• Step one: Apply for accreditation
• Step two: Assessment.

• Step three: Accreditation decision

Accreditation Process Step by Step

Step one: Apply for accreditation
To apply for accreditation, you should fill out the appropriate form and send it to GEAAC, supplying all the documentation specified. This documentation will help us to get to know the features of your organization and the way in which the activities for which accreditation are applied for are carried out and to prepare the assessment properly. You should also attach the receipt for payment of the Application Fee in accordance with current rates.

Scope of accreditation
The scope of accreditation is a basic part of the application for accreditation as it will form the Technical Annex that accompanies the “Accreditation Certificate”. The applicant for accreditation establishes the scope for which they wish to be accredited in accordance with their needs and aims.

The application for a specific scope is a declaration on the part of the body of its technical competence for all the activities included in it, and the GEAAC assessment, therefore, sets out to determine whether the body is capable of showing its competence in the whole of the scope declared.

Instructions are provided on every application form for ascertaining under which terms the scope should be defined.

Application acceptance and review
After receiving the application for accreditation, GEAAC reviews the documentation supplied in order to check that the activity is suitable for accreditation and informs the applicant of the officer responsible for coordinating the accreditation process.

The officer responsible checks that the scope of the activities to be accredited is clearly defined and confirms that all the information needed for preparing and carrying out the assessment properly has been provided. If the documentation is incomplete or unsuitable, the applicant will be asked to rectify this.

If everything is correct and before starting the assessment, GEAAC sends the applicant a cost estimate the process for acceptance.

Step two: Assessment

Designation of the audit team
From amongst its assessors and qualified experts GEAAC designates an audit team to carry out the assessment process which will have a lead assessor, with ultimate responsibility for the audit, and as many technical experts as may be needed depending on the activities for which the body requests accreditation.

GEAAC informs the applicant of the names of audit team members and, where appropriate, of the organization to which they belong. If the body considers that there are reasons that could compromise their impartiality, it may turn them down in writing, explaining the grounds.

Documentation study
Prior to the on-site audit, a study is made of the technical documents supplied by the body. The report with the result of the study is forwarded to the body so that it may adopt the measures it considers fit for resolving, where appropriate, the problems detected.

Auditing and accompanying visits
When the documentation study is considered satisfactory, the lead assessor gets in touch with the body to set the date of the audit and forward an Audit Schedule.

During the audit the management system of the body, its operation, the undertaking of the activities and the accreditation requirements are assessed.

In order to verify the correct application and interpretation of the working procedures and the technical competence of personnel, activities representative of the scope of accreditation are selected in order to witness the performance of technical personnel.

• Testing laboratories are asked to carry out a representative sample of the tests that are the object of accreditation.
• Calibration laboratories are asked to calibrate a “transfer standard”, previously calibrated by an accredited laboratory, which is supplied by the audit team.
• At inspection, certifying and assessment bodies, accompanying visits are made whereby technical experts witness the performance of the assessors / inspectors.
  At the end of the audit the audit team will provide the representatives of the body with a summary of the results of the investigation and the deviations detected in respect of the accreditation criteria.
   

Audit team report
When the audit has been carried out, the body is given a written report prepared by the audit team with the results of the assessment carried out.

Applicant’s response
The body should examine the causes of deviations detected, review the impact that they may have on related activities and forward GEASC a schedule of remedial action, providing evidence that they have received the proper treatment to resolve them.

The body may make allegations against those points in the report with which it is not in agreement, putting forward all the evidence that it may consider necessary.

Step three: Accreditation decision

Accreditation decisions are taken by an independent technical body called the Accreditation Commission.

To confer accreditation, the Accreditation Commission has to be duly convinced that the accreditation requirements are met and that the deviations detected, where applicable, have been suitably rectified. For this purpose it examines the information generated during the assessment process and, on the basis of this, adopts one of these decisions:

• Confer accreditation.
• Determine the extraordinary assessment activities that may be necessary to ensure that deviations detected are rectified.

If not in agreement with the decision, the body may address the Standing Committee, with whatever claims it deems fit.

Accreditation Certificate
The Accreditation Certificates specifically states:

Name of the body and number of the accreditation granted.
Scope of the accreditation, by reference to a document referred to as the Technical Annex to the Certificate.
Date of entry into force of the accreditation.
Maintenance of accreditation
Accreditation is not the result of a one-off process. GEAAC assesses accredited bodies on a regular basis, checking that they maintain their technical competence by means of follow-up visits and re-assessment audits. The frequency of visits is determined in accordance with previous results.

Follow-ups
The first follow-up visit is carried out within a period of not more than 12 months from awarding of the accreditation and subsequent follow-up is made not later than 12 months from the last visit; the body being notified in advance of the date.

Re-assessment
After a maximum of 3 years from the initial accreditation date, the body’s competence is re-assessed by carrying out an audit equivalent to the initial one.

Extension of the scope of accreditation

Accredited bodies may extend the scope of their accreditation. For this purpose they should make formal application for extension, using the application forms.

To evaluate this extension, the above assessment process is performed, though simplified as required in accordance with the volume and nature of this extension. The costs of the assessment process may be reduced if the extension coincides with a follow-up visit.