How Does Accreditation Work and How Can it Benefit You

By: Marisol ValenzuelaExecutive Director

International Accreditation Registry (IAR)

Miami, Florida

www.IARinternational.org

Specific Benefits

How can Accreditation Benefit Individuals ?

Quality and consistency of training services The international recognition of training

certificates The international recognition of the

certifications issued by personnel certification bodies

Specific Benefits

How can Accreditation Benefit Countries ?

Governments can more appropriately assess the value of imports to determine tariffs

More confidence in the exports because of increase in demonstrated quality

Improvements in quality and personnel competence leads to higher productivity

How to Provide ConfidenceISO, IEC, CASCO, ETC.

Auditor Registration

Competence auditor

ISO/TC 176ISO 9001:2000

National Body

IAF, IATCA Recognition

Accreditation Body

Certification

Organization

Customer

What is ISO 9000 and Certification all about?

CONFIDENCE Providing CONFIDENCE to the customer

that requirements for the product will be met

What is IAR?

Inaugurated in 1993 as the Caribbean Council for Accreditation

Transitioned to International Accreditation Registry in 2001

Mission expanded to provide ISO 9000 and ISO 14001 accreditation services for certification bodies

Focus on Latin America and emerging economies

We accredit certification bodies to issue certificates of conformity to:

ISO 9000 ISO 14001HACCPOHSAS 18001 ISO 9001:2000 Phased Transition Program

Other IAR Services

We accredit training course providers ISO 9000 ISO 14000 HACCP OHSAS 18001 And other Technical areas in the industry

IAR’s Mission

To help organizations within both emerging and established economies become more competitive by ensuring the adequacy of products, services and personnel, as well as the general effectiveness of management.

Accreditation of Course Providers

Customer Focus

Organizations depend on their customers

and therefore should understand current and future customer needs , should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations

Leadership

Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction of the organization.  They should created and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving the organization’s objectives

Involvement of people

People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their full involvement enable their abilities to be used for the organization’s benefit

Process approach

A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process.

System approach to management

Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organization’s effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.

 

Continual improvements

Continual improvement of the organization’s overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organization

Factual approach to decision making

Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information

Mutually beneficial supplier relationships

An organization and its suppliers are interdependent and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to created value.

These eight quality management principles form the basis for the quality management system standards within the ISO 9000 family.

Auditor Competence

General

Confidence and reliance in the audit process depends on the competence of those conducting the audit.

How can we measure competence?

Personal attributes Ability to apply the knowledge and skills

Personal Attributes ethical (fair, truthful, honest, discreet) open-minded (willing to consider alternative ideas or points of view) diplomatic (tactful in dealing with people) observant (actively aware of physical surroundings and activities) perceptive (instinctively aware of and able to understand situations) versatile (adjust readily to different situations) tenacious (persistent, focused on achieving objectives) decisive (reaches timely conclusions based on logical reasoning and

analysis) self-reliant (acts and functions independently while interacting

effectively with others)

Knowledge and Skills

Auditors should have knowledge and skills in the following areas:

Audit principles, procedure and techniques Management system and reference documents Organizational situations

– Organization size, structure, functions and relationships– General business processes and related terminology– Cultural and social customs of the auditee

Applicable laws, regulations and other requirements

Generic knowledge and skills of audit team leaders

Audit team leaders should be able to: Plan the audit and make effective use of

resources during the audit. Communicate with the client Provide guidance to auditors in training Lead the audit team to reach audit conclusions Prevent and resolve conflict Prepare and complete an audit

Specific Knowledge and Skills

Quality management system auditors Environmental management system auditors

– Terminology– Management principles/applications– Management tools

Examples of qualifications for auditors conducting certification or similar audits

Parameter Auditor Auditor in both disciplines

Audit team leader

Education Secondary Same as for auditor Same as for auditor

Total work experience

5 years Same as for auditor Same as for auditor

Work experience in quality or environmental management field

At least 2 years of the total 5 years

2 years in the second discipline

Same as for auditor

Auditor training 40 hours of audit training

24 hours of training in the second discipline

Same as for auditor

Audit experience Four complete audits for a total of 20 days of audit experience as an auditor in training under direction of an auditor competent as an audit team leader.

Audits completed within three years

Three completed audits for a total of at least 15 days of audit experience in the second discipline under the direction of an auditor competent as an audit team leader in the second discipline.

Audits completed last two years

Three complete audits for a total of at least 15 days of audit experience acting in the role of an audit team leader under the direction of an auditor competent as an audit team leader.

Audits completed within the last two years

Maintenance and improvement of competence

Continual professional development Maintenance of auditing ability

Auditor evaluation

The evaluation of auditors and audit team should be planned, implemented and recorded.

What happens when an auditor is not competent?

Customer looses time and money Credibility is jeopardized

Why is competence important to the client?

…because competent auditors that go through the process will ADD VALUE to the customer by helping them improve their processes and cut costs.

For more information about international standards you may go to www.iso.org

Or you may contact our office at 305 446-3894 e-mail: info@IARinternational.org

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

You can make a difference!!!