13 November 2007


Suspension of the IPC ApB

At the recent plenary in Sydney, IAF members voted to extend the MLA to include ISO 17024.

This is a significant development and has caused the IPC Board to reconsider the rationale for continuing the initiative to establish an Approval Body. Given that the initiative was driven by an acceptance that the IAF would not extend the MLA to include personnel certification bodies using ISO 17024, the IPC Board accepts the IAF development has removed the key reason supporting the initiative. IPC supports accredited certification and continuing with the initiative would, in the Board’s view, serve to undermine the credibility of accredited certification at a time when the accredited certification infrastructure has taken positive steps to accommodate IPC’s concerns.

IPC is conscious that IAF has much work to do in extending the MLA, and it is possible their resolve will be tested by the challenges. To keep IPC’s options
open the Board is not formally winding down the initiative, but suspending commencement of operations for a period of 18 months. A review of IAF’s progress will be conducted after 12 months.

IPC will continue to contribute to the IAF working group tasked with supporting the extension of the MLA to include ISO 17024.

Suspending the initiative was a difficult decision. IPC has invested a considerable amount of resource in developing the ApB to its current state, which is ready to launch. And whilst an approval body operating internationally has attractions, the IPC Board must acknowledge IAF’s positive decision.

Questions or clarification on any points regarding the decision should be directed to Simon Feary, IPC Chairman at chairman@ipcaweb.org.