Accreditation and the UK’s National Quality Infrastructure – a partnership addressing the challenges of changing markets and technology

In this interview with Craig Watson, Deputy Director, Borders, Accreditation, Measurement and Standards Policy at the Office for Product Safety and Standards, we find out more about the history of the working relationship between government and UKAS and how OPSS supports UKAS as the National Accreditation Body for the UK.

UKAS is appointed as the UK’s National Accreditation Body, and it is the sole NAB for undertaking mandatory and voluntary accreditation in the UK.

My team in the Office for Product Safety and Standards, which sits within the Department for Business and Trade, are the leads within government for the relationship with UKAS, and for accreditation policy more broadly.

The foundation of the way we interact is provided for in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DBT and OPSS. The first MoU was drawn up in 1995 when UKAS was set up as a result of the merger of NAMAS (National Measurement Accreditation Service) and NACCB (National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies). Since then, the MoUs have been updated regularly to adapt to sector changes and the increase of using  accreditation and conformity assessment as tools to support the market and policy in an ever-growing range of areas.

The most recent revision was published in September 2023, which reflected UKAS’s increased role to support government in trade and domestic priorities, as well strengthening the engagement between Government and UKAS.

Alongside updating the MOU and our governance, there was a range of other work between OPSS and UKAS during 2023-2024. This included:

• OPSS agreeing priorities with UKAS that set out core objectives and methods of collaboration. These objectives included working together to support government’s objective to reduce technical barriers to trade, preparing to respond to recommendations relevant to UKAS from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and exploring opportunities for greater digitalisation.
• OPSS continuing to support UKAS through the national policy on accreditation, recommending that where conformity assessment is needed in the UK market, it is accredited by UKAS. OPSS and UKAS work closely with government departments to build capability and understanding about accreditation, to ensure this policy position is implemented consistently.
• OPSS supporting UKAS’s outreach internationally, including through supporting UKAS’s programme of international engagement. OPSS maintains the policy of appointing a single not for profit National Accreditation Body, this being the UK position with trade partners.
• The OPSS biannual international conference in October 2023 having a session specifically on the role of the wider quality infrastructure, of which accreditation is a part, that featured speakers from UKAS, BSI and the OECD.

A key feature of work between OPSS and UKAS in 2023-2024 was on maximising the opportunities from digitalisation, and OPSS supported a range of UKAS projects to improve their systems through digitalisation. This reflects the importance of UKAS being able to take full advantage of digitalisation and emerging technologies, including in collaboration with other NQI partners, to help ensure the UK’s NQI is fully fit for the digital age.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report was published on 4 September 2024 and the report’s recommendations must be considered with the seriousness the tragedy deserves. Some of these recommendations are relevant to the role of UKAS and conformity assessment. The Government will consider all recommendations in detail and we will respond within six months, listening to the community as part of this work. We will work with UKAS as we consider our response.