S A D C A S. o u. t i o. t h t a. e r d i. a f c r e r i. c c a. i t y. d e v e l o p m e. u c o m m. n t

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1 S A D C A S o u s n t i o t h t a e r d i n a f c r e r i c c a a n d e v e l o p m e n t u c o m m i t y n

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3 CONTENTS What is SADCAS? 1 Why should organizations be accredited? 3 How accreditation bodies could be beneficial to the end users 4 The role of accreditation in enabling governments and regulators to meet their social responsibilities 5 The road to accreditation 6 More information 7

4 WHAT IS SADCAS? HISTORICAL BRIEF The Southern African Development Community Accreditation System (SADCAS) is SADC s regional accreditation body, which has the responsibility for servicing the accreditation needs of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States specifically where a National Accreditation Body (NAB) has not been established. The setting up of SADCAS is the outcome of the regional project developed by the Southern African Development Community Cooperation in Accreditation (SADCA). SADCA is one of the five structures of SADC SQAM (Standardization, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology) that focuses on accreditation activities in the region. SADCA will ultimately be responsible for managing a regional mutual recognition arrangement between all accreditation bodies in the region that meet pre-agreed criteria. SADCA is also SADC s regional member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). ILAC is an international organization whose membership also includes accreditation bodies that accredit laboratories. IAF is another international organization, which consists of accreditation bodies that accredit conformity assessment bodies. SADCAS shall fulfill the needs of the SADC member states by providing an easily accessible, affordable and internationally recognized accreditation services. SADCAS meets the requirements of an accreditation infrastructure in compliance to international standards for accreditation bodies. It is a unique model for the SADC region in the sense that it is the first regional accreditation body that has been formed by the collective efforts of the different member states to meet their economic needs. THE ROLE OF SADCAS AS A REGIONAL ACCREDITATION BODY It is a challenge on the part of SADCA in creating the accreditation infrastructure (SADCAS) as a regional authoritative body that shall grant a full scope of accreditation to testing and calibration laboratories, certification bodies and inspection bodies. This accreditation is granted to demonstrate that the staff and/or the organization is technically competent to perform specific tasks. SADCAS shall be eventually linked by a SADCA mutual recognition agreement (SADCA MRA) with other recognized accreditation bodies. In this connection, SADCAS, as a component of SADCA will be internationally recognized by the international accreditation community. At the national level, SADCAS is fully supported by the Government appointed National Accreditation Focal Point (NAFPs) who are the Desk Officers for accreditation activities in their own countries and have specific roles. In the regional accreditation framework SADCAS shall be a non- profit making subsidiary of SADCA and shall have an independent Board of Directors. 1

5 All the stakeholders shall be represented in order to ensure a balance of interest on the accreditation committees. To enjoy international recognition, SADCAS shall fully comply with the international accreditation standard ISO/IEC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACCREDITATION AND CERTIFICATION Accreditation is the process of providing recognition by an accreditation body to an organization for its competence in performing specific tasks. Accreditation involves the assessment of the technical competence of organizations in providing conformity assessment activities such as; testing, calibration, certification and inspection services based on relevant international standards and guides. Accreditation is synonymous to proof of technical competence recognition and can therefore be a tool for removal of Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). Accreditation provides for the acceptance and recognition of the results of conformity assessment procedures among trading partners with the objective to allow for free flow of goods and services from one country to another, i.e. conformity assessment performed once may be accepted everywhere. Compliance to the requirements is assured in the form of a certificate, test, inspection report or a mark fixed to the product. Certification is synonymous to compliance to a standard without considering competence. Certification covers products, systems (e.g. quality management, environmental management, information security management, occupational health and safety management) and processes. Certification in accordance to international rules, is a procedure by which a recognized certification body provides written assurance that a product, process or measurement conforms to specified requirements. Certification can be granted by the certification body which can be first, second or third party. HOW IS SADCAS STRUCTURED? The proposed organizational structure of SADCAS consists of the following: SADCAS Board of Directors; SADCAS Secretariat/Management; SADCAS Accreditation Committee; SADCAS Technical Advisory Committee; The pool of regional Assessors; The NAFPs; Training Unit. 2

