World Accreditation Day 2024: Accreditation supporting societal change

World Accreditation Day, an international initiative established by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the international Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), is celebrated each year on 9 June. This day aims to raise awareness about the importance of accreditation in a number of areas, and each year a different theme is explored.

The theme for World Accreditation Day 2024 is ‘empowering tomorrow and shaping the future’, which provides an opportunity to consider how accreditation can help shape and improve various aspects of life in our changing world.

Conversations evaluating the potential impact (both positive and negative) of emerging technology on all aspects of life have become impossible to avoid in 2024. The task we must all now accept (even if we can’t yet embrace it) is to navigate these changes in a way that allows us to take advantage of the opportunities in a way that does not expose us to the risks which always accompany an untested technology.

One of the key roles that is played by accreditation, is to act as a form of safety net to society. By adhering to the requirements set out in internationally recognised standards confirmed through the activities of accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (such as testing, inspection, certification, validation and verification), organisations can be confident that they are demonstrating best practice in terms of competence, and that they are acting in the best interests of public safety.

In the process of ensuring quality and consistency, accredited processes can sometimes be blamed for slowing the process of innovation due to perceived rigidity of standards, delays caused by approval processes and resource allocation. All of which may lead organisation to view the need to gain and maintain accreditation as a ‘burden of compliance’ that risks stifling innovative thinking or creative experimentation.

Adaptation, agility and accreditation

When you think of accredited conformity assessment, do the words ‘innovation’, ‘agility’, ‘flexibility’ and ‘rapid change’ come immediately to mind? Possibly not, taking account of the fact that one of the key functions of accreditation is of ensuring public safety and safety there can be a perception  that a handbrake must be applied to innovation to protect from the risks associated with the new. A delicate balance must be struck that ensures safety and protects organisational reputation (damage to which can be a clear risk to business continuity) without stifling the creative process that supports and drives progress.

As the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom, like all other aspects of society, UKAS has had to evolve and adapt in order to become flexible and responsive enough to continue to provide the accreditation service that fits society’s needs in 2024. These adaptations aim to strike this essential balance between maintaining the rigorous standards required by accreditation, with embracing the opportunities provided by emerging technologies and developing appropriate accreditation systems to allow these benefits to safely cascade through society (and across international borders) through the means of accredited conformity assessment.

However, as the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom, it is essential that UKAS can continue to provide a service that is fit for the society we live in today, and it is an inescapable fact that that is a fast-moving world, increasingly impacted (both positively and negatively) by the realities of emerging technologies.

UKAS’s purpose is ‘to build trust and confidence in the products and services we all rely upon’ and we recognise in the strategic priorities that support this statement that this can only be achieved by focusing on, among other things, ‘agility and digital innovation.’

Innovation within UKAS

As part of our commitment to make this intention a reality, UKAS engages in a continual review process that allows us to evaluate existing systems and processes to check for issues and potential improvement, as well as ongoing examination of innovative approaches that can be observed and implemented in a way that allows us to diversity, enhance and speed-up our services without sacrificing any of their necessary robustness or technical rigour.

The actual process of delivering our services (development of accreditation, delivery of assessments and development and delivery of training and advisory services) are continually evolving and adapting to incorporate innovations that enhance our offering.

A risk-based approach

UKAS takes a risk-based approach to assessments where appropriate, allowing for more flexibility in the conduct of assessments.

The adoption of remote assessments has allowed UKAS to continue its accreditation with greater speed and flexibility, enabling smarter distribution of resource and enhancing the benefits to accredited organisations. This development has been as a result of the implementation of digital tools for documentation and virtual site visits.

Innovative digital tools

UKAS has been keen to adopt safe technology in order to future proof accreditation and avail the organisation and its accredited customers of the convenience offered by these tools. UKAS CertCheck was launched in 2022, providing a free-to-use online database of accredited management system certifications. This straightforward search function allows users to check and verify the current status of their MS certifications, helping organisations protect the integrity of their supply chains. CertCheck is also evolving all the time, with integration with IAF CertSearch recently announced, and future plans to expand the database to include accredited product certifications.

UKAS has implemented online assessment portals for accredited customers to use to manage documentation, planning and submission of evidence over the course of their assessments. This project has expedited many elements of the assessment process that can cause the longest delays, and also allows customers to track the progress of their assessment in real time. Customers may also apply to extend the scope of their accreditation through this portal.

Emerging and evolving accreditation

Flexible scopes

Quick changes to the scope of accreditation held by an organisation can often represent a vital business need. A flexible scope of accreditation allows accredited organisations to make necessary adjustments to the scope of their accredited activities without having to undergo a full reassessment process for every required change. This means they can incorporate new methods, technologies or tests within a predefined framework agreed upon with UKAS. This approach facilitates quicker adaptation to changing industry needs, technological advancements, and market demands, promoting innovation and efficiency while maintaining the strict standards required by accreditation.

The Development team

The long-established Development team at UKAS plays a crucial role in advancing the organisation’s capacity to respond to emerging needs and fostering innovation in accreditation practices. The Development team is responsible for assessing the level of market interest in potential new types of accreditation, establishing the viability of new development projects and, where possible, creating acceptable routes to accreditation to various standards for new activities.

Collaboration and shared learning

Technical rigour

With over 330 full-time Assessment Managers and an additional 700 Technical Assessors employed on a contractual basis, UKAS is fortunate to have access to a diverse pool of technical experts, giving the overall organisation a tremendous breadth of knowledge and expertise.

Stakeholder engagement

Our busy External Affairs team manages relationships with external agencies including government departments, industry trade bodies, the press and civil service. It is vitally important to maintain these relationships, which may be formally codified through documents such as Memorandums of Understanding or Letters of Agreement or could be far less formal and simply maintained through regular engagement and participation in panels, events and meetings. However the relationships are managed, they are all built on a solid foundation of trust in the knowledge held by the technical experts employed by UKAS, and the integrity of the organisation as a whole.

International collaboration

Accreditation not only nurtures innovation within national borders but also plays a crucial role in facilitating the adoption of innovative technology across international boundaries. Through multilateral recognition agreements, such as those established by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), accredited certifications are recognised globally. This recognition is vital for international trade, as it reduces technical barriers and ensures that products and services meet the required standards, regardless of where they are produced or consumed.

In conclusion

Accreditation stands as a cornerstone for fostering safe innovation, ensuring that advancements across a diverse array of sectors, including healthcare, construction, certification, environmental sustainability, and information technology, ensuring they are reliable and beneficial to society. By ensuring the competence and integrity of services and products, accreditation enables these industries to adopt new technologies and methods with confidence. From enhancing the safety and efficacy of medical laboratories to verifying the quality and sustainability of building materials and processes, accreditation supports innovative advancements while maintaining high standards. This rigorous framework fosters trust and reliability, driving progress and innovation in sectors vital to our daily lives and economic well-being.

As methods of accreditation continue to evolve, and new areas of accreditation emerge, UKAS can continue to play an important role in guiding industries through the complexities of modern innovation. This proactive approach ensures that safety and quality are never compromised, even as the frontiers of technology and industry expand.

Furthermore, collaboration and shared learning play pivotal roles in this ecosystem. By fostering partnerships and facilitating the exchange of information, UKAS amplifies its impact, ensuring best practices and insights are disseminated widely. This collective effort not only elevates individual entities but also strengthens the overall framework of accreditation.

On World Accreditation Day 2024, we celebrate these advancements and the pivotal role of accreditation in enabling safe, reliable, and progressive innovation. UKAS remains committed to its mission, continually adapting and evolving to meet the needs of a dynamic world, ensuring that every step forward is a step towards a safer, more innovative future.