TS ISO/IEC 17011

TS ISO/IEC 17011 is a core conformity assessment standard that sets requirements for accreditation bodies which accredit conformity assessment bodies. It defines the framework for how an accreditation body should operate competently, consistently and impartially, so that accreditation decisions remain credible and comparable.

The role of the accreditation body

Accreditation is the formal recognition that a conformity assessment body is competent to perform specific tasks. Those bodies may include testing laboratories, calibration laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies. The subject of this standard is the organisation, decision-making, resources and impartiality arrangements of the bodies that assess and accredit those organisations. In general technical terms, this distinction matters because the value of accreditation depends on the technical competence and independence of the accrediting body itself.

What it supports in practice

• Systematic and traceable competence assessments
• Consistent accreditation practices for similar applications
• Management of conflicts of interest that could affect impartiality
• Reliable confidentiality, resource control and technical decision-making in accreditation activities

This document should be read as a management standard for accreditation bodies rather than as a test method or product specification. It does not set product limits or sector-specific performance criteria; instead, it defines how the accreditation function, a key trust mechanism in the conformity assessment chain, should be organised and controlled.