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John Neuner, Program Manager ASCLD/LAB- International CWAG January 28, 2010 Sacramento, California

Crime Laboratory Accreditation in the US and ASCLD/LAB Support of Crime Laboratory Accreditation in Mexico. John Neuner, Program Manager ASCLD/LAB- International CWAG January 28, 2010 Sacramento, California. Presentation Objectives. Brief history of ASCLD/LAB accreditation in the US

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John Neuner, Program Manager ASCLD/LAB- International CWAG January 28, 2010 Sacramento, California

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  1. Crime Laboratory Accreditation in the USand ASCLD/LAB Support of Crime Laboratory Accreditation in Mexico John Neuner, Program Manager ASCLD/LAB-International CWAG January 28, 2010 Sacramento, California

  2. Presentation Objectives • Brief history of ASCLD/LAB accreditation in the US • The US movement to ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation • Current issues facing the quality of crime laboratory accreditation • ASCLD/LAB’s support of EMA – developing a crime laboratory accreditation program in Mexico

  3. History of ASCLD/LAB Accreditation • About thirty years ago, in 1982, the first crime laboratories in the US were accredited by ASCLD/LAB in the state of Illinois • For the first twenty-two years (from 1982 through 2004), laboratories were accredited to what has become known as the ASCLD/LAB Legacy accreditation standards

  4. History of ASCLD/LAB Accreditation • ASCLD/LAB Legacy standards were created by crime laboratory directors and maintained and constantly improved by those same crime laboratory directors (known as the ASCLD/LAB Delegate Assembly) • The director of each ASCLD/LAB accredited laboratory is a voting member of the Delegate Assembly

  5. History of ASCLD/LAB Accreditation • 371 crime laboratories are currently accredited by ASCLD/LAB (98 in the ISO accreditation program) • Including US federal, state, local and private laboratories • Including 12 laboratories outside the US

  6. History of ASCLD/LAB Accreditation • In 2003, the ASCLD/LAB Delegate Assembly voted to transition to the use of ISO/IEC 17025 as the foundation for crime laboratory accreditation • The new program, based on ISO standards is called the ASCLD/LAB-International program

  7. Current Accreditation Standards • Today, crime laboratories in the US seeking ASCLD/LAB accreditation must demonstrate conformance with ISO/IEC 17025 and the ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental Requirements for Testing Laboratories • How are ISO standards and “supplemental requirements” developed?

  8. Development of ISO standards • A committee of subject matter experts from around the world draft the standards • The draft standards are released for public comment and ultimately voted on by all ISO members • Each participating country (economy) has a single vote to adopt an ISO standard

  9. Development of Supplemental Standards • When the ISO standards are adopted, each “sector” of a country’s economy that will use the standard has the right to develop what most call “sector specific supplemental requirements”

  10. Development of Supplemental Standards • “Sectors” of an economy may include: • Housing (or building materials) • Automobile industry • Food production • Health Care • Forensic Science • Others

  11. Development of Supplemental Standards • Each “sector” of an economy may develop “sector specific supplemental requirements” • The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) developed a general set of “sector specific supplemental requirements” for use in forensic science • ILAC G19 – available free at www.ilac.org

  12. Development of ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental Standards • ASCLD/LAB does not use ILAC G19 • ILAC G19 was based to a large degree on an outdated version of the ASCLD/LAB Legacy standards (1997) • The updating of ILAC G19 is a slow, international process

  13. Development of ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental Standards • ASCLD/LAB developed our own set of “sector specific supplemental requirements” for forensic science • “ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental Requirements for Testing Laboratories” • Most crime laboratory accrediting bodies around the world use more than ILAC G19 (US, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, etc.)

  14. Development of ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental Standards • ASCLD/LAB is currently updating the “ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental Requirements for Testing Laboratories.” These should be ready in a few months. • The ILAC G19 document is also currently undergoing an update and will likely be finalized late this year or early 2011.

  15. Development of ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental Standards • With input from subject matter experts, the ASCLD/LAB Board of Directors drafts all revisions to the supplemental requirements • The draft is released to all interested parties for public comment • Public comments are considered by the ASCLD/LAB Board of Directors

  16. Development of ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental Standards • A second draft is prepared and released for public comment • A final version is then released for a thirty-day voting period by all current members of the ASCLD/LAB Delegate Assembly • With a positive vote the supplemental standards are adopted

  17. Other "Supplemental" Standards • Other accreditation requirements may be developed by “regulators” in a country • In US forensic science, an important regulator is the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who issues quality assurance standards for DNA analysis • Public health agencies in some US states also regulate certain toxicology testing (like blood alcohol analysis)

