size=3>Bulgaria (associate member)
The Bulgarian Quality and Productivity Centre (BQPC) was established in 1985 as a not-for-profit corporation of governmental and public organisations. Its purpose is to transfer knowledge, expertise and technologies related to improving quality, productivity and company management by means of training courses (open and in-company), consultancy, information dissemination (it publishes a dozen titles annually), acting as a clearing house and producing relevant multimedia products.
Between 1991 and 2000 consultancy on productivity was carried out with the help of experts sent on short-term missions to Bulgaria by Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development (JPC-SED). Subsequently, BQPC has successfully developed its own consulting capacities with JPC-SED assistance drawing on a model-company approach. Staff have also benefited from 2-4 week JICA training assignments in Japan.
BQPC has 11 staff (3 part-time) working as counterparts to the Japanese experts. It has 6 rented rooms, 120sqm in total. 100% of the costs are covered by income from training, consultancy and the sale of publications.