FAQ 9

How can an accreditation body effectively manage competency for all technical areas of accreditation when the AB itself may not have staff that are technically competent in every area? What approach can be taken and is it acceptable for someone to deem competency when not competent in that area themselves?

STANDARD: ISO/IEC 17011  ·  CLAUSE: 6.1.3  ·  TOPIC: Competence of AB personnel / Decision-maker

Answer:

Demonstration of competence can be done by many ways. The authorization of competence will depend on the documented process and associated records and evidence that the AB requires (interviews with technical peers, feedback from CABs, records of training, years of relevant experience, etc.). An AB may not have staff that will, themselves, be competent in every technical area related to the accreditation schemes they offer. However, the AB must have a documented process to ensure they can evaluate competency by effective means and authorize staff who can evaluate the required evidence to determine competency for specific accreditation activities.