The EA Secretariat in Paris hosted a so-called newcomer training on 2-4 June 2015 to enlarge future teams of EA peer-evaluators with a view to improve EA peer-evaluation activities.

The training targeted potential EA peer-evaluators from the assessors’ staff of EA Members. Its objective was to thoroughly introduce the EA peer-evaluation process in order to enable the participants to take part in future evaluations of EA-Member national accreditation bodies (NABs), first as a trainee team member, then as a team member.

Indeed every NAB signatory to the EA multilateral agreement (MLA) has to provide EA with a number of peer-evaluators. More than 50 applicants for the newcomer training were selected according to this obligation, while giving priority to those applicants who had more competence for the EA MLA scopes that lacked resources in terms of peer-evaluation (inspection, certification of persons, calibration and medical testing).

Finally this 3-day training gathered 25 participants from 19 NABs. It was led by 3 trainers: Ed Wieles from the Dutch NAB (RvA), Christina Waddington from the Finnish NAB (FINAS) and Paulo Tavares from the Portuguese NAB (IPAC). Elodie Lambert and Lydie Mauger attended the training as the EA Secretariat persons in charge of, respectively, the evaluator training and management (WG Training Secretary) and the peer-evaluation management and planning.

The training, based on both presentations (see Homepage Picture) and group work, considered the following points:
– the evaluation process as set out in EA-2/02 M: 2011 – EA Policy and Procedures for the Multilateral Agreement;
– the use of ISO/IEC 17011 and IAF/ILAC-A5:11/2013 – IAF/ILAC MLA/MRA: Application of ISO/IEC 17011:2004;
– the reporting process, IAF/ILAC-A3 and tools;
– the evaluation of the AB’s office and witnessing;
– how to get prepared for an evaluation;
– how to report findings: phrasing, classification and closing;
– the reporting procedure and the decision to be made in MAC meetings.

The next newcomer training is planned to be held in June 2016.