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Background

Accreditation is fundamental to the proper operation of a transparent and quality driven conformity assessment market. It is a service offered to manufacturing and service industries, which supports their competitiveness. It is fundamental to the public authorities, in order to obtain the proper level of confidence in the reports and certificates issued anywhere in the world and thus to facilitate the free movement of products and services throughout the world. It is fundamental to the conformity assessment bodies themselves, whether operating in the regulated or in the non regulated fields of activity, in order to help them demonstrate independently their technical competence, impartiality and integrity and to ensure transparent and quality driven competition between themselves.

ANAS-BNR aims at building and maintaining mutual confidence in the accreditation schemes operated by its members. It does so with the objective of ensuring that the certification and inspection services concerned meet the needs of industry and of the public authorities and of all other interested parties. In order for ANAS-BNR to respond and be responsible to the needs of its stakeholders, and to ensure transparency in accreditation, a mechanism whereby ANAS-BNR is answerable to and can receive input from its stakeholders is essential.

The ANAS-BNR Advisory Board constitutes the primary organ within ANAS-BNR to ensure the effective and balanced involvement of all interested parties in ANAS-BNR accreditation regarding policy and strategy issues, and shall serve as the main stakeholder forum for ANAS-BNR

he ANAS-BNR Advisory Board, hereinafter called the Board, shall constitute an independent organ, composed of balanced representations of the stakeholders to which ANAS-BNR accounts for the independence, technical competence, cost effectiveness, impartiality and integrity of its accreditation and related activities.

The Board shall constitute a focal point for discussion, consultation, guidance on and input to policy and strategy matters related to the operation of accreditation. In this capacity, the Board shall be the main forum for the stakeholders of ANAS-BNR and the main channel for stakeholders to effectively interact with ANAS-BNR.

The Board shall seek assurance from ANAS-BNR that accreditation is applied in such a way that it ensures effectiveness, openness and transparency in conformity assessment activities in general and those carried out under US legislation in particular, as well as quality driven competition between conformity assessment bodies and coherence with international accreditation practice.

The composition of the Board shall ensure a well-balanced, effective and ample representation of the parties which depend upon and contribute to the ANAS-BNR accreditation system The Members of the Board shall be knowledgeable persons, representative and Competent in matters related to accreditation.

The Members shall be appointed for a period of three yrs in ANAS-BNR, which can be renewed. ANAS-BNR shall be represented by its Chairman and Vice-Chairman, secretariat and other persons nominated by the ANAS-BNR Chairman.

• The Board shall give advice on the general direction of accreditation and contribute to the policies and strategies of ANAS-BNR in particular.
• The Board shall oversee the general operations of ANAS-BNR and determine whether they are conducted with efficiency and effectiveness and in response to the needs of its stakeholders and of the market at large.
• The Board may, at its own initiative or at the request of ANAS-BNR, give input into the strategic aims and priorities to be pursued by ANAS-BNR.
• The Board shall consider the relevant ANAS-BNR standards and assuring consistency and compatibility with them - give guidance as to the need and desirability of developing interpretation and harmonization documents related to accreditation and shall provide its opinion before final adoption by ANAS-BNR.
• The Board may, after due process has been followed pursuant to the applicable ANAS-BNR procedures, offer arbitration or advice on disputes related to accreditation and to the development of guidance.
• The Board shall be the main forum for the exchange of information, experiences and discussion on accreditation with the aim of promoting confidence in accreditation.
• The Board may adopt resolutions on its findings and guidance offered to ANAS-BNR.
• The Board shall publish its resolutions and other orientations on accreditation in an annual report.

The Members of the Board shall elect a Chairman and a Vice-chairman who will hold office for a period of three years with the possibility of re-election for one more term.

The duties of the Chairman are to:

• preside over the meetings of the Board;
• ensure the proper functioning of the Board;
• together with the Secretariat prepare the meetings of the Board;
• establish a draft agenda for the meetings of the Board;
• ensure that conclusions and resolutions are prepared and published, where appropriate;
• prepare a draft of the annual report of the Board.

The Vice-Chairman shall assist the Chairman in carrying out his/her duties.

The Secretariat of the Board shall be provided by the ANAS-BNR.

The duties of the Secretariat are to:

• assist the Chairman in arranging the meetings of the Board, including preparing the drafts of the agendas, of the lists of conclusions and resolutions, and of the minutes of the meeting;
• assist the Chairman in the preparation of the annual report;
• make available the documents for the meetings not later than 3 weeks before the date of the meetings and provide information of relevance to the Board.
• maintain appropriate communications with the Members of the Board;
• maintain the Board procedures as established by the Board;
• Publish the reports of the Board and the results of the review carried out by the Board;
• ensure the administrative functions of the Board in general.