IECEE Lead Assessor Training Course

Participants at the Lead Assessor training course

More than 50 people from around the world attended the 2006 IECEE Lead Assessor Training Course from 15 to 17 November in Geneva aimed at consolidating their knowledge of the principles and scope of IECEE assessment procedures. It also offered an opportunity to update the lead assessors on current issues in IECEE assessment procedures, with a view to promoting more effective assessments. This year’s course was organized in cooperation with the European Electrical Products Certification Association as part of its European scheme to facilitate the European Lead Assessors’ meeting on 17 November 2006.

These training courses, put on by the IEC’s Worldwide System for Conformity Testing and Certification of Electrical Equipment (IECEE), are intended to ensure consistent assessments with common understanding of assessment techniques. This helps to create credibility and fairness in those certification bodies and testing labs that participate in the IECEE’s CB Scheme and FCS Scheme, which is essential since the system operates according to peer assessment.

The IECEE uses peer assessment to ensure that all certification bodies and test laboratories operating within the IECEE CB and FCS Schemes have an equal level of competence and provide an equivalent quality of service. This is seen as necessary to maintain confidence among member national certification bodies, who are the operators of the CB Scheme.

Representatives from three ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) members also attended the course as part of the collaborative work being done by the IECEE and ILAC.

The use of IECEE operational documents and the role of IECEE peer assessment as an integral part of IEC conformity assessment programs were two of the topics of the course. Led by the IECEE Executive Secretary, the event entailed an exercise based on a scenario and situations that could occur during real on-site assessments.

The course allowed lead assessors to share experience related to assessments while encouraging participants to contribute thoughts on principles and the ethics of lead assessors, on uniform understanding of the operational documents related to assessments and assessment reports, and on unusual situations.

The agenda addressed ethical issues and the competence of lead assessors. It also focused on field experience in various on-site assessments. It emphasized the specific role of lead assessors who, in addition to having the personal attributes and competence of technical assessors, need specific knowledge and skills in assessment leadership and project management to enable the assessment team to conduct on-site assessments efficiently and effectively.

IECEE lead assessors are seen as key players in the IECEE community and in the peer assessment program. Upon successfully passing the final examination at the end of the course the lead assessors are confirmed as IECEE registered lead assessors and receive a certificate of recognition.

IECEE is the Worldwide System for Conformity Testing and Certification of Electrotechnical Equipment and Components. It operates the CB Scheme and the Full Certification Scheme, which are multilateral agreements among certification bodies and testing laboratories around the world that recognize each other’s tests and test certificates with a common goal of eliminating duplication of testing, reducing manufacturing costs and eliminating technical barriers to trade.