For peer evaluations, EA mandates Team Leaders and Deputy Team Leaders with significant qualifications and experience as peer evaluators.

The Team Leaders and Deputy Team Leaders attend refresher training programs on a frequent and regular basis. Every two years, EA organizes refresher training for its Team Leaders and Deputy Team Leaders enabling the peer evaluators to harmonize and improve their practices.

The Refresher Training for Team Leaders (TL) and Deputy Team Leaders (DTL) was held on the 13^th and 14^th December 2023 with 25 participants from 15 National Accreditation Bodies (NABs). Varpu Rantanen from FINAS (the Finnish NAB), Andreas Hönnerscheid from DAkkS (the German NAB), Gabriel Zrenner (from DAkkS), and Daniela Ionescu, the EA MAC Secretary led the training.

This Refresher Training session for TL and DTL was focused on the implementation of EA-2/02 S3 – The risk-based approach for the planning of the peer evaluation. The participants did practical exercises and shared their views during the working groups, discussing the specific risk indicators, the risks involved, and the actions to mitigate the risks for different hypothetical NABs with different complexity.

A part of the training was related to exchanging experience/opinions, especially on competence management, formulation/grading of findings, review of Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) files, reporting of the evaluation results, feedback given to NAB during the peer evaluation week, and cooperation between members of the evaluation team.

Gabriel Zrenner, Chair of the Horizontal Harmonization Committee, delivered a presentation that heightened the awareness of Team Leaders and Deputy Team Leaders to horizontal requirements stemming from activities and documents within the HHC.

The training revealed that, despite the diverse experiences of the many participants, their approaches to the risk assessment yielded remarkably similar results. This fosters optimism that significant progress has been made in harmonizing the peer-evaluation process.

To learn more about peer evaluation, click here.