  18. US Crime Laboratory Accreditaion • Laboratories seeking ASCLD/LAB-International accreditation in the US must demonstrate conformance with: • ISO/IEC 17025:2005 • Sector specific supplemental requirements • Applicable regulatory requirements

  19. US Crime Laboratory Accreditaion • ASCLD/LAB “sector specific” and “regulatory” requirements ensure that using ISO/IEC 17025 for accreditation considers issues of importance to forensic science • Key issues identified in the US to strengthen the quality of forensic science services are no different than the issues faced in other countries

  20. Key issues in forensic science accreditation • Making the accreditation of crime laboratories mandatory using internationally accepted standards as the basis for accreditation • Ensuring that each person working in a crime laboratory meets minimum education and training standards; can demonstrate technical competence; and receives ongoing developmental training and proficiency testing

  21. Key issues in forensic science accreditation • Establishing standards for issuing clear and complete test reports • Ensuring the use of valid test methods • Ensuring that each crime laboratory has an appropriate relationship with any parent body

  22. Key issues in forensic science accreditation • Ensuring that each laboratory has and follows a comprehensive, documented quality management system • Ethics requirements are in place • The ASCLD/LAB-International program supports all of these key issues

  23. Crime Laboratory Accreditation Outside the US • Over the last twenty-five years, other countries have turned to ASCLD/LAB as a model for implementing their own crime laboratory accreditation program • Australia and Taiwan are two examples • Other countries have relied on ASCLD/LAB for the direct accreditation of crime laboratories

  24. Crime Laboratory Accreditation Outside the US • With current participation in ISO-based accreditation, ASCLD/LAB’s approach to accreditation outside the US has changed • The changes will impact how ASCLD/LAB approaches the accreditation of crime laboratories in Central and South America - including Mexico

  25. Changes in ASCLD/LAB • 2008 – ASCLD/LAB was formally recognized by the InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) • 2009 – ASCLD/LAB was formally recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) • Following formal, international recognition ASCLD/LAB signed mutual recognition arrangements (MRA) with the IAAC & ILAC

  26. Changes in ASCLD/LAB • As an IAAC and ILAC MRA signatory, ASCLD/LAB will now work in harmony with other MRA signatories, like the Mexican Accreditation Entity (EMA) • As interest in crime laboratory accreditation has grown within Mexico, ASCLD/LAB has worked with EMA to support their development of an accreditation program

  27. Support of EMA • ASCLD/LAB representatives continually interact with EMA representative at IAAC and ILAC meetings • An ASCLD/LAB representative made a presentation about crime laboratory accreditation during EMA’s celebration of International Accreditation Day in 2008

  28. Support of EMA • In cooperation with EMA, ASCLD/LAB presented a week-long assessor training course in Mexico City • An EMA representative observed ASCLD/LAB conducting a full assessment of a crime laboratory in the US

  29. Support of EMA • In support of the cooperative relationship established by the IAAC and ILAC MRAs, and in accordance with the international approach to “cross border” accreditation, ASCLD/LAB has no plans to offer the direct accreditation of crime laboratories within Mexico unless invited to do so by EMA • ASCLD/LAB will continue to support EMA in the development of a crime laboratory accreditation program in Mexico

  30. Support of Laboratories in Mexico • ASCLD/LAB will respond to certain requests directly from crime laboratory directors within Mexico • Having a laboratory representative observe the ASCLD/LAB assessment of a crime laboratory in the US (remember that the EMA program will also be based on ISO/IEC 17025, and the accreditation process will be the same)

  31. Support of Laboratories in Mexico • Have a laboratory representative attend an ASCLD/LAB-International Assessor Training Course in the US (learning to be an assessor will prepare that person to become a better internal auditor for your own laboratory, and would also prepare that person to become a technical assessor for EMA) • Connecting a crime laboratory from Mexico with an ISO accredited laboratory in the US that can share examples of documented, ISO-compliant policies and procedures

  32. Ongoing Support from ASCLD/LAB • ASCLD/LAB fully supports the ongoing efforts to establish a sound crime laboratory accreditation program within Mexico . • We stand ready to assist in any way that is mutually agreeable to EMA and in any way that supports the cooperative principles of the IAAC and ILAC MRAs and international, cross border accreditation activities.

  33. Resources www.iso.org • To purchase ISO documents www.ansi.org • To purchase ISO documents (in English) www.ilac.org • FREE G19 document www.ascld-lab.org • Program guidance documents that could be helpful www.ascld-lab.net • ASCLD/LAB interpretations of numerous accreditation requirements

  34. Contact Information John K. Neuner, Program Manager ASCLD/LAB-International 919-773-2600 jneuner@ascld-lab.org www.ascld-lab.org

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