Laboratory Accreditation Body Expert Committee Meeting Summary: Standard Revision And Evaluation Process Updates.pdf

Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Time: 1:00 pm Eastern

Agenda Items:

1. Welcome and Roll Call:
- Approved V2M1 Draft Standard Revision 1 for publication with no comments.
- Attended by: Aaren Alger (Chair), Socorro Baldonado, Nilda Cox, Yumi Creason (Vice Chair), Bill Hall, Sviatlana Haubner, Michella Karapondo, Michael Perry, and Zaneta Popovska.

2. Updating the Evaluation Process:
- Reviewed ideas from a volunteer evaluator group for modifying the evaluation process.
- Discussed streamlining checklist and application form, improving evaluation value.
- Agreed to continue remote evaluations for 2023-2025 cycle; in-person site visits required for initial evaluations.
- Explored breaking evaluations into three parts (regulations/policy, internal audit/management review, file reviews) to ease workload.

3. Discussion Points:
- Too many team members (2) per evaluation is burdensome; need more evaluators or additional AB staff.
- Simplify renewal application process by verifying changed items only.
- Focus on assessor competence and internal assessment records instead of confirming Quality Manuals and SOPs.
- Consider in-person observations of assessments and spot-checks of training records.
- Explore incentives for providing evaluation team members, including reduced AB dues.
- Evaluate lab volunteers or non-accrediting AB personnel for checklist reviews and interviews.
- Lead Evaluators lack authority to enforce timelines; general consensus for peer evaluations.
- Technical Review checklist is time-consuming; consider action-based renewals with shorter checklists.

4. Desired End Product:
- Determine if evaluation should focus on detailed compliance or successful AB operations.

5. Internal Audits:
- Standardized internal audit format could enhance their usefulness; currently inconsistent among ABs.

6. Comparative Evaluations:
- EPA drinking water audits less detailed than NELAP Technical Review checklists.
- ANAB evaluations (ILAC process) occur every three years, involving multiple evaluators from consortium members.