Steve Keeling
IAF TC Chair (2018 – 2021)

IAF’s Technical Committee (TC) held its annual meeting on 26-27 October 2021. The TC, which meets twice yearly, is responsible for developing and maintaining IAF documents on the application of standards to ensure their consistent application; monitoring the development of standards and other relevant material outside IAF; and making recommendations concerning the practical application of IAF documents, including issues arising from the implementation of the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement.

TC Members might recall that at our October 2019 meeting in Frankfurt, there was some movement to change the direction of IAF MD 20 Generic Competence for AB Assessors: Application to ISO/IEC 17011. The motion was not accepted and the IAF TC was asked to continue with the work that they had already started on the revision of IAF MD 20. At the October 2021 TC meeting, the TC confirmed the work of the TF by agreeing to revise IAF MD 20 in a one-step process, by removing duplicative competencies covered in ISO/IEC 17011 and inserting level 3 standard competencies once developed. When complete, the TF will recommend to the TC if the document should remain as a Mandatory Document or be converted into an Informative Document.

At the TC’s last meeting in May 2021, the TC established a TF to create a definitive document on remote auditing and assessment. At the October 2021 meeting, the TF proposed an amended terms of reference to broaden the TF deliverables. The TF requested the TC consider the following change: Developing document(s) or content to be added to existing IAF documents to address remote auditing/assessment. The TC agreed with the recommendation.

Between the May and October meetings, the draft IAF Mandatory Document Criteria for Evaluation of Conformity Assessment Schemes (CAS) was distributed for its third round of 60-day comment. The CAS Task Force (TF) reviewed and actioned the comments. The TF was in general agreement with the changes made to the document, but could not agree on whether the document class should be Mandatory or Informative. The TF agreed to recommend to the TC Chair that the document be sent out for ballot to IAF Members. The ballot closed on 21 November with a positive result, and comments received have been provided to the TF co-convenors for consideration.

Kevin Belson (UKAS) took over as the IAF TC Chair on completion of the IAF General Assembly in November. I wish Kevin and his team the very best going forward.

I would like to thank Guillaume Gignac, Joan Brough-Kerrebyn, Carol Lee, Elva Nilsen, other members of the Secretariat and all those who actively participated in the IAF TC work over the last three years for their support and effort.

Mr. Keeling’s term as TC Chair ended at the 04 November 2021 IAF General Assembly. We thank him for his many years of service to IAF as TC Chair and MLA Committee Chair, roles in which he consistently excelled.