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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
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
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 17011.
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:
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•
•
•
•
•
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SADCAS Board of Directors;
SADCAS Secretariat/Management;
SADCAS Accreditation Committee;
SADCAS Technical Advisory Committee;
The pool of regional Assessors;
The NAFPs;
Training Unit.
2
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
HOW ACCREDITATION BODIES COULD BE
BENEFICIAL TO THE END USERS
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
• 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
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
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
MORE INFORMATION - SADCA MEMBERS
ANGOLA
Ms Teodora Lorenco Silva
Lesotho continued
Tel: 09266 22 317 454 / 09266 22 320 695
Fax: 09266 22 310 326
Email: lessqa@leo.co.ls
Postal Address
Angolan Institute of Standardisation & Quality
(IANORQ)
Rua Cerqueira Lukoki 25 – 7th Floor
Luanda
Angola
MAURITIUS
Mr Robin Neeren Gopee
Postal Address
Mauritius Accreditation Service (MAURITAS)
6th Floor, Air Mauritius Building
President John Kennedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Physical Address
Angolan Institute of Standardisation & Quality
(IANORQ)
Rua Cerqueira Lukoki 25 – 7th Floor
Luanda
Angola
Tel: 09244 2 337 294
Fax: 09244 2 337 294
Email: ianorq@netangola.com
Physical Address
Mauritius Accreditation Service (MAURITAS)
6th Floor, Air Mauritius Building
President John Kennedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel: 09230 210 7100 Extension 259
Fax: 09230 210 6101
Email: mauritas@mail.gov.mu or
rngopee@mail.gov.mu
BOTSWANA
Ms Masego Beatrice Marobela
Postal Address
Botswana Bureau of Standards
Private Bag BO 48
Gaborone
Botswana
MOZAMBIQUE
Ms Gabriela Rebello da Silva
Physical Address
Gaborone West Industrial
Plot Number 14391, New Lobatse Road
Gaborone
Botswana
Postal Address
Instituto Nacional de Normalizaco e Qualidade
(INNOQ)
Av. 25 Setembro Avenue No. 1179 – 2 Andar
Maputo
Mozambique
Tel: 09267 316 4044
Fax: 09267 316 4042
Email: m-marobela@bobstandards.bw
Physical Address
Instituto Nacional de Normalizaco e Qualidade
(INNOQ)
Av. 25 Setembro Avenue No. 1179 – 2 Andar
Maputo
Mozambique
LESOTHO
Mr Cyprian Tlhako Mokhoro
Postal Address
Ministry of Trade & Industry, Cooperatives
& Marketing
P O Box 747
Maseru 100
Lesotho
Tel: 09258 1 303 822 / 303 823
Fax: 09258 1 303 658
Email: innoq@emilmoz.com
Physical Address
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
NAMIBIA
Mr Riundja Ali (Othy) Kaakunga
Postal Address
Ministry of Trade & Industry
Private Bag 13340
Windhoek
Namibia
7
Namibia continued
South Africa continued
Physical Address
Ministry of Trade & Industry
Cnr Uhland & Goethe Streets
Brendan Simbwaye Square
Block B
Windhoek
Namibia
Physical Address
The dti building
Sunnyside
Pretoria, 0002
Tel: 09264 61 283 7111 / 09264 61 283 7265 /
09264 61 283 7333
Cell: 09264 811 245 484
Fax: 09264 61 222 576
Email: kaakunga@mti.gov.na
TANZANIA
Ms Beatrice Mary Mutabazi
Tel: +27 12 394 1362
Fax: +27 12 394 ????
