Dutch Accreditation Council sets maximum number of consecutive remote assessments for one client
Surveys show: remote assessment can be at the expense of depth
During the COVID pandemic, the RvA had to carry out its accreditation assessments mostly remote. In doing so, we consistently followed government policy and international EA/IAF/ILAC guidelines on conducting assessments offsite. As a result, a number of our clients have undergone a full remote assessment for two years in a row.
Outcome of surveys: remote assessment at the expense of depth
Our own customer research and other surveys on remote assessment among clients and accreditation bodies in the Netherlands and worldwide show that the depth of remote assessment lags behind in certain areas compared to assessment on location.
In the light of these data, the RvA does not consider it responsible to carry out a fully remote assessment at a client’s premises for a third consecutive time. After all, the RvA must be able to continue to express legitimate confidence in the accreditations issued.
Therefore, after two consecutive remote assessments, the RvA considers an assessment on site to be “a necessary visit”. This is the only way we can continue to meet the requirements set for us for the execution of our task.
The feedback on the full outcome of the RvA survey on remote assessment will follow shortly.