General description of an assessment visit
An assessment visit consists of three main parts:
- Preparation
- Assessment
- Reporting and evaluation of corrective actions
1. Preparation
Contracted assessors/experts will receive:
- Reports, including nonconformities and corrective actions, written by Norwegian Accreditation’s assessors from the last assessment.
- Documentation or access to documentation from the organization. Required documentation is listed in Conditions for accreditation.
- Overview of changes in the organization since last assessment visit.
- Report template to be used during and after the assessment visit.
- Scope of accreditation. For test laboratories this document will include information of when a method was last assessed.
Contracted assessors/experts are encouraged to make suggestions for areas to observe. Final agenda for the visit is issued by lead assessor, based on suggestions from the assessor team, findings in prior assessments and time since last an activity or method was assessed. Agenda is issued no later than a week before the assessment visit.
It is not expected that contracted assessors/experts have read all available documentation from the organization. It is, however, expected that documentation relevant for activities or methods to be observed, is well prepared.
Lead assessor invites to an assessor meeting close to the assessment, to clarify and discuss any questions. Further, lead assessor can always be contacted with questions related to the assessment.
2. Assessment
The purpose of assessment is to consider whether activities performed by the organization, and as listed in their respective scope of accreditation, is in accordance with the accreditation standard and other normative documents (where relevant). In addition, implementation of the organization’s own procedures among its employees is to be assessed.
Opening meeting
Assessments begin with an opening meeting, containing:
- Presentation of the purpose and extent of the assessment.
- Presentation of the assessor team and the organization’s key personnel.
- Clarification of that the assessor team is to indicate during the assessment, whether a finding is a nonconformity or in compliance with the requirements.
- How nonconformities are graded.
- Confidentiality and the Public Access to Information Act (offentleglova).
- Confidentiality for all that the assessors see, hear and have read during preparations and assessment.
- All reports, recommendations and nonconformities, written by the assessor team are publicly available information through requested access to public electronic postal journal (offentlig elektronisk postjournal, OEP).
- Present agenda and organize who talks to whom, and where and when.
After the opening meeting, contracted assessors/experts assess different technical areas by talking to approved personnel, observing activities (for example method demonstration), and controlling relevant registrations related to competence, procedures, processes, equipment, reports, certificates and more.
Assessor meeting
During the assessment day at least one assessor meeting is usually held. The purpose of this meeting is to clarify whether an observation complies or not, and to formulate any nonconformities. Nonconformities are sent to lead assessor prior to the end meeting. All nonconformities shall be paragraphed against a given requirement in the accreditation standard, or a normative document issued by Norwegian accreditation.
End meeting
The end meeting is a formal meeting where presence of the organization’s management is required. As a minimum, the end meeting will contain:
- Appreciation of the facilitation of the assessment.
- Expression of the assessor team’s overall impression of the accredited activity of the organization.
- Presentation of nonconformities. It might be necessary to prepare for objections from representatives from the organization.
- Agree upon a deadline for the organization to provide cause analysis and corrective actions for all nonconformities.
- Questions and comments.
3. Reporting and evaluation of corrective actions
After the assessment, all assessors write a report. The report shall include observed areas and findings, both in compliance with requirements and descriptions of nonconformities. Contracted assessors/experts have focused on technical demands, process and competence requirements and base their report on this. Lead assessor will mainly have focused on the management system.
As the written reports are open for public access, care needs to be taken when providing sensitive information such as names, confidential information and plans for expansion.
Contracted assessors/experts send their reports to lead assessor for approval. Lead assessor compiles all reports and send to the organization.
By deadline, contracted assessors/experts receive cause analysis and corrective actions either directly from the organization or from the lead assessor. Evaluation of whether cause analysis and corrective action is sufficient is written in the report, including recommendation of whether the nonconformity can be closed. Lead assessor makes the final decision about the status of nonconformities, before reporting back to the organization.