Personnel Certification Bodies

Personnel Certification Bodies Service Description

PAC operates a third-party assessment and accreditation program geared towards organizations that certify personnel.

The set of criteria employed by PAC for accreditation is contained within ISO/IEC 17024 - which is a conformity assessment standard that specifies requirements for organizations that certify individuals against specific requirements, including the development and maintenance of a certification scheme for personnel.

Organizations that pursue ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation are usually:

• Membership Organizations / Associations.
• Professional Certification Boards.
• Consultant Certification Bodies.
• Auditor / Assessor Certification Bodies.
• Trainer / Instructor Certification Bodies.
• Technical Expert Certification Bodies.

For each Certification Program to be considered in the Scope of Accreditation, organizations would define:

• The Body of Knowledge.
• Competence Criteria.
• Competence Evaluation and Certification Procedure(s).

These elements would normally be described in a Quality Manual or other policy or operational document that describes how the organization meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 17024. The organization's Certification Program practices and related documentation would be reviewed by ABA Assessors in order to determine conformity to ISO/IEC 17024. To obtain an official copy of ISO/IEC 17024 visit the ISO website.