My question is the same with Post Title.
and who defined it?

Management systems certification is a regulated industry and the regulators (called Accreditation Bodies) defined it.

The reasoning goes back years and would fill a text as large as the federal Register on a busy day.

Why do you ask?

Randy, thanks to you.
When comparing quotations from several different certification companies, I found that all the Valid period of MQS are announced as 3 years but the periodic interval of surveiliance audit are range form within 6 months to 12months. That's why i ask.
By the way, for sure, i believe that it must be the optimum way by now but i just want to konw if there is a ISO standard can direct each Accreditation bodies to make their own regulation?

Management systems certification is a regulated industry and the regulators (called Accreditation Bodies) defined it.

The reasoning goes back years and would fill a text as large as the federal Register on a busy day.

Why do you ask?

You mean ISO 9001 certificates find a place in federal register ?

66,

The 3 year certification period. is absolute.
The 6 month or 12 month option you are being quoted is from the registrar (of your choice) for surveillance (abbreviated) audits for the total certification period of 3 years.
One you have been certified, the 3 year period starts.
You have the choice of the registrar coming into your facility(ies) every 6 months or every 12 months to look at portions of your QMS to determine continued effectiveness (or not) during this 3 year period.
So, if you choose the 12 month option, the registrar will surveillance audit you for 2 consecutive years. In the 3rd year, they will audit the entire QMS again to recertify you for another 3 year period.
The frequency of the surveillance audits is entirely up to you.
Good Luck.

Management systems certification is a regulated industry and the regulators (called Accreditation Bodies) defined it.Well, that depends on your definition of regulated. For the most part, regulatory bodies mean some type of governmental entity controlling, including the establishment of requirements and performing oversight of organizations in that economic/industry sector.

For example, the FAA and the FDA are regulatory bodies for the Aviation and Food & Drug sectors, respectively. In the Management System Accreditation sector, there is no regulatory scheme. That is why non-accredited certificates co-exist with accredited ones and it is all legal.

In Europe, from 2010 on, if I understand correctly, Accreditation will be regulated. And Accreditation Bodies will be formally given the monopoly in their respective countries. We had a lot of discussion around that in the Re-engineering of the Accreditation and Certification processes (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=21863&highlight=accreditation) thread.

I tried to keep it simple........:frust:

My question is the same with Post Title.
and who defined it?

It came from the traditional (back in the late 80's) 'approvals' granted by the UK Ministry of Defence. The first accreditation bodies (NACCB etc) adopted the same period since many organizations becoming BS 5750/ISO 9000 certified were used to being approved by the MoD. Accredited CB's use ISO/IEC 17021 as their requirement and can set the frequency of surveilances.

Not quite as long a story as Randy would have us believe!;)

66,
The frequency of the surveillance audits is entirely up to you.


I assume your meaning here that it's 'up to you' is because 'you make the choice of the certifier'.

Because actually the surveillance frequency is defined and set by the certifier, and is based (or supposed to be) on the frequency of surveillance visits they need in order to have a degree of confidence that you are continuing to maintain compliance with requirements.