The PTB guide on National Accreditation Focal Points (NAFP), which was first published in 2015, was recently updated and is now available in its newest version in our collection of publications. Also, it is now available in French for the first time. This publication describes the NAFP concept which was developed by PTB and associated experts to provide guidance on how to establish a NAFP as an alternative to or a step towards a national accreditation body (NAB). This guide could be a very interesting read for countries that are currently witnessing an increasing demand for accreditation services but do not have an NAB.
The idea behind this concept is for a country to join forces with an existing NAB in another country, preferably one that has gained international recognition, to develop its own set of competences. This makes accreditations for interested conformity assessment bodies easier and more accessible. Five levels are used to describe the development of an NAFP’s competences, and there is also an additional option to ultimately become a fully independent accreditation body.
PTB has successfully guided various countries through the concept, for example in Cambodia, Bhutan, Nepal, Honduras, and Rwanda. As a result, Cambodia and Honduras have already established a fully independent NAB and have celebrated their respective first international recognitions in various areas of competence. Furthermore, the NAFP approach is not necessarily limited to individual countries but can be also used in a regional context. The Caribbean Cooperation for Accreditation (CCA, https://website.crosq.org/accreditation/) is an example of various NAFPs cooperating at the regional level with recognized NABs in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
By releasing a French version of the NAFP guide, this concept can now be applied more easily in French speaking countries.
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