Akreditaními

Akreditaními, often translated as accreditation, is the formal recognition by an independent authority that a person, organization, or system is competent to perform specific tasks or to meet defined standards. Accreditation serves to demonstrate competence, impartiality, and consistency and is widely used to support trust in products, services, and decisions.

Common areas of accreditation include educational program accreditation, laboratory accreditation for testing and calibration, certification bodies that issue product or management-system certificates, and inspection bodies. It may also apply to professionals’ credentials, such as examiners or assessors, and to facilities or processes that perform regulated activities.

Accreditation is typically voluntary and follows a structured process: agreement on the scope, a self-evaluation by the applicant, an on-site assessment conducted by trained peer assessors, documentation review, and a formal decision by the accreditation body. If granted, the accreditation is supported by a certificate and a defined validity period. Ongoing surveillance and periodic re‑evaluation ensure continued competence and impartiality. Criteria generally address competence, impartiality, confidentiality, traceability of results, and the adequacy of facilities and personnel.

Internationally, accreditation bodies participate in networks such as the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), which promote mutual recognition. Standards and guidelines commonly reference ISO/IEC 17011 for accreditation bodies and ISO/IEC family standards relevant to the scope (for example, ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratories).

Accreditation can improve market access, reduce risk for buyers, and support regulatory compliance by providing externally verified evidence of competence and quality.