# Presentation: 190292

## Mary SaundersDirectorOffice of Standards ServicesWorkshop on Conformity Assessment for a Changing GovernmentDecember 3, 2001

**Mary Saunders****Director****Office of Standards Services****Workshop on Conformity Assessment for a Changing Government****December 3, 2001**

***NIST-NACLA MOU***

## Outline

**NIST-NACLA Approach**
**Purpose**
**NIST’s Mandate**
**NACLA Responsibilities**
**NIST Responsibilities**
**Progress to Date**
**Summary**

## NIST-NACLA Approach

**Work together to develop and maintain a system in the U.S. that will**
**recognize laboratory accreditation bodies to accredit testing and calibration laboratories to meet the procurement and other requirements of the public and private sectors**
**promote the use of such accreditation bodies**
**recognize laboratory accreditation bodies to accredit testing and calibration laboratories to carry out specific activities under government-to-government trade agreements**
** **

## Purpose

**Eliminate unnecessary duplication and complexity in laboratory accreditation requirements**
**Support government-to-government trade agreements**
**Improve communications within and between the public and private sectors on laboratory accreditation requirements and practices**

## NIST’s Mandate

**NIST’s mandate under the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) of 1995 and OMB Circular A-119 is to**
**coordinate Federal, State, and local conformity assessment activities with those of the private-sector to eliminate unnecessary duplication and complexity in the development and promulgation of conformity assessment requirements and measures**
**rely on the private sector as much as possible **

## NACLA Responsibilities

**Recognize laboratory accreditation bodies as being generally competent**
**Encourage the private sector to specify the use NACLA-recognized laboratory accreditation bodies**
**Encourage laboratory accreditation bodies to seek NACLA recognition**
**Assess the competence of laboratory accreditation bodies to accredit laboratories to meet the specific technical requirements of selected trade agreements  **

## NIST Responsibilities

**Verify conformance of NACLA recognition of laboratory accreditation bodies to the MOU**
**Encourage government at all levels to use NACLA-recognized accreditation bodies, taking into account agency-unique requirements**
**Encourage laboratory accreditation bodies to seek NACLA recognition**
**Designate testing and calibration laboratories accredited by NACLA-recognized accreditation bodies as Conformity Assessment Bodies under selected trade agreements**

## Progress to Date

**NIST has designated two NACLA-recognized accreditation bodies as competent to accredit testing laboratories to EU and APEC economy standards and regulatory requirements - supporting trade agreements**
**NIST designations based on these accreditations:**
**28 CABS under US-EU EMC sectoral annex**
**11 CABs under US-EU telecom sectoral annex**
**APEC:  Canada-20, Chinese Taipei-75, Singapore-6**

## Progress to Date

**The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy has  formed a working group on conformity assessment**
**to advise ICSP on effective means of coordinating agency laboratory accreditation activities with those of the private sector**
**recommend practical ways to eliminate unnecessary duplication and complexity in development and promulgation of laboratory accreditation requirements at the federal level**
**Use of the NACLA recognition process is a primary focus**

## Summary

**The NIST-NACLA MOU will**
**help eliminate unnecessary duplication and complexity in laboratory accreditation requirements in the U.S.**
**help NIST meet its obligations under the NTTAA and OMB Circular A-119**
**help NIST meet its obligations as a designating authority under selected trade agreements**
***all while relying on the private sector to the maximum extent possible***
**The MOU has the full support of NIST management**