IAF Creates New International Certification Database

Will provide easy validation of accredited certifications

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 11:06

On Dec. 23, 2015, a vote was taken among 78 nations with accreditation bodies that are part of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). From the vote it was determined that a new international database for quality management system (QMS) certifications should be created.

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The intent of the database is to allow anyone with access to the internet to simply look up whether or not a QMS certificate was issued by an accredited conformity assessment body (CAB), sometimes referred to as a “registrar.” Although companies pay large sums of money to be certified for conformance to a standard, in the past it has been difficult to distinguish the certificates issued by accredited CABs from the certificates issued by non-accredited CABs. Appearances are often deceiving. In addition, there are some certificates issued by CABs who are unknown to the IAF. In short, a QMS database of accredited certifications provides a single spot for purchasers or others who need to verify the source of a company's accreditation.

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Comments

Submitted by englebert on Thu, 01/14/2016 - 09:25

This is great - on paper. Especially here in the UK, unaccredited certification (or worse still, 'alternative' accreditation) is bad for the market and intiatives which help legitimate certificates stand out is a good thing. However, as an employee of a Certification Body, my initial question for the IAF would be how will you protect Certification Bodies? What will stop rival Certifiation Bodies simply treating it as a marketing list? You would only need one certification number to then guess the sequence of certificate numbers issued thereafter. Hopefully this is something the IAF have thought of, as otherwise the idea will fall flat with no support from CBs.

Submitted by Vianna on Tue, 01/19/2016 - 09:43

While I have been pushing for the creation of such database for over a decade and believe the database should emulate the Aerospace OASIS with all the features this one has, I am still sceptical this will happen any time soon.

Let's remember that, back in 2014 we were also led to believe that ISO was moving forward with the CERTO database just to see our hopes shattered a few months later.

Just recently, one of the IAF subcommittes posted the following comment: 

There is no consensus in CABAC regarding the proposal for a global database of management systems certificates, with some members supporting it and others not. CABAC urged IAF to communicate with CAB associations to understand why some had reservations and try to overcome these reservations.

So, we should understand and realize that there is a Grand Canyon gap between wanting the database to exist and making it happen. 

ISO and IAF are close partners. The problems ISO discovered with their work on CERTO is providing valuable input to IAF.  It allows IAF to avoid repeating the mistakes.  IAF may seem slow by some, but they have grown to include 100 countries.  Approximately 60 having signed their Multilateral Recognition Arrangement.  They have now, the largest technical trade agreements on earth for a wide range of ISO Quality System Certifications.

I have very impressed with the leader representatives of the CABs who are assisting with the development of the database.  Those working on the database agree that the incentive to participate should eventually wear down those that would choose to remain on the wrong side of the Grand Canyon.

 

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