6 WHY SHOULD ORGANIZATIONS BE ACCREDITED? RECOGNITION OF COMPETENCE IN INSPECTION, TESTING, CALIBRATION, AND CERTIFICATION AS WELL AS PERSONNEL Accreditation determines technical competence of organizations/persons carrying out inspection, testing, calibration and certification services. This enables customers to peruse and decide on which accreditation service provider meets their needs. A MEASURE OF PERFORMANCE The international standards against which accredited organizations are assessed are the benchmarks of performance for inspection, testing, calibration, and certification services, and therefore, accredited organizations demonstrate an equal level of competence for their accredited services. Accreditation bodies ensure continued maintenance of this level of performance through a systematic and periodic of surveillance visits to the accredited organisation for peer review. A COMPETITIVE STRATEGY Accreditation is an excellent marketing strategy for inspection, testing, calibration, and certification services. Businesses, both locally and internationally increasingly require and procure services from accredited organizations. SADC must not be left behind. INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION At international level, accreditation bodies work together to develop confidence between each other by adopting ISO/IEC standards. They cooperate through Multi-Lateral Arrangements (MLAs). The MLAs recognise systems of each partner as equivalent to each other. The recognition extended to the accreditation body trickles down to its accredited organizations. This implies that the results generated by them are considered reliable and do not warrant re-assessments. The target is assessed once accepted globally. Accreditation bodies will promote accredited organizations through directories and websites. WHO CAN SEEK ACCREDITATION All organisations performing inspection, testing, calibration, and certification services can seek for accreditation. When a need for accreditation arises, the conformity assessment bodies can enquire from respective NAFPs in their own countries or their own National Accreditation Bodies who will avail them the guidance on how to become accredited. (See steps towards accreditation on page 6). 3

7 CRITERIA FOR SELECTING INSPECTION, TESTING, CALIBRATION AND CERTIFICATION SERVICES Accreditation has a very important role to play in ensuring Competence and integrity of the organizations that provide testing, calibration, inspection, and certification services. SADCAS uses the following criteria to assess the providers of these services: The qualification, training and experience of the staff (technical competency of staff) Validity and appropriateness of test methods Traceability of measurements and calibrations to national standards Suitability, calibration and maintenance of test equipment Testing environment HOW ACCREDITATION BODIES COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE END USERS Sampling, handling and transportation of test items Adequate quality assurance procedures Proper sampling practices. Customers are encouraged to identify Logos/Marks and schedule of accreditation of these service providers. ADVANTAGES OF SELECTING ACCREDITED ORGANISATIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS Exporters are now constantly facing difficulties in achieving access to markets due to requirements to have their products tested and assessed in the importing county to ensure they meet local requirements. Through technically competent accredited organisations one can: Reduce costs and time on multiple-assessment and multiple-testing Minimise risk of producing or supplying faulty products/services Customer confidence on products/services being evaluated from a third party rather than originating from a single supplier Improve acceptance of your products/services as accredited organizations are recognized internationally. Accredited organizations can also limit the need for the government to regulate industry and professions as they provide reliability of activities that have the potential to impact on public confidence or national reputation. Therefore customers who choose SADCAS accredited organizations are assured of accurate, reliable and impartial results. 4

8 THE ROLE OF ACCREDITATION IN ENABLING GOVERNMENTS AND REGULATORS TO MEET THEIR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORS IN SOCIETY Elevating the condition of the people is the responsibility of government and a lot of responsibilities have been placed on governments, local authorities, statutory bodies and other agencies to ensure that the health and welfare of consumers and the public, and the environment are protected. To meet this responsibility government through its agencies regulates the market by developing standards and technical regulations. Compliance to these standards and technical regulations is monitored by evaluation in the form of inspection, testing, verification or certification. The results of these evaluations are analysed and used to make decisions regarding a regulated activity. On the international scene, globalization - the growing integration of economies and societies around the world has been one of the most hotly debated topics in international trade over the past few years. However, international market access has been regulated by a number of instruments such as quotas, tariffs and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs). CONFIDENCE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR Accredited inspection, testing, calibration and certification services increase public confidence in local authorities and other government agencies ability to make reliable and valid decisions regarding the safety, health and welfare of the public be it water, food quality, consumer goods, transport, safety or the environment, for example - accreditation is a recognizable mark of approval. REDUCING GOVERNMENT COSTS SADCAS can reduce the need for each government agency or local authority to employ its own specialist assessment resource. By using accredited organizations, governments and regulators are assured of transparency and repeatability of results, and therefore, this will result in better risk management. SADCAS accredited organizations can be appointed by government to make independent judgments about whether or not a product or service complies with mandatory technical requirements. In order to be accredited, the management structure of the organization must fulfill certain conditions and the name of the organization, along with the details of the scope of its accredited activities, must be given. INTERNATIONAL MARKET ACCESS Many countries around the world have one or more organizations responsible for the accreditation of their inspection, testing, calibration and certification services. Most of these accreditation bodies have now adopted ISO/IEC standards as the basis for accrediting these services. 5

