JGA Sydney Resolution 7 - Certification to accreditation Standards - Guidance to ANSI Assessors

PUBLIC NOTICE PRO-NT-109 Issued: 2010-1-15, Revision: 0

Attachments  IAF.21 Oct. 27 and 29 2007 - Resolution 7.pdf
References
Contents
1Objective
1.1This notice is to provide guidance to ANSI assessors in reference to JGA Sydney Resolution 7 (attached) adopted at the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) 21st General Assembly on October 27 and 29, 2007 in Sydney, Australia.
2Definitions
None.
3Effective date
February 13, 2009
4Notice
4.1According to Joint General Assembly IAF and ILAC (JGA) Resolution 7, when a Certification Body (CB) that is accredited by an Accreditation Body (AB, e.g., ANSI) is providing certification to any standard used as a basis for accrediting CABs (e.g., ISO/IEC 17025 or ISO 15189), the AB shall initiate its process for suspension of accreditation. This CAB practice, if carried out, would put the AB, against its will, in the condition of providing the same service that a CAB performs, in violation of clause 4.3.6 of ISO/IEC 17011.
4.2Resolution 7 further notes that a CAB may have to assess subcontractors to confirm that they meet CABs’ requirements, which may include accreditation standards, e.g., ISO/IEC 17025. Documentation issued to subcontractors as a result of a successful assessment should clearly state that this is only for the purposes of the subcontract and is not certification or accreditation in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011.
4.3During on-site assessments, ANSI assessors are requested to observe whether a CB may be certifying to a standard, and inform it that continuance of this practice may lead to suspension of its existing ANSI accreditation. For additional information, ANSI assessors should contact ANSI Program Director Reinaldo Figueiredo at: 202-331-3611 or rfigueir@ansi.org.