VICAS
Vietnam Certification Accreditation Scheme (VICAS)
The accreditation scheme for certification bodies (VICAS) is one of the accreditation scheme operated by the National Accreditation Bureau (BoA):
- Developed and implemented in compliance with ISO/IEC 17011;
- A member of regional and international accreditation organizations such as:
- The International Accreditation Forum (IAF);
- The Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC);
- The International Accreditation Forum (IAF);
- A signatory of the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (IAF MLA) for the accreditation of certification bodies in the following areas:
- Quality Management Systems (QMS);
- Environmental Management Systems (EMS);
- Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS);
- Medical Devices Management Systems (MDMS);
- Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS);
- Information Security Management Systems (ISMS);
- Product Certification (PRODUCT);
- GLOBAL G.A.P. Certification.
- Quality Management Systems (QMS);
Accreditation subjects
Entities eligible for accreditation include certification bodies and validation/verification bodies.
Accreditation standards
The applicable accreditation standards include following international standards:
- For management system certification: ISO/IEC 17021-1 and applicable standards for each specific certification scheme;
- For product certification: ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and applicable standards for each specific product certification scheme;
- For personnel certification: ISO 17024 and applicable standards for each specific personnel certification scheme;
- For validation/verification bodies: ISO 17029 and applicable standards for each specific validation/verification scheme.
Scope of accreditation
VICAS provides accreditation services for domestic and international certification bodies in the following fields:
- Quality Management Systems (QMS);
- Environmental Management Systems (EMS);
- Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS);
- Medical Devices Management Systems (MDMS);
- Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS);
- Energy Management Systems (EnMS);
- Information Security Management Systems (ISMS);
- Product Certification (PRODUCT);
- GLOBAL G.A.P. Certification;
- VietGAP Certification;
- Sustainable Forest Management Certification (VFCS);
- BRC Certification;
- BAP Certification;
- Organic Agriculture Certification;
- Greenhouse Gas Validation/Verification (GHG);
- Personnel Certification (PERSON);
- Other certification schemes as requested.
Benefits of accreditation
For certification bodies:
- Enhance their competence through the establishment, maintenance, and continual improvement of certification systems aligned with international standards;
- Increase credibility of their activities as these are independently evaluated and verified by an accreditation body;
- Provide added value to clients, as certification issued in one place are recognized in many others.
For Regulatory Authorities:
- Accreditation provides a reliable basis for regulators in evaluating the competence of certification bodies, supporting regulators in designation and supervision activities.
For Society:
- Enterprises can reduce testing-related costs, as certification results are widely accepted;
- Enterprises can easily export goods to global markets due to the internationally recognized certification results;
- Accreditation enhances buyers' trust in the quality of certified products, goods, and services.
FAQs
Accreditation may be required by government or federal regulatory bodies, industry organizations, local government requirements, or individual customers.
What is the process to be accredited according to ISO/IEC 17011?
Refer to "How to get accredited?" The key technical factors mentioned in the standard include:
- Validity and suitability of the method
- Technical competence of personnel
- Traceability of measurements to national and international standards
- Suitability, calibration, and maintenance of equipment
- Handling of testing/calibration items
- Quality control and assurance processes
- Reporting of results
The BOA (BAC) Accreditation Criteria packages include several documents available for download.
BOA's general documents include informational materials and do not serve as accreditation criteria.
There are General Accreditation Criteria applicable to all facilities and Specific Accreditation Criteria designed for specific fields and industry activities. These documents outline the mandatory accreditation criteria that must be met.
- General accreditation criteria
- Specific accreditation criteria
The General Accreditation Guidelines and Specific Accreditation Guidelines provide non-mandatory recommendations.
- General accreditation guidelines
- Specific accreditation guidelines
ISO/IEC 17011 is an international standard that specifies the requirements for the accreditation bodies that assess and recognize conformity assessment bodies (CABs), such as laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection bodies. It ensures that accreditation bodies operate in a consistent, impartial, and transparent manner, helping to ensure that CABs are competent and that their results are reliable. The standard covers aspects like the processes for evaluating CABs, maintaining impartiality, and handling complaints, and is crucial for ensuring global consistency and trust in conformity assessment activities.
VICAS
Other recognition programs
Become a member
Benefits of being a BoA accredited organisation
The Bureau of Accreditation (BoA) accredits organizations engaged in activities such as testing and calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies, medical laboratories, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers for their products and services. This provides consumers with the necessary confidence to make safe, healthy, and reliable choices.
Choosing to become an organization accredited by BoA offers several competitive advantages for your business.
Accreditation contributes to the promotion of international trade. Once accredited, the results of conformity assessment activities (certification, testing, inspection) are recognized by other countries, thereby facilitating the import and export of goods.
Accreditation enhances the reliability of products, goods, and services, as they are inspected and assessed by competent organizations.
In order to be accredited, organizations must establish, maintain, and continuously improve their conformity assessment activities in accordance with international standards. Therefore, accreditation helps ensure the competence of conformity assessment bodies.
Accreditation increases the trustworthiness of conformity assessment results, enabling outcomes achieved in one location to be accepted in many others.
Accreditation helps reduce compliance costs for businesses by eliminating the need to repeat testing or assessment activities.