Rules for accreditation of certification bodies: stages, verification of documents and decision

Accreditation of a certification body is a procedure that checks whether the applicant meets the established criteria and is able to perform conformity assessment work.

For the applicant, this is not just a set of documents. In the process of accreditation, its organization, specialists, equipment, documents and the ability to perform the declared work are evaluated. After passing the necessary stages, a decision on accreditation is made, and information about the organization is entered in the relevant register.

We will analyze the procedure by steps: from consideration of the application to inspection control of an already accredited organization.

What are the stages of accreditation

The procedure can be divided into five main stages:

1. consideration of the application for accreditation;
2. examination of documents;
3. attestation of applicants;
4. making a decision on accreditation;
5. Inspection control of accredited organizations.

Each stage performs its task.

It is important to understand this sequence beforehand: problems discovered early in the procedure can affect the procedure.

Consideration of an application for accreditation

The first stage is related to the examination of the application by the technical center.

At this stage, a technical supervisor for the accreditation of a particular applicant is determined.

Next, the application itself and the submitted set of documents are analyzed.

Checked:

• completeness of documents;
• the correctness of their design;
• the legal status of the applicant;
• affiliation of the applicant to a third party, if this is an accreditation criterion;
• availability of necessary personnel;
• availability of experts;
• availability of equipment.

That is, at the initial stage, not only the presence of the application itself, but also the ability of the applicant in principle to meet the established criteria are assessed.

What is important to check before applying

One of the practical mistakes is to collect documents after the start of the procedure.

It is much more efficient to make an internal checklist in advance and divide the requirements into several blocks:

• organization – legal and organizational information;
• staff – employees and experts;
• Equipment - the availability of necessary funds for the performance of work;
• documents – internal regulations, procedures and other materials;
• Area of accreditation – specific types of work that the organization plans to perform.

This approach allows you to see gaps before the official consideration of the application.

Verification of the feasibility of work

If necessary, the technical centre, together with the central authority of the certification system or other organization performing the relevant functions, shall analyse the existence of similar accredited facilities.

In particular, the availability of:

• testing laboratories;
• metrological services;
• other necessary organizations.

The task of such analysis is to determine the possibility and feasibility of performing work on accreditation of the applicant.

For the applicant, there is a useful practical point: it is not enough just to declare a certain area of activity. It is necessary to understand in advance whether the organization has real resources to perform the declared functions.

Examination of documents

The next stage is the examination of documents.

According to its results, an expert opinion is formed.

The main task of the examination is to assess the compliance of the information submitted in the application with the established accreditation criteria.

Simply put, it checks whether the documents confirm that the organization actually meets the requirements.

According to the results of the examination, several options for conclusion are possible:

• the applicant meets the established criteria;
• specific inconsistencies have been identified;
• The applicant needs recommendations for adjusting certain provisions or documents.

Why it’s important to go beyond formal verification

A set of documents should not just exist, but logically confirm the declared capabilities of the organization.

For example, if the applicant indicates a particular area of activity, the documents, personnel and equipment must correspond to that area.

A useful technique before the examination is to check the documents among themselves.

We need to make sure that:

• the names of the organizations are the same;
• information about specialists do not contradict each other;
• the declared area of activity is consistent with the resources;
• The documents do not contain mutually exclusive provisions;
• These possibilities are confirmed by other materials.

In this way, you can detect inconsistencies that are not always noticeable when checking each document separately.

What to do if inconsistencies are found

The inconsistency is not just a formal note in the conclusion.

If problems are found in documents, it is important to understand which criterion is not met and which document or action can correct it.

Good practice is to keep a separate table:

This format helps to turn expert comments into a concrete plan of action.

Applicants' certification

The next step is the certification of applicants.

This is a separate part of the procedure, since the compliance of the organization cannot be assessed only on paper.

Specialists who will perform the relevant work are also important.

Therefore, in preparation for accreditation, it is necessary to pay attention in advance to the personnel, their qualifications and compliance with the declared field of activity.

It is practically useful to form a separate folder or electronic section for each specialist and check the availability of supporting documents in advance.

This allows you to avoid a situation where the main part of the organization is ready for the procedure, but some information about specialists requires urgent revision.

Decision on accreditation

After passing the prescribed stages, a decision on accreditation is made.

With a positive decision, registration in the register becomes the basis for:

• obtaining a license for certain types of work;
• placing an order for printing a single form;
• placing an order for certificate forms and other documents, if centralized provision with them is provided.

