ISO, Conformity, Certification, and Accreditation explained
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) produces thousands of standards every year, covering multiple topics and disciplines. A certain group of those standards known as management system standards are designed to support organizations in delivering products and services which are higher in quality, safer, more secure, more resilient, and environmentally friendly.
These are quite well-known standards, such as ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 27001 (Information Security), ISO 14001 (Environmental), ISO 22301 (Business Continuity), and ISO 45001 (Health and Safety).
Within the industry, there is a lot of “noise” about conformity, certification and accreditation, and the difference between these terms. So what do they indicate?
- Conformity
According to ISO, conformity is the fulfillment of a requirement. Undergoing a conformity assessment is a way to prove products, services, or systems meet the requirements of a standard.
- Certification
Certification is also known as third-party conformity assessment. It is the provision by an independent body (also called a certification body) of written assurance (a certificate) that the person, product, service, or system in question meets specific certification requirements.
What are the benefits of being certified?
- It provides consumers and other stakeholders with added certainty.
- It provides a competitive edge.
- It provides independent confirmation of competence.
As a personnel certification body, PECB determines if a person fulfills certification requirements, including application, assessment or examination, the decision on certification, and use of certificates and logos/marks.
- Accreditation
It is the formal recognition by an independent body, generally known as an accreditation body (for example, IAS) that a certification body (in this case, PECB) operates according to international standards. Accredited certification occurs when an organization has fulfilled an ISO standard, following an accreditation process by a certification body. If we apply this to personnel certification, accredited certification occurs when a person has fulfilled the requirements of an accredited certification scheme or program developed by the certification body.
It is important to be aware that there is generally nothing preventing an unaccredited certification body from offering certification services. However, professionals seeking to get certified need to be careful and enquire about the issuing certification body’s accreditation: if a certification body is not accredited, this means that the national and international recognition of the certifications issued by this certification body will be limited.
PECB is accredited under the ISO/IEC 17024 standard by IAS, which authorizes PECB has met the requirements for bodies operating certification of persons.
The ISO/IEC 17024 standard provides a comprehensive framework for personnel certification bodies, such as PECB, to operate coherently and reliably. The primary function of personnel certification bodies is to provide an independent assessment of candidates’ professional experience and capabilities that apply to the field for which certification is granted.
The standard is designed to help personnel certification bodies to conduct well-planned and structured assessments using objective criteria of evaluation, to ensure impartiality of operations and reduce the risk of conflict of interest. The ISO/IEC 17024 international standard addresses the structure and governance of the certification body, the characteristics of the certification program, and the information that must be made available to candidates.
The purpose of PECB is to develop and promote professional standards for certification and administer credible certification programs for individuals who practice in disciplines involving the audit and implementation of a compliant management system. This main purpose includes:
- Establishing the minimum requirements necessary to certify professionals
- Reviewing and verifying the qualifications of applicants for eligibility for the certification evaluation
- Developing and maintaining reliable, valid, and current certification evaluations
- Granting certificates to qualified candidates, maintaining records, and publishing a directory of the holders of valid certificates
- Establishing requirements for the periodic renewal of certification and determining compliance with those requirements
- Ascertaining that certified individuals meet ethical standards and abide by the PECB Code of Ethics
- Representing its members, where appropriate, in matters of common interest
- Promoting the benefits of certification to employers, public officials, practitioners in related fields, and the public
Only a certification body accredited under the ISO/IEC 17024 standard ensures international recognition. It is important to validate the status of a certification body with its associated accreditation authority such as IAS, ANAB, or UKAS. For further information regarding PECB accreditation, please click here.