cal technique

• Make decisions and take ac on based on the results of logical analysis balanced with experience and intui on.

Principle 8 - Mutually Benefi cial Supplier Rela onships: "An organiza on and its suppliers are interdependent and a mutually benefi cial rela onship enhances the ability of both to create value."

Steps in applica on of this principle are:• Iden fy and select key suppliers.• Establish supplier rela onships

that balance short-term gains with long-term considera ons for the organiza on and society at large.

• Create clear and open communica ons.

• Ini ate joint development and improvement of products and processes.

• Jointly establish a clear understanding of customers' needs.

• Share informa on and future plans, and

• Recognize supplier improvements and achievements.

Hopefully, with informa on on these 8 QMS Principles, we will all be able to apply them in our day-to-day tasks.


Every day we use skills that assist us in completing specific jobs and other skills that make life a little easier. But there is one specific skill that is very valuable for us to know, yet very few do. The skill I believe is very important for everyone to know is First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Every day, we are at risk of being involved in a natural disaster or accident whether work related or while we are driving down the road.

In fact, the American Red Cross state the following reasons showing that it is important to learn CPR/AED:

• 80% of Cardiac Arrests happen in the home• Only 6.4% of Cardiac Arrest Victims survive because people witnessing

the incident do not know CPR• Over 200,000 people die of Sudden Cardiac Arrest every year.• 50,000 of the 200,000 deaths yearly could be prevented• For Every minute that an AED is unavailable, the victim has a 10% less

chance of survivalOnce the heart stops beating, brain death occurs in 4 to 6 minutes. Performing CPR provides oxygen to the brain and other vital organs to give the victim the best chance of full recovery after emergency medical services takes over. If CPR is given within the first four minutes of a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival is doubled.

Benefits of learning First Aid/ CPR/AED:

1. First Aid• In the case of lacerations or other minor injury, you will be able to assist a friend family member or coworker.• You may be able to help assist in the case of shock upon arrival at an accident scene.

2. CPR/AED• You may be able to assist in the case of friend, coworker or loved one experiencing a stroke or heart attack.• If you know how to use an AED, you give a person a 10% or better chance of living.

As a part of our social responsibility, GCCS staff in EDGO nowadays, are all certified with Hands-Only CPR & AED, to be able to assist clients and colleagues in case of a cardiac arrest. This training was in coordination with Frontier Medex Clinic which operates the medical support in EDGO Camp.

Hands-Only CPR & AED Training in EDGO CampBy Pierre Gedeon

In enhancement of their ongoing training, the entire GCCS UNFICYP staff participated and successfully completed the course- Emergency First Aid at Work, Level 2 last 24th of March, 2014.

Conducted by BH Lifeline Training of Larnaca, the instructor Mr. Bob Harvey brought with him emergency equipment and a first aid demo doll, “Rususci Anne”, better enabling him to instruct the staff in the proper method of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and basic first aid. GCCS staff learned basic first aid and life support methods through hands on instruction and practice. They also learned how to react in an emergency situation, ensuring prompt treatment of any accident victim as well as ensuring the safety of other workers.

The course was informative as well as enjoyable and the staff received their diplomas after a final exam. Project Manager Anita Young also participated, reviewing and renewing her First Aid skills.

In the future, Ms. Young plans on keeping her staff always ready and prepared by having unannounced drills and simulated scenarios.

GCCS Cyprus Staff Training on First AidBy Marlette Miltiadous

Can you tell which twin suffered the head

trauma?


GCCS’ Unbeaten Record Comes to an EndBy Keith Weaving, Senior Project Manager, BP ROO Iraq

Arsene Wenger reaches 1,000 games, Messi becomes the highest goal scorer in Barcelona history, and Alan Pardew gets a touchline ban for head butting an opponent’s player at Hull City. All of these were the massive headlines in the world of football during the month of March 2014.

But all the statements mentioned previously have been eclipsed by the efforts of the GCC 5, a side football team, who lost their unbeaten run in the ROO HQ Emirates Football Tournament Final.

In a tournament that started in December 2013, with 2 leagues of 10, all departments were encouraged to participate, to distinguish who had the best team on site. This was a very prestigious event that everyone was talking about and of course, wanting to win.

It goes without mentioning, but I will, the Iraqis love their football and as the service provider here on the ROO HQ, we had a mixture of young athletic potential Ronaldo’s and a couple of ageing Sir

Stanley Matthews in the squad.

One of these latter messiahs was Paul Maddox, our captain marvel and the rudder of the GCC ship taking on all opponents and beating them with relative ease. In fact, it was that convincing that some of the older players had to come out of retirement and out of the offi ce to put their football shoes on, Keith Weaving, Wayne Owen, Andy Kane, Andy Fletcher. And GCCS even utilized the January transfer window with the loan of Paul Dixon. With the handicap of the old boys taking oxygen and plenty of water every 2 minutes, the GCCS team kept winning with goals at ease, thanks to Haider Hatam Hassan and the defensive rock of Mustaffa Talb Muhammeed at the back, GCCS remained unbeaten throughout the group stages.

Quarter fi nals and Semifi nals were a breeze for this

star-studded team & with the backing of over 50 GCCS employees cheering the team on, it looked only a matter of time that the trophy would be coming “home away from home” after winning 5-0.

Then tragedy struck in the fi nal few minutes of the semifi nal, Captain Marvel Paul goes down in what looked an innocuous challenge, the silence of the crowd echoed the concern. It was confi rmed that Paul had fractured his arm and was subsequently out of the fi nal.

The squad trained for 5 days in anticipation of victory, a shelf had already been placed in the offi ce for the cup to sit on. The day arrived everyone was looking forward to- the challenge against our opponents ROO HQ Business Support. Though without Paul Maddox, the team picked itself and GCCS went for youth. Within 10 minutes of the fi nal game, GCCS was losing 3-0 and something had to change, the team needed direction. So Keith Weaving was brought on for the 2nd half, someone had to organize and stop the leaking of goals and try and get back into this game. We lost 8-1 to worthy winners, the team was despondent and thankfully Keith announced his retirement.

But I was very proud to be part of the GCCS team; when I mean team, I’m not just talking of the players, but more importantly the support we had through the whole tournament especially the semifi nals and fi nals. It just emphasized that we are one big family and an experience I will never forget and thankfully, I had the opportunity to thank them all personally at the post match BBQ.

Our Great Sportsmen Proudly Bearing the GCCS Name


Can You Spot the Difference?How good are you at spotting the differences? Take a break and see if you can find 10 differences from the two photos below:

We take this opportunity to congratulate Ms. Ekram Mohamed Mahmood, HR from Libya and Mr. Martial Kezamutima, Camp Boss from UNAMID Sudan for achieving 100% Marks in “Level 1 Award in Food Safety in Catering”! This was conducted by Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (HABC).

Employee Recognition

If you have comments, suggestions, articles to share, please feel free to write to us, email us at

[email protected].

Congratulations & Keep Up the Good Work!

Documents

GCCS BITES Issue 01 2014/ April 2014