Supervision and advice

The Supervisory Board ensures that the Executive Board of the RvA achieves the aims of the RvA. Members are selected on the basis of expertise and competencies. The following areas of competency are preferably represented within the Supervisory Board: business, government, research/technology, healthcare/ medical, food and goods, quality.

It is important that the members of the Supervisory Board:

• have broad knowledge of and experience with professional organisations;
• are able to properly advice and stimulate;
• maintain an objective, hands-off approach;
• are ethical and have a sense of responsibility;
• have an independent and critical approach;
• are able to formulate a balanced opinion.

The members of the Supervisory Board are appointed for a term of three years. They can be reappointed twice for the same term.

The Supervisory Board consists of the following people:

• Mr. Y.C.M.T. van Rooy (chair)
• Dr. J. van den Heuvel
• Dr. Ir. I. Mastenbroek
• Ir. P.F. van Rhede van der Kloot
• R.P.J. de Mos

The Accreditation Committee consists of four members who are appointed by the Supervisory Board on the basis of their expertise in the field of accreditations, their integrity and their independence.

The Accreditation Committee meets once per month. Its task is to advise the Executive Board about the award of accreditations. In addition, it is authorised to provide advice about suspensions or withdrawals of accreditations. The Committee is informed about the measures taken by the Executive Board and of the sanctions imposed on organisations.

The Executive Board has ultimate responsibility for decisions. If the Executive Board deviates from the advice of the Committee the Supervisory Board shall be heard. The Committee issues and annual report to the Supervisory Board about the Committee’s activities.

The Accreditation Committee consists of the following people:

• Ir. C.K. Pasmooij (Chairman)
• Prof. dr. J.K. Ploos van Amstel
• Dr. G.H.M. Counotte
• Prof. dr. M.I.A. Stoelinga
• Prof. dr. ir. P.C. de Weerd-Nederhof

It is possible that there is an objection to a decision taken by the RvA. In that case the Objection Chairmen Committee will be engaged. This Committee consists of at least one and a maximum of five legally-educated members.

If an objection is submitted, the Executive Board shall appoint a member of the Committee to form an Advisory Committee to deal with that objection. The members of the Committee are strictly independent. The members shall never be part of the Executive Board of the RvA and shall not perform any activities under the responsibility of the Executive Board. The members shall be appointed by the Supervisory Board. This guarantees an impartial handling of objections.

The Objection Chairmen Committee consists of the following people:

• Mr. A. Pahladsingh
• Drs. A.H. Koenes

The User Council is an advisory panel established under the Articles of Association and consists of representatives of direct RvA clients. The User Council meets twice per year in order to advise the RvA about the fees and the level of service of the RvA. The Supervisory Board receives the minutes of these meetings so that it can take into account the opinions of users in its considerations.

The User Council consists of the following people:

• Dr. S.M. Bruisten (medical laboratories)
• Dr. A. Kruit (medical laboratories)
• Ing. T. Joosten (Fenelab)
• Drs. J.O. van den Ende MBA (Fenelab)
• Ir. O.T.H. van Panhuys (NVCi)
• W. van Vreeswijk (NVCi)

There are many developments within society in the field of quality. Social challenges arise from this. The RvA established the Strategic Advisory Forum in 2022 to engage in theme-oriented dialogue with its stakeholders about these tasks.

The purpose of the meetings is to enter into dialogue with a broad representation of stakeholders about new developments that affect quality infrastructure and accreditation. This exchange offers valuable conversations for the RvA and the participants themselves: delivery and collection. In this way, together with our stakeholders, we contribute to the confidence of citizens and companies in the quality and safety of products and services.

The Advisory Forum gives stakeholders of the RvA the opportunity to provide input on the way in which the RvA draws up principles and policy guidelines regarding new developments. The advisory panel operates at a strategic and tactical level.

The participants in the Strategic Advisory Forum can vary, depending on the theme on the agenda. We invite a number of our stakeholders to each meeting:

• Fenelab
• Ministery of Economic Affairs
• NEN
• NVCi
• Society of Scheme Managers
• Representative of medical laboratories

In addition, the RvA announces the theme of the meeting at an early stage through various channels and we invite stakeholders of the RvA to participate in the meeting if the theme appeals to them.

With the RvA Impartiality Assemblee the RvA gives substance to the requirement in article 4.4.5 of ISO/IEC 17011, which describes the following:

‘‘The Accreditation body shall document and implement a process to provide opportunity for effective involvement by interested parties for safeguarding impartiality. The accreditation body shall ensure a balanced representation of interested parties with no single party predominating’’.  

Once a year, the participants of the RvA Impartiality Assemblee meet to discuss the impartiality of the RvA. The supervisory board receives the minutes of the meetings.

The following stakeholders are represented in the RvA Impartiality Assemblee.

• Board Chairmen of the Objections Committee (RvA)
• Accreditations Committee (RvA)
• Fenelab
• Ministry of Economic Affairs
• NVCi
• Board of Supervisors (RvA)
• Association of Scheme Managers
• Representation of the medical laboratories

The Ministry of Economic Affairs ensures that the RvA complies with the relevant provisions of the Non-Departmental Public Bodies Framework Act and with European Regulation (EC) No 765/2008.

The EA Multilateral Agreement Committee ensures that RvA satisfies the requirements of the European Regulation 765/2008 and the ISO 17011. Every four years the RvA is assessed by a team of about eight ‘peers’ in de form of a peer evaluation.