An institution needs to periodically revisit the systems already in place to make sure every process stays relevant to field needs and developments. Evaluation is a space to identify what can be strengthened and to shape steps for future development.

This principle underlies the 2026 Management Review of the UIN Sunan Kalijaga Halal Inspection Agency (LPH), held at Hotel Horison Wonosobo, Dieng, on Thursday and Friday, October 22-23, 2026.

The event served as an evaluation of how LPH management is carried out, from auditor competence, inspection mechanisms, and impartiality to report management, institutional structure, and services to business owners. The evaluation also follows up on the internal audit conducted in August 2026.

LPH UIN Sunan Kalijaga Head Prof. Ahmad Baidowi said the review is an important part of ensuring that the organization keeps developing in line with the needs and dynamics it faces.

“A review is important. An organization always needs evaluation so that improvements can be made. When we review, whatever falls short can be improved later on,” he said.

According to Prof. Baidowi, the evaluation is not only about LPH's internal governance. The evolving demand for halal certification and the growing diversity of issues in the field push LPH to keep strengthening its capacity and service quality.

One concern is auditor competence. In his view, auditors must keep updating their knowledge because critical points in halal matters can change as products and business processes change.

For this reason, the internal audit and auditor refresher training held in August are an important part of ongoing capacity building. The need to improve competence was also discussed in the review, including matching auditors' educational backgrounds to the types of products they inspect.

The management review was then led by LPH UIN Sunan Kalijaga Secretary Dr. Ir. Ira Setyaningsih. Several notes from the internal audit were discussed to gauge the effectiveness of existing mechanisms and identify room for improvement.

One of these concerned the principle of impartiality. Dr. Ir. Ira said LPH continues to strengthen mechanisms so that the inspection function stays independent, even when facilitation programs also require assistance for business owners.

She also explained that separating the assistance and inspection functions is part of efforts to protect the independence of the certification process. In facilitation programs, assistance can be provided in cooperation with the Halal Center, while the inspection function remains with LPH.

The evaluation also covered strengthening auditor competence. Dr. Ir. Ira said the requirements on auditors' educational backgrounds in relation to the types of products inspected need attention in mapping and assigning auditors.

This need has led LPH to involve auditors with suitable fields of expertise. For certain fields not available at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, such as animal husbandry, LPH brings in auditors from Universitas Gadjah Mada according to the inspection competence required.

The management review also addressed several technical aspects, such as the reporting mechanism through the Halal One-Stop Integrated Service (PTSP Halal), access to managing the LPH website, and inspection procedures for certain types of businesses.

An experience-sharing session was also part of the review. Auditors shared experiences from inspecting business owners in various regions, including audits abroad, one of which was in Mongolia.

Sharia Auditor Dr. Faiq Tobroni highlighted the importance of making sure those responsible for a business understand their position as legal subjects in the implementation of halal product assurance. This relates to business owners' responsibility to ensure that halal governance is carried out in accordance with the rules.

Another auditor shared experience with inspecting poultry slaughter. He stressed the importance of confirming which type of poultry is being slaughtered, since each type has different anatomical characteristics.

The audit experience in Mongolia, shared by Atika and Ihsan, showed the importance of auditors' ability to adapt to differences in language, field conditions, and slaughter practices. The experience also served as input for continuing to strengthen foreign language skills for auditors assigned abroad.

Meanwhile, Sudarlin highlighted the need to strengthen business owners' understanding of the various provisions in implementing halal product assurance. In practice, this means auditors do not only verify but also educate business owners.

Auditor ethics was also part of the evaluation. Dr. Isma stressed the importance of maintaining professional boundaries during inspections, including in how to respond to gifts from business owners.

These experiences then became material for shared reflection to review how inspections are carried out and to ensure that every auditor performs their duties in line with the competence and ethics required.

Prof. Baidowi said the results of the review can serve as a basis for assessing LPH's development needs, including institutional ones. He mentioned the possibility of refining the organizational structure in 2027 to better support LPH management needs.

Strengthening public communication is another concern. In his view, LPH needs to keep widening its outreach to the public so that business owners better understand the functions, roles, and services available.

Through the management review, LPH UIN Sunan Kalijaga brought the results of the internal audit, auditors' experiences, the dynamics of field inspections, and institutional development needs together in a single evaluation space. The results provide a foundation for strengthening LPH governance and services on an ongoing basis, while also supporting the public's need for legal certainty in halal certification. (humassk)