Refilwe Bogatsu

Currently working for the Botswana Government at Botswana National Veterinary Laboratory as Chief Technical Officer in the Food Safety Laboratory (Dairy Hygiene Section).

Experience: I have been in this field since 2004. Prior to this in 2002 to 2004 I was working for the Department of Animal Production (Dairy) providing extension services and Training to Dairy farmers. I am currently a SADCAS approved Technical Signatory for 4 Microbiological tests (Total Viable Count, Total Coliform Count, Detection and Enumeration of E coli and Enumeration of Yeasts)

Implementation of ISO 17025: 2017. Internal Auditor for ISO 17025: 2017.

June 2017 to Date: Chief Technical Officer:

• Head of Dairy Hygiene Section 
•  Management of the section to ensure smooth operations. (Staff duty allocation, Staff reviews, Supervising and guiding sectional staff, Budget estimates and Planning for Resources, Procurement)
• Problem Solving; addressing customer complaints and non-conformities, staff matters.
• Technical Signatory to 4 Microbiological tests (Total Viable Count by Pour Plate, Total Coliform Count by Pour Plate, Enumeration of Yeasts by Pour Plate and Detection and Enumeration of E coli by MPN method)
• Test results Validation and Test Report Compilation.
• Implementation of ISO 17025: 2017 standard.
• Internal Auditor –Laboratory Management Systems (ISO 17025)
• Chairman of the BNVL Entertainment Committee
• Member for the BNVL Quality Committee
• Member of Management review committee
•  
• September 2011 – May 2017: Principal Technical Officer:
• Deputy Head of Section-Dairy Hygiene Section 
• (Staff reviews, Supervising sectional staff and Assisting Head of Section)
• Technical Signatory 
• Budget estimates and Procurement
• Problem Solving
• Test Results Validation and Test Report Compilation.
• Implementation of ISO 17025: 2005 Standard
• Responsible for Microbiological and Chemical analysis of all Milk and Milk Product samples received.
• Chairman of the BNVL Entertainment Committee
• Member of Procurement Committee

October 2004-October 2011: Senior Technical Officer:

• Implementation of ISO 17025: 2005 Standard
• Competent analyst for Microbiological Testing and Chemical analysis of all milk and Milk samples received. 
• Supervised and Managed Laboratory cleaning services.
• Member Entertainment Committee.
• Member of Local Works Committee.

April 2004-September 2004: Technical Officer

• Transferred to Botswana National Veterinary Laboratory from the Department of Animal Production (Dairy Section)
• Dairy hygiene Section-Sample Analysis

July 2002-March 2004: Technical Officer

• Department of Animal Production (Dairy Section): Provided extension services to Dairy Farmers in Kweneng and Ngwaketse Districts (i.e. training dairy farmers, monitoring dairy farms , sampling & submitting samples to the lab for testing and communicating results back to the farmer)
• Compiling district Monthly reports- Dairy section
• Implementation of the Financial Assistance Policy (FAP)
• Monitoring Dairy FAP Projects and their Funding. 
• Member of District Land Use Planning Unit (DLUPU)

Education

• 1999-2001 Diploma in Animal Health, Northwest University, South Africa
• Cambridge Certificate, Moeding College, Otse, 1996.

Short Courses

• Detection and Control of Microbial Food Hazards-AGES (Moedling; Austria)-28th February to 30th March 2022.
• ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Laboratory Management System-Auditing-Gaborone, BOBS, January 2016
• Isolation and Identification of Brucella Organisms, ARC, Pretoria, 2014.
• Implementation of a Quality Management System according to ISO 9001:2008-Gaborone, BOBS, July 2013.
• Understanding BOS ISO/IEC 17025 Gaborone, BOBS, March 2012
• Balance score card, 2008.
• Professional attachment at Lacto Lab, Pretoria (S.A.)- 2006
• Customer service excellence, November 2006.
• Performance Management System, 2003.
• Livestock Marketing-CICE, October 2002