9 This has helped countries employ a harmonized approach for determining competence. It has also encouraged organizations performing these services to adopt internationally accepted inspection, testing, calibration or certification practices, where possible. This harmonized approach allows countries to establish agreements among themselves, based on mutual evaluation and acceptance of each other s accreditation systems. Such international agreements are called mutual Recognition agreements (MRAs). In effect, MRAs result in the recognition of the results of inspection, testing, calibration and certification performed in each country as being accurate, reliable and impartial. THE ROAD TO ACCREDITATION SADCAS offers an extensive accreditation service. The following diagram illustrates the key steps in the SADCAS accreditation process. There may however be some variation depending on the programme and field. ENQUIRY ADVISORY VISIT APPLICATION DOCUMENT REVIEW ASSESSMENT ACCREDITATION SURVEILLANCE VISIT RE-ASSESSMENT 6

10 MORE INFORMATION - SADCA MEMBERS ANGOLA Ms Teodora Lorenco Silva Angolan Institute of Standardisation & Quality (IANORQ) Rua Cerqueira Lukoki 25 7 th Floor Luanda Angola Angolan Institute of Standardisation & Quality (IANORQ) Rua Cerqueira Lukoki 25 7 th Floor Luanda Angola Tel: Fax: ianorq@netangola.com BOTSWANA Ms Masego Beatrice Marobela Botswana Bureau of Standards Private Bag BO 48 Gaborone Botswana Gaborone West Industrial Plot Number 14391, New Lobatse Road Gaborone Botswana Tel: Fax: m-marobela@bobstandards.bw LESOTHO Mr Cyprian Tlhako Mokhoro Ministry of Trade & Industry, Cooperatives & Marketing P O Box 747 Maseru 100 Lesotho Ministry of Trade & Industry, Cooperatives & Marketing Standards & Quality Assurance Section New LNDC Phase II Building, Kingsway Road, Opposite Development House, 1st Floor Room 31, Maseru Lesotho Lesotho continued Tel: / Fax: lessqa@leo.co.ls MAURITIUS Mr Robin Neeren Gopee Mauritius Accreditation Service (MAURITAS) 6 th Floor, Air Mauritius Building President John Kennedy Street Port Louis Mauritius Mauritius Accreditation Service (MAURITAS) 6 th Floor, Air Mauritius Building President John Kennedy Street Port Louis Mauritius Tel: Extension 259 Fax: mauritas@mail.gov.mu or rngopee@mail.gov.mu MOZAMBIQUE Ms Gabriela Rebello da Silva Instituto Nacional de Normalizaco e Qualidade (INNOQ) Av. 25 Setembro Avenue No Andar Maputo Mozambique Instituto Nacional de Normalizaco e Qualidade (INNOQ) Av. 25 Setembro Avenue No Andar Maputo Mozambique Tel: / Fax: innoq@emilmoz.com NAMIBIA Mr Riundja Ali (Othy) Kaakunga Ministry of Trade & Industry Private Bag Windhoek Namibia 7

