World Accreditation Day, held annually on June 9, is an initiative of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperative (ILAC), to foster global awareness of the importance of accreditation.
This year's theme is Accreditation: Delivering confidence in construction and the built environment
By 2030, worldwide construction output will grow to $15.5 trillion, an increase of 85%. Construction and related industries can rely upon ANAB to accredit standards developers and conformity assessment bodies providing voluntary, market-based tools advancing confidence and trust throughout this sector of the economy.
Construction and the built environment industries provide critical employment opportunities in communications, design, engineering, infrastructure, and transportation while playing a crucial role in the realization of safe homes, secure businesses, and reliable platforms for transit, commerce, and education.
ANAB has accredited several personnel certification programs under ISO/IEC 17024 in construction management, crane operation, signaling, rigger operation, energy inspection, building design, and site management, among others. ANAB accreditation confirms that the accredited certification bodies have a valid structure to offer independent and impartial assessment which is fair, valid, and reliable. ANAB accreditation further assures that the certified persons have the required competencies to practice, providing confidence to ANAB's stakeholders - business owners, home owners, municipalities, regulators - in a certified person's ability to perform on a project.
"ANSI is well known within the construction industry for safety and quality standards. For CMAA, achieving ANSI accreditation in 2006 under the International Standard ISO/IEC 17024 has helped to solidify our certification program with a recognizable name brand. Our Construction Manager Certification Institute (CMCI) has more than tripled the number of certified professionals, and we can attribute this directly to the standards and credibility that the ANSI brand brings to our program's processes and procedures.
"The ANSI brand helps promote visibility, mobility, and governing dependability that potential candidates and business owners require - even within local, state, and federal governments. The ANSI process requires CMAA to continually monitor for threats, reliability, and relevancy to keep the credential current with trends in industry advancements. For example, keeping up to date on Building Information Modeling (BIM), LEAN construction, and sustainable practices assures our stakeholders that they are capitalizing on a progressive credential with the very latest techniques and innovations.
"The rigorous requirements of ANSI accreditation - including confidentiality, psychometrically valid exams, and continued competence - have strengthened our message to individual candidates, as well as to privately owned organizations, that only truly experienced professionals can achieve and continue to hold our credential."
- Nicholas C. Soto, Vice President of Certification, CMAA
ANSI has also accredited many construction-related product certification programs under the ISO/IEC 17065 standard, including those involving civil engineering, construction materials and building products, glass and ceramics, protection against fire, water quality, welding, and wood technology. For example, the State of Florida recognizes ANSI-accredited certification bodies for specific building codes. ANSI is a leader in accreditation of certification bodies related to health protection and safety in the built environment. In a related innovation, ANSI initiated the pacesetting Eco-labeling and Environmental Product Declarations programs.
ANSI accreditation attests that a conformity assessment body has been evaluated on site through a rigorous and impartial accreditation process. By adhering to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011, ANSI consistently fosters confidence among stakeholders in the construction and built environment sector - businesses and homeowners, municipalities, and consumers, among others - in an accredited conformity assessment body's capacity to adhere to the highest standards of performance, quality, and technical competence.
American National Standards (ANS) support the built environment, from key standards for accessibility and safety to the hundreds of sustainable building standards - including product standards, construction, air and water quality, fire and electrical safety, and so many more - improving the quality of life for all. When standards are developed in accordance with the due process principles embodied in the ANSI Essential Requirements: Due process requirements for American National Standards, the resulting documents developed by ANSI Accredited Standards Developers (ASDs) reflect a consensus based on the contributions of all participating experts and interested parties.
Required to be maintained on a regular cycle, ANS are reconsidered over time as technology, experience, and research prompt updates to their content. And the fairness and transparency that characterize the ANS development process ensure that everyone who wishes to have a voice can contribute - resulting in reliable and broadly used and recognized standards that address all aspects of the built environment.
World Accreditation Day video provided by the Entidad Nacional de Acreditacion (ENAC)
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions derive in part from aspects of the built environment such as building construction and operation, land-use planning, and transportation systems and infrastructure. Stakeholders in the corporate, government, and non-governmental sectors recognize the need for credible and accurate information about greenhouse gas emission reductions. ANSI is recognized for operating a program to assure that the organizations performing the verification are competent and follow international standards for third-party validation and verification. The ANAB ISO 14065 accreditation program has grown to become this GHG benchmark in North America and is required by a number of mandatory and voluntary GHG reporting and reduction programs. ANSI is also currently exploring new areas related to assuring the credibility of projects aimed at financing low carbon development and climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, which are critical to building the cities of the future.