Email: esteyn@thedti.gov.za
Postal Address
Tanzania Bureau of Standards
P O Box 9524
Dar-es-Salaam
Tanzania
SOUTH AFRICA
Mr Mike A. Peet
Physical Address
Tanzania Bureau of Standards
Cnr of Sam Nujoma Road & Morogoro Road
Ubungo
Dar-es-Salaam
Tanzania
Postal Address
SANAS
Private Bag X23
Sunnyside
0132
South Africa
Tel: 09255 222 450 298
Fax: 09255 222 450 959
Mobile: 09255 748 782 756
Email: beatricemutabazi@yahoo.com
standards@avu.org
Physical Address
SANAS
New dti building
77 Meintjies Street
Sunnyside
Pretoria
0002
South Africa
ZIMBABWE
Ms Maureen Primrose Mutasa
Postal Address
Standards Association of Zimbabwe
P O Box 2259
Harare
Zimbabwe
Tel: +27 12 394 3764
Fax: +27 12 394 476
Email: mikep@sanas.co.za
Mr Ron Josias
Postal Address: as above
Physical Address: as above
Tel: +27 12 394 3777
Fax: +27 12 394 4777
Email: ronj@sanas.co.za
Physical Address
Standards Association of Zimbabwe
Northridge Park
Northend Close
Borrowdale
Harare
Zimbabwe
Ms Marie J. Chilcott
Postal Address: as above
Physical Address: as above
Tel: +27 12 394 3788
Fax: +27 12 394 478
Email: mariec@sanas.co.za
Tel: 09263 4 885 517
Fax: 09263 4 882 581
Mobile: 09263 91 232 927
Email: standar1@mweb.co.zw
NAFP MEMBERS
Ms Elsabé J. Steyn
BOTSWANA
Mr Dennis Juta
Postal Address
The dti
Private Bag X84
Pretoria
0001
Postal Address
Ministry of Trade & Industry
Private Bag 0014
Gaborone
Botswana
8
Botswana continued
Malawi continued
Physical Address
BTA Building
Plot 206 Independence Avenue
Gaborone
Botswana
Physical Address
Malawi Bureau of Standards
Moirs Road
Blantyre
Malawi
Tel: 09267 395 7406
Fax: 09267 397 2910
Email: djuta@gov.bw
Tel: 09265 1 670 488
Fax: 09265 1 670 756
Email: Davlin@mbs.malawi.net
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Mr Kanama Viki Mbuya
MAURITIUS
Mr Chankar Bheekhun
Postal Address
Office Congolais de Controle
P O Box 8614-8806
Kinshasa 1
Democratic Republic of Congo
Postal Address
Mauritius Accreditation Service (MAURITAS)
6th Floor, Air Mauritius Building
President John Kennedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Physical Address
98, Avenue du Port
Commune de la Gombe
Physical Address
Mauritius Accreditation Service (MAURITAS)
6th Floor, Air Mauritius Building
President John Kennedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel: 09243 81508 2006 or 09243 892 2727
Email: Kanama_viki@yahoo.fr
LESOTHO
Mr Motjoka Azael Makara
Tel: 09230 210 7100 Extension 259
Fax: 09230 210 6101
Email: mauritas@mail.gov.mu or
cbheekhun@mail.gov.mu
Postal Address
Ministry of Trade & Industry, Cooperatives &
Marketing
P O Box 747
Maseru 100
Lesotho
MOZAMBIQUE
Ms Nilsa Sandra Miquidade
Physical Address
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
Postal Address
Ministry of Industry & Trade
25 de Setembro Avenue –1502
Maputo
Mozambique
Tel: 09266 22 317 454 / 09266 22 320 695
Fax: 09266 22 310 326
Email: lessqa@leo.co.ls
Tel: 09258 1 325 640
Fax: 09258 1 352 669
Email: nmiquidade@mic.gov.mz
MALAWI
Mr Davlin Moyenda Damaziel Chokazinga
NAMIBIA
Mr Gideon Amakali
Postal Address
Malawi Bureau of Standards
P O Box 946
Blantyre
Malawi
Postal Address
Ministry of Trade & Industry
Private Bag 13340
Windhoek
Namibia
Physical Address
Ministry of Industry & Trade
25 de Setembro Avenue –1502
Maputo
Mozambique
9
Namibia continued
Zambia continued
Physical Address
Ministry of Trade & Industry
Cnr Uhland & Goethe Streets
Brendan Simbwaye Square
Block B
Windhoek
Namibia
Physical Address
Zambia Bureau of Standards
Lechwe House
Southend, Freedom Way
Lusaka
Zambia
Tel: 09260 1 238 483
Fax: 09260 1 238 483
Email: zabs@zamnet.zm or nteema@yahoo.com
Tel: 09264 61 283 7248
Fax: 09264 61 222 576
Email: amakali@mti.gov.na
ZIMBABWE
Mr Francis Borgia Karani
SWAZILAND
Mr Henson N. Dlamini
Postal Address
Ministry of Industry & International Trade
P O Box 539
Causeway
Harare
Zimbabwe
Postal Address
Ministry of Enterprise & Employment
P O Box 451
Mbabane
Swaziland
Physical Address
Ministry of Enterprise & Employment
Gwamile Street (former Alister Miller Street)
Mbabane
Swaziland
Physical Address
Ministry of Industry & International Trade
13th Floor, Mukwati Building
Cnr of Livingstone / 4th Avenue
Harare
Zimbabwe
Tel: 09268 404 3201 / 09268 404 7510
Fax: 09268 404 4711
Email: mee@realnet.co.sz
Tel: 09263 4 707 540 / 09263 4 702 731
Fax: 09263 4 713 735
Email: miit@indandcom.co.zw
TANZANIA
Mr Dominic Haynes Mwakangale
Postal Address
Tanzania Bureau of Standards
P O Box 9524
Dar-es-Salaam
Tanzania
Physical Address
Tanzania Bureau of Standards
Cnr of Sam Nujoma Road & Morogoro Road
Ubungo
Dar-es-Salaam
Tanzania
Tel: 09255 222 450 298 / 09255 22 0744 279 552
Fax: 09255 222 450 959
Email: dhmwakangale@yahoo.com
ZAMBIA
Mr Nteema Njebe Muzandu
Postal Address
Zambia Bureau of Standards
P O Box 50259
Lusaka
Zambia
10
NOTES
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TIN ROOF STUDIOS