11 Namibia continued Ministry of Trade & Industry Cnr Uhland & Goethe Streets Brendan Simbwaye Square Block B Windhoek Namibia Tel: / / Cell: Fax: kaakunga@mti.gov.na SOUTH AFRICA Mr Mike A. Peet SANAS Private Bag X23 Sunnyside 0132 South Africa SANAS New dti building 77 Meintjies Street Sunnyside Pretoria 0002 South Africa Tel: Fax: mikep@sanas.co.za Mr Ron Josias : as above : as above Tel: Fax: ronj@sanas.co.za Ms Marie J. Chilcott : as above : as above Tel: Fax: mariec@sanas.co.za Ms Elsabé J. Steyn The dti Private Bag X84 Pretoria 0001 South Africa continued The dti building Sunnyside Pretoria, 0002 Tel: Fax: ???? esteyn@thedti.gov.za TANZANIA Ms Beatrice Mary Mutabazi Tanzania Bureau of Standards P O Box 9524 Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania Tanzania Bureau of Standards Cnr of Sam Nujoma Road & Morogoro Road Ubungo Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania Tel: Fax: Mobile: beatricemutabazi@yahoo.com standards@avu.org ZIMBABWE Ms Maureen Primrose Mutasa Standards Association of Zimbabwe P O Box 2259 Harare Zimbabwe Standards Association of Zimbabwe Northridge Park Northend Close Borrowdale Harare Zimbabwe Tel: Fax: Mobile: standar1@mweb.co.zw NAFP MEMBERS BOTSWANA Mr Dennis Juta Ministry of Trade & Industry Private Bag 0014 Gaborone Botswana 8

12 Botswana continued BTA Building Plot 206 Independence Avenue Gaborone Botswana Tel: Fax: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Mr Kanama Viki Mbuya Office Congolais de Controle P O Box Kinshasa 1 Democratic Republic of Congo 98, Avenue du Port Commune de la Gombe Tel: or Kanama_viki@yahoo.fr LESOTHO Mr Motjoka Azael Makara Ministry of Trade & Industry, Cooperatives & Marketing P O Box 747 Maseru 100 Lesotho Ministry of Trade & Industry, Cooperatives & Marketing Standards & Quality Assurance Section New LNDC Phase II Building, Kingsway Road, Opposite Development House, 1st Floor Room 31, Maseru Lesotho Tel: / Fax: lessqa@leo.co.ls MALAWI Mr Davlin Moyenda Damaziel Chokazinga Malawi Bureau of Standards P O Box 946 Blantyre Malawi Malawi continued Malawi Bureau of Standards Moirs Road Blantyre Malawi Tel: Fax: Davlin@mbs.malawi.net MAURITIUS Mr Chankar Bheekhun Mauritius Accreditation Service (MAURITAS) 6 th Floor, Air Mauritius Building President John Kennedy Street Port Louis Mauritius Mauritius Accreditation Service (MAURITAS) 6 th Floor, Air Mauritius Building President John Kennedy Street Port Louis Mauritius Tel: Extension 259 Fax: mauritas@mail.gov.mu or cbheekhun@mail.gov.mu MOZAMBIQUE Ms Nilsa Sandra Miquidade Ministry of Industry & Trade 25 de Setembro Avenue 1502 Maputo Mozambique Ministry of Industry & Trade 25 de Setembro Avenue 1502 Maputo Mozambique Tel: Fax: nmiquidade@mic.gov.mz NAMIBIA Mr Gideon Amakali Ministry of Trade & Industry Private Bag Windhoek Namibia 9

13 Namibia continued Ministry of Trade & Industry Cnr Uhland & Goethe Streets Brendan Simbwaye Square Block B Windhoek Namibia Tel: Fax: amakali@mti.gov.na SWAZILAND Mr Henson N. Dlamini Ministry of Enterprise & Employment P O Box 451 Mbabane Swaziland Ministry of Enterprise & Employment Gwamile Street (former Alister Miller Street) Mbabane Swaziland Tel: / Fax: mee@realnet.co.sz TANZANIA Mr Dominic Haynes Mwakangale Tanzania Bureau of Standards P O Box 9524 Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania Tanzania Bureau of Standards Cnr of Sam Nujoma Road & Morogoro Road Ubungo Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania Tel: / Fax: dhmwakangale@yahoo.com Zambia continued Zambia Bureau of Standards Lechwe House Southend, Freedom Way Lusaka Zambia Tel: Fax: zabs@zamnet.zm or nteema@yahoo.com ZIMBABWE Mr Francis Borgia Karani Ministry of Industry & International Trade P O Box 539 Causeway Harare Zimbabwe Ministry of Industry & International Trade 13 th Floor, Mukwati Building Cnr of Livingstone / 4 th Avenue Harare Zimbabwe Tel: / Fax: miit@indandcom.co.zw ZAMBIA Mr Nteema Njebe Muzandu Zambia Bureau of Standards P O Box Lusaka Zambia 10

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16 TIN ROOF STUDIOS