1. ISO/IEC Toolbox for Conformity Assessment
Mr. Adrian O’Connell
ISO representative
General Manager, Operations
Standards Australia
Regional ITU Consultation on Conformance Assessment
and Interoperability for the Asia-Pacific Region
Sydney (Australia), September 2010

2. Agenda What is the ISO/IEC Toolbox for Conformity Assessment?1
What is the ISO/IEC Toolbox for Conformity Assessment? 2
Where does conformity assessment fit in? 3
The ISO contribution to conformity assessment 4
ISO/CASCO 5
Specific standards and guides 6
Conclusion
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3. What is the ISO/IEC Toolbox for Conformity Assessment?
A suite of International Standards and Guides that set out general requirements for conformity assessment activities, such as:
Product testing
Inspection
Self-declaration of conformity
Product certification
Management system auditing and certification
Accreditation and peer assessment
Mutual recognition of test and inspection results
Produced by ISO’s policy committee on conformity assessment (ISO/CASCO)
Recognised as the accepted international standards for conformity assessment by the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee
Adopted in most countries and used widely in many sectors, including telecommunications
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4. Where does conformity assessment fit in?
After standards publication
Various determination methods
Calibrate
Test
Inspect
Audit
Examine
Evaluate
Determination of whether a product conforms
Can result in conformity marking of the product
ISO/IEC Standards and Guides written by ISO
1st party
Supplier’s declaration of conformity
THE TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Policy
2nd party
Purchaser audits the supplier
Measurement
Documentary standards
Claims of conformity
Accreditation and peer assessment
3rd party
Independent certification
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5. Australia’s Technical Infrastructure Bodies
Policy and regulation
Measurement
Documentary standards
Conformity assessment bodies
Accreditation bodies
Various government owned and private testing, inspection and certification facilities

6. The ISO contribution to conformity assessment
World Standards Cooperation (WSC) - leading international standards bodies
Collaborate to meet the challenges of converging technologies
Use of common conformity assessment standards
Multi-discipline and cross-sector, including conformity assessment
For electrotechnology
For telecommunications
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7. ISO’s structure
Notes
Members from 163 countries, covering 98% of world GNI and 97% of world population
Over 18,000 international standards based on consensus
195 active technical committees with 3,238 technical groups, 50,000 experts
Central Secretariat in Geneva with 153 FTE staff
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8. ISO/CASCO Notes 111 ISO members are represented in CASCO
18 international organizations are liaison members, including ITU and IEC
Undertake policy and technical work, and internal and external engagement and promotion
Structured as a continual improvement cycle
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9. ISO/CASCO Standards and Guides
Fundamentals of global conformity assessment
Vocabulary and general principles (ISO/IEC 17000)
Functional approach to conformity assessment
Selection
Determination
Review and decision
Attestation
Surveillance
Common elements to ensure consistent approaches (Impartiality, Confidentiality, Complaints and appeals, Disclosure of information; and Management systems – ISO/PAS )
Code of good practice for conformity assessment (ISO/IEC Guide 60)
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10. ISO/CASCO Standards and Guides
Conformity assessment determination methods
Testing and calibration (ISO/IEC 17025)
Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020)
Other methods including in standards below
Claims of conformity
Self or suppliers declaration (ISO/IEC 17050)
Product, process and service certification (ISO/IEC Guides 28, 53, 65 and 67)
Management systems audit and certification (ISO/IEC 17021)
Personnel examination and certification (ISO/IEC 17024)
Marks of conformity (ISO/IEC 17030)
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11. ISO/CASCO Standards and Guides
Assurance of claims of conformity
Accreditation (ISO/IEC 17011)
Peer assessment (ISO/IEC 17040)
Proficiency testing (ISO/IEC 17043)
Mutual recognition of conformity assessment results and other guidance
Mutual recognition of conformity assessment results (ISO/IEC Guide 62)
How to write technical regulations and standards for use in conformity assessment (ISO/IEC 17007)
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12. Other ISO/CASCO activities
Advice and input into the development of sector applications of conformity assessment standards by ISO and IEC Technical Committees through the CASCO Technical Interface Group (TIG)
Outreach to industry and regulatory groups (e.g. automotive, aerospace, railways) through their participation in CASCO Strategic Alliance and Regulatory Group (STAR)
Electronic newsletter (
Annual survey of management system certificates (currently in excess of 1 million certificates world wide)
Annual workshops – 2010 will be on conformity assessment and risk management
Development of information on market surveillance
Training and capability building in developing countries
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13. Conclusion
ISO/CASCO standards and guides on conformity assessment are the accepted basis for testing, inspection and claims of conformity around the world
Adoption and use of these standards and guides will
Enable compliance with WTO obligations and show a commitment to good conformity assessment practice
Provide a common basis on which to compare products and make investment decisions
Provide a traceable path for testing and inspection results and claims of conformity, whether those claims be 1st party (suppliers declarations of conformity), 2nd party, or 3rd party (product certifications)
Increase consumer and regulator confidence and acceptance of products
Be a mechanism to facilitate development and trade
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