Initialisms and Acronyms

Following is a list of initialisms and acronyms commonly used by ANAB and the conformity assessment community.

Initialism/Acronym Definition
AAQG Americas Aerospace Quality Group
AB Accreditation body
AC Accreditation Council
ACC American Chemistry Council
ACLASS Former ANAB brand for accreditation of calibration and test laboratories, inspection bodies, RMPs, and PT providers
ANAB ANSI National Accreditation Board
ANSI American National Standards Institute, owner of ANAB
APAC Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (joined APLAC and PAC 2019/01/01)
APLAC Former Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation, now APAC
ASQ American Society for Quality
ATFS American Tree Farm System, program for forestry management systems
CAB Conformity assessment body
CASCO ISO’s Committee on Conformity Assessment
CB Certification body, also known as a registrar
CD Committee draft, a stage in the development of a standard
CEPD Counterfeit Electronics Prevention for Distributors
DIS Draft International Standard, a stage in the development of a standard
DoD U.S. Department of Defense
DoE U.S. Department of Energy
EA European Cooperation for Accreditation, association of European accreditation bodies
ELAP Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (of DoD)
EMS Environmental management systems
EnMS Energy management systems
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
e-Stewards® Recycling standard
EU European Union
FAA U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
FBI QAS U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Quality Assurance Standards
FCC U.S. Federal Communications Commission
FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FDIS Final Draft International Standard, a stage in the development of a standard
FOE Field of experience
FQA U.S. Fastener Quality Act
FQS Former ANAB brand for accreditation of forensic testing labs and forensic inspection agencies
FSMO Field sampling and measurement organization
FSMS Food safety management systems
GFSI Global Food Safety Initiative
GHG Greenhouse gas
GSA Gaming Standards Association; U.S. General Services Administration
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (for food safety)
IAAC InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation
IAAR Independent Association of Accredited Registrars
IAF International Accreditation Forum
IAQG International Aerospace Quality Group
ICOP Industry controlled other party (aerospace program)
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission, with ISO and ITU constitutes major international standards developing organizations
IIOC Independent International Organization for Certification, an association of CBs
ILAC International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
ILC Inter-laboratory comparisons
IQNET International Quality Network, association of CBs
ISMS Information security management systems
ISO International Organization for Standardization, with IEC and ITU constitutes major international standards developing organizations
ISRI Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (responsible for RIOS)
ITSMS Information technology service management systems
MLA Multilateral recognition agreement or arrangement
MOU Memorandum of understanding
MRA Mutual recognition agreement or arrangement, multilateral recognition arrangement
NACE Nomenclature des activités économiques (common statistical classification of economic activities)
NACLA U.S. National Cooperation for Laboratory Accreditation
NADCAP U.S. National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program
NAICS North American Industry Classification System (replaced SIC system)
NEFAP National Environmental Field Activities Program
NGO Non-governmental organization
NIST U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology
NLLAP EPA’s National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program
NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission
NRTL U.S. Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory
NVLAP U.S. National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program of NIST
NWIP New work item proposal (at ISO)
OHSMS Occupational health and safety management systems
OSHA U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PAC Former Pacific Accreditation Cooperation, now APAC
PEFC Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes
PT Proficiency testing
QMS Quality management systems
QuEST Forum Quality Excellence for Suppliers of Telecommunications Leadership Forum
RC Responsible Care® program of ACC
RCMS Responsible Care® management systems
RIOS Recycling Industry Operating Standard
RMC Registrar Management Committee of AAQG
RMP Reference material producer
R2 Responsible Recycling standard
SCSMS Supply chain security management systems
SDO Standards developing organization
SIC Standard Industrial Classification system (replaced in 1997 by NAICS)
SFI Sustainable Forestry Initiative
SME Small and medium-sized enterprises
TBT Technical barriers to trade (see also WTO)
TC Technical committee
TF Task force
TG Task group
TNI The NELAC Institute
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
WD Working draft
WG Working group
WTO World Trade Organization