One would expect that the Accreditation Bodies - ABs - , signatories of the Multilateral Agreement under the International Accreditation Forum, would have consistent approaches and criteria when developing the sectoral rules. But, apparently this is too much to expect. Some very recent and "alarming"(?) examples of inconsistent approach to sectoral accreditation:

AS/EN 9110 - After several YEARS of discussion, we still do not have ANY Certification Body approved by ANAB to AS9110. There are several registrars that have applied to be accredited against that Standard, but ANAB has stated that accreditation to 9110 requires specific witness audits and it should be an elaborated process. In the meantime, COFRAC, the French AB has made a decision that CB's accredited for EN9100 are also accredited for EN9110, with NO need for additional witness audits or "special requirements". For a process that is supposed to be harmonized worldwide, this leaves a lot to be desired....
UKAS is about to finish it's pilot accreditation scheme for ISO 22000, the Food Safety Management System standard, recently released by ISO. In the ISO website, they already have news of several organizations attaining certification to ISO 22000. (http://www.iso.org/iso/en/commcentre/pressreleases/2005/Ref987.html)However, ANAB's website (http://www.anab.org/HTMLFiles/news_programs.htm)states: "...Note: ISO/CASCO Joint Working Group (JWG) 11 met in Copenhagen Denmark in December 2005 to resolve comments from ISO Technical Committee 34 on the proposed ISO/TS 22003. The JWG expressed strong concern that some ABs and CBs were already offering accredited or unaccredited certificates for ISO/IEC 22000 certification. Most members of JWG 11 anticipate that because of the very high level of audit-team competencies outlined in the current draft of ISO/TS 22003, all or a majority of audits will have to be redone at the expense of the certified organizations. JWG members asked CASCO, through its liaison with the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), to express this concern to IAF and have IAF inform its AB members and CB association members and ask that no more certification audits (accredited or unaccredited) occur until ISO/TS 22003 has a more definitive structure and wording..."Would it be too much to expect that "equality" (ISO, Greek for equal) would start at the top?

Sid, both you and I know as marginal "insiders" that there is a lot that doesn't make sense.

Sid, both you and I know as marginal "insiders" that there is a lot that doesn't make sense.Right. And I believe that it is incumbent on us to bring the nonsensical issues up to the surface so, after exposing them, there is some discussion, and hopefully some movement towards a resolution. The frustrating (but understandable) part is that change happens at a snail pace crawling "with the parking brake fully engaged" (hope you get the mental picture).

Will we need our Jeffrey Wigand?

Right. And I believe that it is incumbent on us to bring the nonsensical issues up to the surface so, after exposing them, there is some discussion, and hopefully some movement towards a resolution. Agreed so long as we don't create a rod for the back of our particular organization. Having, in a previous incarnation, been critical in the press about the approach of an accreditation body, I spent the next six months dodging the bullets!
The frustrating (but understandable) part is that change happens at a snail pace crawling "with the parking brake fully engaged" (hope you get the mental picture). To be fair taking your example some organizations take scope of activity changes seriously but push them through, others put them through "on the nod" while there is a third group who sit and contemplate their navels and will not make a decision.


Will we need our Jeffrey Wigand?To save a Google - who is Jeffrey Wigand?

To save a Google - who is Jeffrey Wigand?

Wigand is the former Brown & Williamson Tobacco employee made famous by the movie The Insider. He blew the whistle on B&W's knowledge and exploitation of the addictive attributes of nicotine and the company's nefarious attempts to deny it.

To save a Google - who is Jeffrey Wigand?A Whistle Blower of the Tobacco industry.

Thanks, Al and Jim. I consider myself educated. I know a few Accreditation Body employees but doubt they would want to "do a Jeffrey" and for me, working for a Certification Body, there are no whistles to blow. ;)

Still there was this one assessment ...............