This study focuses on the development of effective Staff Training Programs to meet ISO Food Factory standards. It is set in the context of significant changes required to meet these standards in order to improve international\ud
business opportunities in the food industry in Thailand.\ud
The study is based on a needs assessment within the proactive form of evaluation as categorised by Owen, with Rogers (1999) and Owen (2006).\ud
The research was conducted in four phases: a needs assessment, an expert review, a determination of best practice, and the formulation of a staff training policy. The purely qualitative methodology involved focus group\ud
and semi-structured interviews, a SWOT analysis, inductive data reduction, and policy development using Dror’s (1973) Optimal Method of policymaking. The findings of this study were validated by means of triangulation involving the outcomes of the needs assessment, the semistructured\ud
interviews with the QMRs of two registered ISO certificated food factories, and the testing of the draft policy against the perceptions of the Chief Executive Officers of two registered ISO certificated food factories.\u