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EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF ACCREDITED CERTIFICATION

IAF and ISO have published documents on the expected outcomes of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

In July 2009, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published joint communiqués on the expected outcomes for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. The goal was to get the joint communiqués in the hands of every CB auditor. The reasoning behind the goal: If every CB auditor is aware of the expected outcomes and with all audits increasingly focused on ensuring that certified management systems are achieving expected outcomes, there is a collective opportunity to increasingly fulfill the expectations of users of accredited certification.

Both IAF and ISO posted the joint communiqués on their web sites, and ANAB encouraged all certification bodies to post them prominently on their sites. Expected outcomes continue to be a focus at every ANAB accreditation office assessment and witnessed audit and are included in assessment reports.

IAF Resolution

The IAF General Assembly adopted the following resolution in October 2010:

IAF Resolution 2010-09 -IAF/ISO Joint Communiqué on Expected Outcomes for Accredited Certification to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Technical Committee, requested that Accreditation Bodies translate the “expected outcomes” documents into their local language(s) (as used on their website and other promotional material) and make them available and that they:

  • Promote the documents within their own organizations, with particular emphasis on their assessors,
  • Communicate and promote to their accredited Certification Bodies the existence of these documents and the importance for auditors and other certification body personnel to understand their content, and
  • Provide feedback in the assessment report on the knowledge and awareness of the content of these documents by certification bodies.

The General Assembly further resolved to request all association members of IAF to communicate these documents to their members and other interested parties.

ISO/CASCO-IAF Publication

More recently, ISO/CASCO and IAF published a document presenting the outcomes to be expected as a result of accredited certification to an ISO management system standard:

Expected Outcomes for Accredited Certification to ISO Management System Standards Such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001