Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

How to approach membership of IAF/ILAC Arrangements: the peer evaluation system of IAF and ILAC for single accreditation bodies

  • International Bodies
  • Published:
Accreditation and Quality Assurance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Peer evaluation is used by the international accreditation organisations IAF and ILAC as a tool to harmonise the results of accreditation of conformity assessment bodies and as a control mechanism to ensure constantly competent services according to harmonized standards. Upon positive evaluation outcome, the accreditation body may join an Arrangement (MLA/MRA) between accreditation bodies, confirming systematic reliability and competence to the market. The objective of these Arrangements is that they will cover all accreditation bodies in all countries in the world, thus eliminating the need for suppliers of products or services to be certified in each country where they sell their products or services. This article is to aid single accreditation bodies wishing to sign these Arrangements in the future, and, furthermore, to communicate the procedure and the relevance of evaluation to the public in order to build up confidence in such Arrangements.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  1. ISO/IEC 17000 Conformity assessment—vocabulary and general principles (ISO/IEC 17000:2004); Trilingual version EN ISO/IEC 17000:2004

  2. IAF/ILAC-A1:05/2007 IAF/ILAC Multi-lateral mutual recognition arrangements (Arrangements): requirements for evaluation of a regional group

  3. IAF/ILAC-A2:05/2007 IAF/ILAC Multi-lateral mutual recognition arrangements (Arrangements): requirements for evaluation of a single accreditation body

  4. IAF/ILAC-A3:05/2007 IAF/ILAC Multi-lateral mutual recognition arrangements (Arrangements): key performance indicators a tool for the evaluation process

  5. IAF-MM-07-002 Application for membership in IAF

  6. IAF PL 4:2004 Rules for IAF membership fees

  7. ILAC-P6:2003 Application for full member status

  8. ILAC-S2:2003 ILAC rules

  9. ISO/IEC 17011 Conformity assessment—general requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies (ISO/IEC 17011:2004)

  10. IAF GD 3:2003 Guidance on cross frontier accreditation

  11. ILAC-G21:2002 Cross frontier accreditation—principles for avoiding duplication

  12. EA 2/02: 2007 EA Policy and procedures for the multilateral agreement

  13. ILAC-G20:2002 Guidelines on grading of non-conformities

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. BAM, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany

    Frauke Behrens & Monika Wloka

Authors
  1. Frauke Behrens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Monika Wloka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frauke Behrens.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Behrens, F., Wloka, M. How to approach membership of IAF/ILAC Arrangements: the peer evaluation system of IAF and ILAC for single accreditation bodies. Accred Qual Assur 14, 53–61 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-008-0424-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-008-0424-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation