Application
Technical guides, regulations, policies
and application forms can be obtained from
the NAB-MALTA. They can also be downloaded
from this website.
Document Review
The documents submitted by
the applicant are assessed by the NAB-MALTA.
The Lead Assessor, together with the Technical Assessors where necessary, carries out the desk
audit to identify whether there is the need for further documentation,
the need for a preliminary visit, to highlight any deficiencies in the system and to propose the final composition of the Assessment
Team.
Preliminary Visit
The preliminary visit helps the NAB-Malta
in determining whether the body appears
to be sufficiently prepared for an initial
assessment to have a reasonable chance of
success. The benefits of a preliminary visit
include:
Proper preparation for the initial assessment
including preparation of visit plan, determination
of approximate duration of assessment and
type of assessors required, clarification
with the applicant of the applied scope
of accreditation. The lead assessor can
form a general idea of the level of implementation
of the quality system described in the submitted
documentation and its compliance with the
standard.
Assessment Team
The assessment is carried
out by experts according to the scope of accreditation.
The team will have been chosen to ensure they
can cover every aspect of the organisation’s
operations. All assessors will have attended
an assessor training course and will be aware
of the necessary standards of assessment and
any particular requirements of the NAB-Malta.
NAB-MALTA uses contracted external assessors all of whom sign a confidentiality agreement
since it is vital that any
information gained during the assessment visit
is kept confidential.
Assessment Visit
The result of the on-site
and witness visit is a detailed report on
the evaluation of the organisation highlighting
any areas that require attention prior to
the organisation being recommended for accreditation.
Accreditation Board
This
Board
is a wide representation of organisations
having either a direct or indirect interest
in accreditation. Members come from both the
public (Government Ministries, Authorities and other public entities), the private (Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise, Federation
of Industry) and the Consumers Association. The Accreditation
Board is responsible for providing
advice on technical issues, business strategy
and promotion of accreditation, and on the
operation and development of an accreditation
scheme. It is also responsible for taking
the decision on the granting/withdrawal of
accreditation - this is based on the report and recommendation presented
by the Director of the NAB-Malta.
Scope of Accreditation
The accreditation certificate is issued against
a scope of accreditation which details the
specific areas accredited. The scope is published
and maintained by the NAB-MALTA.
Surveillance & Reassessment
Surveillance visits are carried out to
ensure that the accredited body continues
to conform to the requirements of accreditation
on a permanent basis. The first surveillance
visit is carried out 6 months after the decision on accreditation. The accredited body will also need
to undergo, after a specified period of time,
a full reassessment equivalent in detail
to the original assessment.
|
