Seri Gemilang Bridge @ Putrajaya; Photo by: Ahmad Rithauddin [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The APO’s 57th Workshop Meeting of Heads of National Productivity Organizations (WSM) will be held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, 19–21 October. The agenda includes adoption of the evaluation of 2015 projects, reconfirmation of the APO Program Plan for 2017, and a statement from new Secretary-General Dr. Santhi Kanoktanaporn.

The 57th WSM will focus on reviewing programs to respond effectively to the changing needs of member countries. The Secretariat will present the project evaluation report for 2015 and impact evaluation for 2014 and 2015 as well as an overview of the program approach for 2017 and 2018.

Representatives from NPOs will present country papers describing their strategic plans to drive national productivity movements and the challenges they face. The country papers will help the WSM to identify country-specific needs not addressed in the APO roadmap and devise proposals to meet them. The WSM will also focus on the human resources development frameworks of members for creating programs to develop skill sets and competencies that the future workforce will require to meet productivity challenges.

A new banner was created for the 57th WSM, drawing upon the APO logo and colors. It symbolizes how the mechanics of gears, representing industry, can only be beneficial when many come in contact to move or deliver a load factor. The design identifies the WSM as the lubricant that helps the APO to avoid wear and tear among multiple gears and function optimally while maintaining the dynamism of individual member economies. This is depicted by the abstract design of a flying object moving upward and onward.