ANSI's Client Day Meeting Details Conformity Assessment Initiatives Worldwide

As part of an ongoing effort to provide opportunities for further education and information sharing within the conformity assessment community, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) held its third annual "Client Day" meeting on July 13, 2010, in Washington, DC. The event brought together more than 50 representatives from ANSI-accredited and applicant product and personnel certification programs, providing participants with an opportunity to learn about various new initiatives in the conformity assessment community.

Discussions at the meeting included updates on government policies affecting certifications; international developments relating to organizations such as the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), and the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC); revisions to accreditation standards; program updates on new scopes; and more.

The meeting also included a "listening session" where participants were able to provide comments, suggestions, and feedback about the accreditation process. This open discussion period underscores ANSI's continued commitment to maintaining and improving an open and collaborative partnership with its accreditation clients.

Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services, provided the opening remarks and welcome address. Attendees then heard from Scott Cooper, the Institute's vice president, public policy and governmental affairs.

Also in attendance was Antony Carnevale, Ph.D., director of the Georgetown University center on education and workforce development. A special guest at the meeting, Dr. Carnevale spoke at the break-out session for the personnel certification program on the latest research initiatives in the field and their implications for personnel certification in the United States.

"As a key U.S. representative for accreditation on the international stage, ANSI strives to ensure that our partners in product and personnel certification are up-to-date on the latest conformity assessment initiatives, both in this country and around the globe," said Mr. Hallenbeck. "Based on the high turnout of this event, it's clear that our colleagues are interested in furthering their knowledge of the conformity assessment landscape, and ANSI is pleased to make this an annual event that will serve our clients' needs year after year."

ANSI Client Day 2011 is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, June 9, to coincide with the annual U.S. Celebration of World Accreditation Day. More details will be posted on www.ansi.org as soon as they become available.