NATURAL ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE / ACCREDITATION (EXECUTIVE) COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. Background
i-NAF has an Accreditation (Executive) Committee as laid down of the i-NAF Bylaw. The role of the Accreditation Committee is to implement the policies of the General Assembly and to manage the operations of i-NAF between the meetings of the General Assembly.
2. Duties and responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities of the Accreditation Committee are to:
Natural Accreditation activities and;
• implement i-NAF policy and management and further the objectives, aims and tasks of i-NAF, between meetings of the i-NAF
General Assembly;
• facilitate exchange of information on the development and operation of accreditation systems;
• facilitate participation in meetings of i-NAF;
• manage a program to establish and maintain mutual confidence between Signatories to the i-NAF MLA, and accreditation bodies or regional groups of accreditation bodies that cannot become members of i-NAF;
• ensure the application of i-NAF’s principles in the field of accreditation of conformity assessment bodies in accordance with the provisions of the i-NAF MoU;
• manage the i-NAF relationship with other forum(s) (IAF, IHAF ETC.) and regional accreditation bodies
• draft proposals concerning the policy of i-NAF;
• establish, oversee and co-ordinate the operation of subordinate committees as necessary to carry out the work of i-NAF, and to appoint the Chair and Vice-Chair of each subordinate committee;
• provide Management Review for the operations of i-NAF and to submit an annual Management Review Report to the i-NAF General
Assembly;
• prepare a budget for the operations of i-NAF, and recommendations as to the fees to be contributed by members of i-NAF each year, to be submitted to the i-NAF General Assembly for ratification each year in advance;
• oversee the operations of the Secretariat and, in particular, to ensure that the approved budget is adhered to, and that any additional expenditure is approved by the Board of Directors
• ensure that i-NAF co-operates with counterpart groups in other international organizations;
• co-operate with other relevant bodies in the field of conformity assessment,
• maintain communication and co-operation with other international organizations;
• exchange information with natural accreditation bodies, natural conformity assessmentbodies, other accreditation body, conformity assessment bodies and their customers, standards development bodies, and other relevant bodies.
3. Membership
Chair: The i-NAF Board Chair is the Chair of the i-NAF Accreditation Committee.
General Secretary/Vice-Chair: The i-NAF General Secretary is the Vice-Chair of the i-NAF Accreditation Committee.
Members: Four members of the i-NAF Accreditation Committee can be elected from the Members of the i-NAF.
No more than one representative from any one economy shall serve on the Accreditation Committee at any one time.
4. Term of service
4.1 The term of office of each member elected to the i-NAF Accreditation Committee is no more than two full three-year terms, or in the case of having served partial terms, a total of six years, except with the approval of the General Assembly.
4.2 Should a member of the Accreditation Committee resign or be unable to continue serving for any reason, in the period between meetings of the General Assembly, the Accreditation Committee may appoint a person to serve as a member of the Accreditation Committee until the next meeting of the General Assembly. A person so appointed shall stand down at the next meeting of the General Assembly, and an election shall be held to fill the vacant position.
5. Meeting frequency
The Accreditation Committee shall meet as frequently as is necessary to conduct the affairs of i-NAF. Meetings of the Accreditation Committee shall be called by the Chair, or, if not available, the Vice-Chair(General Secretary).
6. Quorum
The quorum for a meeting of the Accreditation Committee shall be four elected members present, of whom at least one shall be the Chair or the Vice-Chair.
7. Voting
7.1 The Accreditation Committee shall seek to make all decisions by consensus. If a vote is necessary a two third majority of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall determine the decision.
Application