2019 SDO Requirements and Guidance Transition

Bulletin date:
Bulletin number:
2019-09

SCC’s Standards and International Relations Branch recently updated the Requirements & Guidance – Accreditation of Standards Development Organizations (R&G 2019). It was approved by SCC’s Council on June 13, 2019 and has now been published.

 

Affected Customers

Standards Development Organizations participating in the SCC’s Accreditation Program (SDOAP) 

 

Background

A key objective was to strengthen the self-declaration criteria to ensure the integrity of the system is maintained. Self-declaration is a framework process efficiency that was introduced to enable SCC-accredited SDOs in good standing to self-declare compliance with SCC’s Requirements & Guidance documents for the publication of their standards as National Standards of Canada (NSCs). SCC worked closely with the Standards Development Organizations Advisory Committee (SDOAC) to update this document. For instance, at a workshop consultation in April 2019, members were presented with the proposed changes and had the opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions.

 

Summary of key changes:

Self-Declaration (R&G: 2019, Cl. 9); (NEW)

  • Added new clause to outline the improvements to the self-declaration criteria, eligibility, approval, maintenance, and suspension.

 

Maintenance of Accreditation (R&G; 2019, Cl. 8); (NEW)

  • Added new clause to document current practice regarding maintenance of accreditation.

 

Notice of Public Review (Cl. 6.6.2);

  • Removed text “mature” to fully align with the source requirement from the WTO TBT Annex 3, provision L.

 

Availability in Both Official Languages (R&G; 2019, Cl. 4.2.2); 

  • Added direction on national French translations of ISO/IEC standards when they are required by Canadian stakeholders and not available from ISO/IEC, in alignment with ISO/IEC language policy.

 

Notice of Intent (Cl. 6.6.1);

  • Strengthened to require updating of the SDO Notice of Intent (NOI) if there are substantive alterations to the scope and title of the originally proposed NOI to ensure clarity of the content of the published NSC.

     

Action required

The following are the transition timelines related to the implementation of the 2019 Accreditation Requirements:

  • From the date of this Bulletin, any new applicant SDO must apply to the 2019 Accreditation Requirements, 
  • Between September 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019, accredited SDOs may choose to be assessed against either the 2017 or the 2019 edition of the Accreditation Requirements
  • Effective January 1, 2020, all SDO assessments will be conducted according to the 2019 Accreditation Requirements,
  • Effective September 1, 2019, all applications for Self-Declaration must be submitted using the 2019 Accreditation Requirements only,

 

By December 31, 2020 all SDOs will have been assessed to the 2019 Accreditation Requirements. Should you anticipate not being able to meet the identified compliance timeline, please inform your ASB Account Manager. 

 

Deadlines

Transition deadline is December 31, 2020. 

 

Questions?

Please communicate with your assigned Account Manager.