Self Declaration and 

Attestation

November 8, 2021

Warren Merkel, NIST Standards Coordination Office
REQUIREMENT

How should it 

perform?

DETERMINATION

How do we know 

it performs?

ATTESTATION

Who says its 

performance 

has been 

demonstrated?

SURVEILLANCE

What about 

assurances next 

week?

Conformity Assessment: 

Basic Terms and Concepts

Conformity assessment body (CAB): body that performs conformity assessment services

Based on ISO/IEC 17000:2020 - Conformity Assessment - Vocabulary And General Principles 

Conformity assessment: demonstration that specified requirements are fulfilled
The Parties – Who Does What?

Conformity assessment body (CAB) is person 

or organization that provides the object 

(seller or manufacturer)

Third Party

First Party

Second Party

CAB is an independent entity that has no interest in 

transactions between the first and second parties

(...but they do have a financial interest in the conformity assessment)

CAB is a purchaser or user
REQUIREMENT

How should it 

perform?

DETERMINATION

How do we know 

it performs?

ATTESTATION

Who says its 

performance 

has been 

demonstrated?

SURVEILLANCE

What about 

assurances 

next week?

Attestation

Attestation: Issue of a statement that fulfilment of specified requirements has been 

demonstrated

Supplier’s Declaration of 

Conformity (SDoC)

Certification

By First Party: By Third Party:

Accreditation
Standards for Conformity Assessment

Type Parties Standard(s) 1st 2nd 3rd

Testing    ISO/IEC 17025

Inspection    ISO/IEC 17020

Supplier’s Declaration of 

Conformity (SDoC)

 ISO/IEC 17050 

Parts 1 and 2

Certification

Products, processes, 

services

 ISO/IEC 17065

[ISO/IEC 17067]

Management systems  ISO/IEC 17021

Persons  ISO/IEC 17024

Accreditation  ISO/IEC 17011

“CASCO 

Toolbox”

Published by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Committee on Conformity 

Assessment (CASCO) in cooperation with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
ISO/IEC 17050-1: Conformity assessment—

Supplier’s declaration of conformity

• Specifies requirements applicable when the individual or organization responsible for fulfilment 

of specified requirements (supplier) provides a declaration that a product (including service), 

process, management system, person or body is in conformity with specified requirements.

• Declaration (hardcopy, electronic media, or any other suitable medium):

• Is uniquely identified

• Contains sufficient information to enable the recipient of the declaration of conformity to 

identify the issuer of the declaration, the object of the declaration, the specified 

requirements with which conformity is declared, and the person signing for and on behalf of 

the issuer of the declaration of conformity

• Can make reference to the results of assessments by one or more first, second or third 

parties

• Issuer require to have procedures to ensure the continued conformity of the object with the 

stated requirements of the declaration of conformity, and to re-evaluate validity in the event of 

changes.
Flexibility to Address Confidence

Increased Confidence

Conformity 

Assessment Body 

accreditation

Management 

System Certification

Product Marking 

and Listing

3rd Party 

Certification

Testing by 3rd Party 

Body 

Management 

System

Product Marking 

and Listing

3rd Party 

Certification

Testing by 

accredited 3rd Party 

Body 

Testing by 

accredited 1st Party 

Body 

Testing by 

accredited 3rd Party 

Body 

Supplier Declaration 

of Conformity

Testing by 1st Party 

Body 

Supplier Declaration 

of Conformity

Supplier Declaration 

of Conformity
Closing thoughts: 

What does a self-attestation really do?

• SDoC is by far the most common conformity assessment practice used for products 

being placed in the market globally

• Specified requirements can be in regulation, procurement documents, or voluntary 

program descriptions

• Can also be requirements regarding the conformity assessment determinations 

that support the SDoC and/or the bodies that perform them

• Represents a claim made in the market

• Attestations made against specific criteria must be supported by appropriate 

evidence

• When attestation is publicly available, other interested parties can verify or 

challenge the attestation
References/Resources

NIST Special Publication 2000-01, ABC’s of Conformity Assessment

(September 2018)

NIST Special Publication 2000-01, Conformity Assessment 

Considerations for Federal Agencies (September 2018)

ISO’s Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO)