The accreditation process begins with the customer’s submittal of an application and documentation cited in the applicable accreditation criteria and pay of retable fee.
Following are the steps involved in becoming accredited by USIAS :
Application Phase >Assessment Phase> Accreditation Approval>Surveillance > Re-Assessment.
Application phase:
The applicant conformity assessment body submits directly to USIAS duly completed and signed application form with Registration Documentation and Required Scheme. The respective Scheme Coordinator shall undertake a completeness check or file review of the submitted applicant’s documents to ensure completeness.
At any point in the application, or assessment, if there is evidence of fraudulent behavior, if the conformity assessment body intentionally provides false information or if the conformity assessment body conceals information, USIAS shall reject the application or terminate the assessment process.
Assessment phase
If your application is accepted, then USAIS will conduct:
Conformity Assessments (i.e. conducting an office assessment and witness assessments). The conformity assessment includes both documentation review and on-site or remote assessments. It is your organizational responsibility to demonstrate USIAS that your systems to operate test, inspection, certification and validation/verification has been fully implemented and maintained to satisfy the accreditation criteria and relevant standards requirement including any applicable regulatory requirements.
We also offers an option to conduct conformity assessments virtually. That are mutually agreed between the applicant CAB and USAIS. The applicant CAB will be responsible for organizing a secure ICT platform for conformity assessments. However USIAS must visit your location, at least once in a four-year accreditation cycle, and conduct on-site assessments (office assessment and witness assessments). The initial accreditation assessments or reassessments are subjected to on-site visit.
Accreditation phase:
All accreditation decisions shall be made based on the information gathered and the recommendations made by the respective assessment team. The recommendation together with supporting documentation shall be forwarded to the Accreditation Approvals Committee for decision.
Upon successful completion of conformity assessments, the assessment team will present its assessment report with associated findings to you and to the Accreditation Review Committee for independent review. Should you have any assessment findings as CARs and Concerns reported, you will have to provide suitable evidence to your assessment team lead responding the details of resolution to those findings. Once any mandatory findings have been satisfactorily resolved, the Accreditation Committee will review those evidences for a decision on whether to grant accreditation or conditions are to be placed on the accreditation.
If Accreditation Committee finds Satisfactory and approves your application, Assessment Documentation then a Certificate of Accreditation will be issued and you will be accredited on Applied Scheme.
USIAS accredits organizations by verifying their technical competence and assessing their quality management systems based on recognized industry standards.
Surveillance phase:
The USIAS accreditation cycle shall be a period of 4 years for all the accreditation schemes. The accreditation cycle shall begin on the date of the decision to grant accreditation and shall be valid for 4 Yeas from that date.
Once you are granted with accreditation and the Certificate of Accreditation is issued, USAIS will monitor your conformance to accreditation criteria throughout your four-year accreditation term. Accreditation status is maintained through annual surveillances for first three years and then full reassessment on fourth year to renew your accreditation status for next four-year accreditation cycle.
The first surveillance visit, after the grant of accreditation, will take place within 12 months from initial accreditation decision.
Re-assessment:
Reassessments will be conducted at least six (6) months before the end of an assessment cycle. The reassessment shall be planned and performed taking into account the information gathered from the assessments performed over the accreditation cycle. The re-assessment shall be a complete assessment covering the organization’s scope of accreditation and including all elements of the relevant standard. An accreditation decision shall be made after the reassessment.
In case of emerging problems identified during the course of accreditation assessment that are unresolved, then you may need to make changes to your certification program that will result in reduction of the scope of your accreditation, or termination of your accreditation. In such case you will be notified in writing of the reasons for such decision and given the opportunity to appeal that decision.
The USIAS accreditation symbol
Sample of the Usias accreditation symbol
Upon request, USIAS allows accredited bodies to use the USIAS accreditation symbol. Together with a unique registration number, this symbol is an indicator of a successful accreditation. The approved use of this symbol allows accredited bodies to highlight their competence which has been verified.
Use of the accreditation symbol:
The exact use of the USIAS accreditation symbol is defined in the Regulation on the Accreditation Symbol and the USIAS regulations.
Impartiality Policy:
USIAS is committed to act impartially in carrying out its accreditation activities. Independent mechanisms established by USIAS Top Committee along with corporate policies and procedures for avoidance of possible conflicts of interest, ensures the objectivity and transparency of all aspects of its activities. USIAS ensures impartiality and objectivity of its services and take necessary actions to safeguard impartiality against inappropriate influence from interested parties.
United State International Accreditation Services (USIAS) applies its policies and procedures in a non-discriminatory manner and its services are available to conformity assessment bodies (CABs) operating globally. USIAS manages risks to impartiality by adhering to ISO 17011 standard and applicable regulatory requirements, and ensures the deployment of trained and competent team. USIAS has policies and procedures ensuring independency and objectivity of accreditation activities and its evidence-based processes are documented.