Nyrma Soffel
At SPQA, our support in helping organizations on their journey to excellence leverages the talents and experiences of our volunteer workforce. Each volunteer workforce member has a unique story to tell. In this article we have interviewed Nyrma Soffel.
What interested you in becoming an Examiner with SPQA?
In my current role, I don’t have as many opportunities to perform inspections, record reviews and other auditing/examining activities. Volunteering with the SPQA provided me with the ability to use my skills and experience in a new and exciting way.
What have you enjoyed the most about being an examiner?
I have enjoyed working with such a competent and professional group of examiners from various industries across the State. It was enlightening to hear the varying perspectives, and noting our areas of consensus. It is clear that while our professional backgrounds are diverse, we all strive for process improvement and operational excellence.
What skills have you gained since becoming a volunteer with SPQA?
The most challenging concepts I have learned in this process are the nuanced differences in the ADLI concepts. It was sometimes a challenge to adequately identify what was evidence of an approach versus evidence of deployment. Likewise, it was sometimes difficult to identify evidence of learning. Learning to discern these nuances in the applicant’s responses gave me insight into assessing my own work through a new lens.
What do you most want to learn from this experience?
I would love to continue on this journey and improve my examination skills. I documented my lessons learned this examination cycle and I look forward to improving on them in the next.
Outside of volunteering with SPQA, what is the hobby you’re most passionate about?
I enjoy planning outings and vacations with my family. We are a large family, spread over a relatively large geographic area, so bringing everyone together can be challenging. I enjoy working with my relatives to overcome the scheduling and other challenges so that we can spend time together.