Documents and Client Area

IOAS Assessment and Surveillance and Coronavirus COVID-19

In summary, IOAS will proceed with assessments as scheduled whenever possible, and have moved to conducting remote audits where necessary due to travel restrictions. In cases where a remote audit is not possible, there may be the option to complete the assessment by desk review. Operator visits are being rescheduled for later in the year as needed. CB update reports should be submitted as usual, per the timeframes communicated by your Client Manager.

IOAS is providing for client CBs a summary of Scheme requirements on certification and surveillance by CBs during COVID-19 pandemic. IOAS CBs – please ensure you are logged in as a client to see all the scheme owner document links above. If for any reason you are concerned about the effect of COVID-19 on your assessment activity in 2020, please reach out to your Client Manager to discuss options.

IOAS Policies referred to:

OFFICIAL NOTICE 2020-01-IOAS-surveillance-and-COVID-19_Apr-30

IOAS CB emergency measures requirements

PL0510 Policy-on-special-situations (Previously Policy on dangerous situation)

PL0522 Emergency exceptions

Further to the above all CB’s should have their own policies in place and be able to make them available to IOAS on request as well as maintain records of the surveillance activities undertaken. The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) has released guidance to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 epidemic on certification and accreditation bodies.

ID3 – an informative document including useful ideas on how CBs and ABs should tackle extraordinary events such as the COVID 19 pandemic.
MD4 contains useful information on performing remote audits and assessment which may assist CBs in adopting such techniques to adapt to circumstances caused by the COVID 19 pandemic.

IAF Frequently Asked Questions – COV-ID-19 Outbreak