Public Sector Assurance

As a public sector organisation, this site will help you learn about the benefits of using accredited conformity assessment.

Standards, certification, accreditation, testing, inspection – conformity assessment – can be a great asset in the toolkit of the public sector to meet policy objectives.

To illustrate the value of conformity assessment, case studies from around the world in key policy areas show how different tools help government officials and regulators deliver results. This is backed up with research confirming this success and supporting information to delve deeper.

We are always seeking the best examples to post on this website of conformity assessment helping the public sector. If you have a great example, please send it to us at iaf@iaf.nu

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Research, commissioned by the Italian Accreditation Body (Accredia), shows the value that accreditation plays in supporting international trade. The development of common standards, supported by mutual recognition of accredited test results, inspection reports and certificates provide simplification and reductions in the cost of commerce, through transparent procedures, the avoidance of duplicate testing and the need to differentiate production.

Research: International commerce – the value of accreditation and standardization (May 2019)

Supporting Material: Ensuring Quality to Gain Access to Global Markets (The World Bank, 2019)

An efficient and effective quality and standards ecosystem—also referred to as quality infrastructure (QI)—is an essential ingredient for competitiveness, access to new markets, productivity improvement, innovation of new products, and environmental protection, as well as health and safety of populations. In short, QI is not only key to a country’s growth, but also essential in creating a safer, cleaner, and more equitable and well-integrated world. The World Bank Group recognises the importance of QI as an ecosystem and has produced...

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Supporting Material: Compliance with the EU’s Construction Products Regulation for manufacturers and importers

The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is the main EU legislation covering the placing on the market of construction products in the European Union and EFTA countries. The aim of this Guide is to assist manufacturers to follow the provisions of the CPR and place their products in respective domestic markets, including guidance for exporters of construction products from the Western Balkan countries. Although this Guide is aimed mainly at manufacturers and exporters, it also provides useful information for others in...

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Case Study: Accreditation to support enforcement of protected food names

The EU protected food name scheme highlights regional and traditional foods whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed. Under this system, a named food or drink registered at a European level, will be given legal protection against imitation throughout the EU. UKAS, the UK Accreditation Body, is assisting the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Agriculture (DEFRA) in the development of a scheme for the certification of compliance with EU Regulation 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products...

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Supporting Material: Guide for the Use of Standards and Accreditation in public procurement

The Spanish Public Sector Contract Law 9/2017, which came into force in March 2018, aims to provide greater transparency, better value for money, and increased economic rationality of public funds. It considers that public purchase processes should include qualitative, environmental, social and innovative aspects which aim to “award criteria to obtain the highest quality works, supplies and services”. As a way of demonstrating compliance to these aspects, it includes specific terms for using the technical standards and for accredited conformity...

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Case Study: Accredited certification used to improve public sector web site and app accessibility

The newly published Spanish Royal Decree 1112 / 2018, which aims to ensure that public sector organisations’ (and other connected organisations’) web sites and mobile device applications have the required accessibility; that the required compliance reviews are carried out with the accessibility requirements in the design, construction, maintenance and update phases; and that these reviews are carried out by an accredited certification body. “The obliged bodies may certify compliance with the requirements of this Royal Decree in their web sites...

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Supporting Material: Standards for the SDGs

Using standards in technical regulations promotes international regulatory coherence; helps companies, communities and organizations move toward a more resilient and sustainable model of production and consumption; and helps to protect environmental resources. The video was developed by the Working Party for Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies (WP6) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. The video depicts the Standards for the SDGs event, which took place as a side session to the 41st ISO General Assembly (GA) and brought...

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Case Study: Accreditation supports animal welfare

Accreditation plays a key role in support of new UK regulations governing the licensing of activities involving animals which came into force in 2018. The Animal Welfare (Licencing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 cover activities such as pet shops, cat and dog boarding, the hiring of horses and dog breeding and require these establishments to be licenced by the local authority in which they operate. The licences will need to be renewed each year unless the establishments are...

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Supporting Material: Good governance in developing a quality infrastructure system (UNIDO)

Setting up a Quality Infrastructure System is one of the most positive and practical steps that a developing nation can take on the path forward to developing a thriving economy as a basis for prosperity, health and well-being. UNIDO published this short video to set out the fundamental principles of developing a national quality infrastructure to ensure that the system contributes to governmental policy objectives in areas including industrial development, trade competitiveness in global markets, the efficient use of natural...

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Case Study: Laboratory accreditation provides confidence in the testing of organic feed products

Following issues regarding specified organic feed products, The Committee on Organic Production (COP) the Commission and EU Member States has introduced increased control and reporting measures are necessary for certain imported organic products. Port Health Authorities will take and send samples to an accredited laboratory for analysis for the presence of pesticide residues. Laboratory accreditation provides confidence in the compliance of samples with Regulation 889/2008. Further information is available here.

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Case Study: Accredited testing mitigates non-conforming building products

A report published by the Australian Senate Economics References Committee into Non-Conforming Building Products was released in December 2018. Titled Non-conforming building products: the need for a coherent and robust regulatory regime, the report contains recommendations which are aimed at strengthening accountability and compliance as well as providing additional information to stakeholders. This will allow them to make more informed choices and ensure the development of a robust regulatory regime for Australian building materials. While the Report takes a broad...

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Case Study: Laboratory accreditation helps Chinese traditional medicine exports

In 2004, the Singapore Government introduced the requirement that the testing of Chinese traditional medicines must be carried out by an accredited laboratory before products can be placed on the market or exported. Before the introduction of this testing regime, the annual sales of Chinese traditional patent medicine in Singapore was about SGD 200 million, with Chinese Mainland products accounting for 67% of the market. By 2011, the export value of Chinese traditional patent medicine in ASEAN region, represented by...

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Case Study: Chinese regional brand uses accredited certification for quality improvement

To improve manufacturing performance, the Zhejiang Provincial government introduced the “Made in Zhejiang” brand. It promoted the use of accredited certification to facilitate quality improvement. The province produced 199 “Made in Zhejiang” standards, established “Made in Zhejiang” international certification alliance. Statistics in 2016 showed that average domestic market share of “Made in Zhejiang” accredited enterprises reached 21.6%, 15.9 percentage points higher than avergae; their total profits accounted for 13.5% of sales revenue, 6.9 percentage point higher than average. “Made in...

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Case Study: China uses energy/water conservation product certification to save resources

The energy/water conservation product certification scheme in China, which uses a “conservation” mark to indicate that the product conforms to relevant energy/water conservation requirements, is aimed at promoting the use of energy/water conservation products. The scope of certification covers the energy conservation of electrical appliances, office equipment, lighting equipment, electromechanical equipment, electric transmission and transformation equipment, and building materials; water conservation certification of industrial water treatment equipment, town water consumption, agricultural irrigation and drainage, and non-traditional water resource utilization; and...

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Case Study: Ensuring the safety of air-conditioning products

Product certification of air-conditioning products are mandatory in China for products that produce less than or equal to 21,000 kcal. The applicable standards for air-conditioning products for CCC certification include GB 4706.1-2005, Household and similar electrical appliances safety-Part 1: General requirements (identical to IEC 60335-1:2001), GB 4706.32-2012, Household and similar electrical appliances safety—Particular requirements for electrical heat pumps, air-conditioners and dehumidifiers (equivalent to IEC 60335-2-40:2005), GB 4343.1-2009, Electromagnetic compatibility—Requirements for household appliances, electric tools and similar apparatus— Part 1: Emission...

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