Blog

‘Foundations’

This week a video (link in photo on the left) of massive waves crashing against a lighthouse popped up on one of my social media feeds. The power of the waves was awe inspiring and I thought I’d share the video with you.

So why am I posting this in the Forensic Foundations International blog. What on earth have lighthouses and massive waves got to do with Forensic Science / Medicine and our legal system?

I have posted previously on the origin of our company name – originally Forensic Foundations and now Forensic Foundations International – nothing lasting can be built without strong foundations. The foundations upon which forensic science / medicine are built are.

Appropriately educated and trained personnel who can demonstrate competency
Focused (fit-for-purpose) quality management
A documented field of specialisation based on research, development and innovation.

And so our vision is to provide flexible fit-for-purpose programs to support these foundations. This vision is reflected in our ‘Quality Policy’:

The Management and Staff of Forensic Foundations International are committed to and focused on supporting the justice system as a whole and the individuals involved within the system, through the provision of flexible and fit-for-purpose forensic training, quality management, proficiency testing (complying with ISO/IEC 17043) and consultancy services.

Getting back to the lighthouses. We all wish that the seas were barmy and the sun was shining and we could have a day sailing as shown in this picture. If it was always like this, foundations would not be as important. But as we saw in the video, the winds and the water often tell a different story. And that is why we need foundations.

We are all familiar with the reviews, enquires, reports into various aspect of forensic science / medicine and the handling of such by investigators and the legal system.

Foundations need to be built taking the worst-case scenario into consideration.

Note I say ‘taking the worst-case scenario into consideration‘– this is where risk management comes into it’s own.

A robust risk management system allows individuals and organizations to structure fit-for-purpose foundations which meet their specific needs.

However, once we have built our foundations there is more work to be done.

This work can be summarized under two headings, ongoing maintenance and continuous improvement.

Maintenance – nothing lasts forever without care and maintenance. But how do we know what to maintain? Well some things come with a maintenance schedule so that makes our lives a bit easier, bit other things will need inspection, review and testing.

This will involve both a proactive component (planning) and a reactive component (when a repair or revision is required).

Continuous improvement has a strong proactive focus and it’s foundations are in ‘research, development and innovation.’ Once upon a time these lighthouses were manned by individuals who had to tend the lights, nowadays they have been automated. Not doing away with trained personnel completely but increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the both the lighthouses and the personnel employed.

Earlier this month we filmed the ‘crime scene’ (pictured right) for the 2023 Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Proficiency Test due to be distributed in February. This activity demonstrated the concepts of foundations, maintenance, and continuous improvement in practice.

The foundations:

Appropriately educated and trained personnel who can demonstrate competency:
- The engagement of a BPA Discipline Specific Expert
- The engagement of a professional photographer
Focused (fit-for-purpose) quality management:
- Compliance with ISO/IEC 17043
A documented field of specialisation based on research, development, and innovation.
- Bloodstain pattern analysis.

Maintenance

Review of previous tests, results submitted, and feedback provided.

Continuous improvement

Recording the scene using 360^o photography in addition to video and stills.

Thus solid foundation and continuous improvement can be seen as two sides of the one coin.

If you wish to enquire or discuss how our suite of flexible-fit-for purpose forensic programs could support your foundations, maintenance or continuous improvement we would love to assist you – please drop us a line at admin@ffint.com.au.