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IIOC have committed to develop a set of criteria through which its member’s performance standards can be measured. This is a result of the changes being made to the standard ISO 17021 which will become the new basis for accreditation.

IIOC members do not feel ISO 17021 alone will drive the performance improvements which the market expects from certification bodies. In particular IIOC has expressed its concerns that the development of ISO 17021 did not include consultation with a broad view of users of certification.

The aim of the IIOC criteria is to set performance metrics beyond the basic requirements accepted by accreditation (IAF), with a view to driving continual improvement in the certification industry.

Says Ian Hodgskinson (Chairman of IIOC) – ‘it is simply not acceptable for us to demand continual improvement from our certified customers, and not accept the principle applies to us too’.