Only a limited number of ISO Management System Standards qualify for an IAF logo. We're all familiar with ISO 9001 Certificates carrying three logos, for example, the Certification Body logo (say, Lloyds Register), the Accreditation Body logo (say, UKAS), and the IAF logo. But the IAF logo doesn't appear on every Certificate. Why is that? And is it significant?

Only standards formally endorsed by the IAF—the International Accreditation Forum—under their IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) can enjoy worldwide recognition. Accreditation for other standards, even though granted by the same Accreditation Boards, does not have international recognition.

Who are the IAF?

The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) is an international association of accreditation bodies that assesses the conformity of management systems to accepted standards.

There are 102 IAF Members and Signatories at present.

Accreditation body members of IAF are admitted to the MLA only after a peer evaluation team has stringently evaluated their operations. This team is responsible for assessing whether the applicant member complies fully with both the international standards and IAF guidelines.

Each accreditation body that is a signatory to the IAF MLA commits to:

• Maintain conformity with the current version of ISO/IEC 17011 Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies providing assessment and accreditation of conformity assessment bodies and supplementary requirements documents, and
• Recognize the competence and impartiality of accreditations of Conformity Assessment Bodies (a.k.a. Certification Bodies) by all other members of the MLA.

What is the IAF for?

The primary purpose of IAF is two-fold.

Firstly, to ensure that its accreditation body members only accredit bodies (i.e., certification bodies) that are competent to do the work they undertake and are not subject to conflicts of interest.

The second purpose of the IAF is to establish mutual recognition arrangements, known as Multilateral Recognition Arrangements (MLA), between its accreditation body members. This reduces risk to businesses and their customers by ensuring that an accredited certificate may be relied upon anywhere in the world. The MLA also contributes to the freedom of world trade by eliminating technical trade barriers.

Regional Accreditation Groups

There is added and unnecessary confusion about Regional Accreditation Groups. The IAF MLA has been structured to build on existing and developing regional MLAs established worldwide. IAF has granted Special Recognition to the MLA programs of five Regional Accreditation Groups…

• the African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC),
• the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC),
• the Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC)
• European Accreditation (EA), and
• the Inter American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC).

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What is the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation?

The IAF has a sister organization, the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). The IAF is active in management systems, products, services, personnel, and other similar conformity assessment programs, while the ILAC operates in laboratory and inspection accreditation. Attempts are being made to unify the two organizations.

What ISO Standards does the IAF endorse?

The list of IAF endorsed normative documents for management systems is currently (August 2020) limited to seven:

• ISO 9001 - Quality Management Systems - Requirements
• ISO 14001 - Environmental management systems - Requirements with guidance for use
• ISO 22000 - Food safety management systems - Requirements for any organization in the food chain
• ISO 27001 - Information technology - Security techniques – Information security management systems – Requirements
• ISO 13485 - Medical devices – Quality management systems – Requirements for regulatory purposes
• ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use
• ISO 50001 Energy management systems -- Requirements with guidance for use

It is interesting to note that for ISO 13485 Certificates, the inclusion of the IAF logo, in addition to the logos of the certification body and of the accreditation board, was first permitted in 2015. Since then the IAF has encouraged the addition of their logo to all Certificates where applicable.

How to Deal with the Scope of Accreditation Issues?

In granting a Certification Body accreditation for an IAF-endorsed standard, Accreditation Bodies limit the scope of the accreditation to those economic sectors where they, the Accreditation Body, consider competence to have been demonstrated.

It is demanding and expensive for Certification Bodies to maintain a broad range of scope unless they have the business to justify the expenditure. If your Certification Body's Scope of Accreditation doesn't cover your economic sector, talk to them about it. They may be very pleased to extend their scope to satisfy your needs. 

Do you need to have the IAF logo?

Two situations need to be considered, the first relates to your relationship with your Customers and the second to your relationship with your Suppliers.

For your Customers, the presence of an IAF logo significantly adds to the prestige of the ISO Certificate you offer. This is particularly important when negotiating with potential customers, especially international ones. The best practical approach is to seek a Certification Body for your business that can provide accredited certification with IAF endorsement.

As for your Suppliers, if the ISO Certificates offered do not carry an IAF logo, you should always ask why. If you cannot be provided with a rational explanation, or if the response to your question is a glazed look, move on and get another Supplier who can provide ISO Certificates with all three logos – the real deal!

For more information

You can find the complete body of information on the IAF website or compare our full suite of ISO auditor courses.

Related Articles

• ISO 9001 vs. Other ISO Standards
• IAF Mandatory Documents Your Accreditation Body Can Require
• ISO Accreditation vs ISO Certification: Which Do You Need?

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