Thus, registration in the register is an important result of the procedure, which allows you to move from accreditation to practical activities in the relevant field.

What does the accreditation certificate contain?

The certificate of accreditation contains a number of important information.

In particular, it states:

• mark of the national accreditation system;
• the name of the national accreditation body;
• information on the type of conformity assessment activities and ensuring uniformity of measurements;
• date of issue and number of the accreditation certificate;
• the name of the accredited person;
• its location for the legal entity;
• surname, first name and, if any, patronymic for a natural person;
• data of the identity document of the accredited person for the individual entrepreneur;
• Taxpayer identification number.

This information makes it possible to unambiguously determine the accredited person and the main parameters of his status.

Practical advice

After receiving the certificate, it is worth carefully verifying all the information.

It is especially important to check:

• name of the organization;
• address;
• Certificate number;
• date of issue;
• information about the declared activity;
• identification data.

It is better to identify an error in the document immediately, rather than after the information begins to be used in further work.

Inspection control

Accreditation does not mean that once entered in the register, the organization is no longer subject to audits.

Inspection control of accredited organizations is provided.

Its meaning is to control the maintenance of compliance with the established requirements after the initial procedure.

For business, this means an important thing: accreditation cannot be seen as a one-off task.

The following shall be maintained in working order:

• documents;
• personnel;
• equipment;
• internal procedures;
• declared area of activity;
• Other elements that are relevant to meeting the criteria.

Why you need to prepare for inspection in advance

One of the common mistakes is to start putting documents in order only after receiving information about the upcoming control.

It is much more reliable to create a system of permanent internal control.

For example, you can set a regular check:

• documents – whether versions and information are relevant;
• personnel – whether the necessary staff of specialists remains;
• Equipment – whether the necessary equipment is available and whether it is maintained;
• procedures – whether the established internal rules are followed;
• area of activity – whether the actual work corresponds to the stated opportunities

In this way, inspection becomes not a separate stressful event, but part of the normal work of the organization.

Major Mistakes in Preparing for Accreditation

Collect documents without a single system

When materials are prepared by different employees without common oversight, there may be contradictions.

It is better to appoint a person responsible for the general set.

Check only the availability of documents

The mere fact of having a document does not mean compliance.

It is important to check its content and its relationship with other materials.

Not counting staff.

Even well-prepared documentation does not replace the professionals who are required to perform the stated functions.

Declare too broad an area

The wider the declared activity, the more claims may need to be confirmed.

It is wiser to assess the real capabilities of the organization in advance.

They are not prepared for further control.

After accreditation, the work cannot be considered complete.

Compliance with requirements must be maintained on an ongoing basis.

How to prepare for accreditation without too much fuss

It is almost convenient to divide the preparation into several consecutive actions.

Step 1. Determine the scope of accreditation.

First, you need to clearly understand what kind of work the organization is going to perform.

Step 2. Conduct an internal audit.

Verify personnel, equipment, documents and organizational resources.

Step 3. Comparing resources with criteria.

It is necessary to make sure that each declared activity is confirmed by the available opportunities.

Step 4. Check the documents with each other.

This helps to find contradictions and outdated information.

Step 5. Training staff.

Professionals should understand their functions and have the necessary supporting documents.

Step 6. Do a test run.

It is useful to model an expert check and go through the set of documents as it will do the inspection party.

Step 7. Create a register of documents.

It is convenient to record in advance the name of each document, its version, date and responsible.

Step 8. After accreditation, maintain the control system.

Documents, staff and resources should be checked regularly so that compliance is not lost once the procedure is completed.

Outcomes

Accreditation of the certification body is a consistent procedure, which evaluates not only the documents, but also the real capabilities of the applicant.

First, the application is considered and the technical head for accreditation is determined. Then the documents are examined and their compliance with the established criteria is assessed. Special attention is paid to the certification of applicants.

After passing the prescribed stages, a decision on accreditation is made, and registration in the register becomes the basis for further actions provided for by the procedure.

The work does not end after obtaining the status. Accredited organizations are subject to inspection.

The main practical conclusion is simple: it is better to prepare for accreditation not a separate folder of documents, but the entire system of work of the organization.

If the documents, specialists, equipment and the declared area of activity are agreed in advance, the procedure is much easier. And if such a system is maintained after accreditation, the organization is better prepared for subsequent monitoring.

Rules of accreditation