Overview
ISO/IEC 17060:2022 - Conformity assessment - Code of good practice is an international standard published by ISO/IEC that recommends good practices for all elements of conformity assessment. It provides high-level guidance for defining and managing the objects of conformity assessment, specified requirements, conformity assessment activities and bodies, systems and schemes, and conformity assessment results. The document promotes impartial, transparent and reliable conformity assessment to support trade and regulatory confidence.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO/IEC 17060:2022 addresses these core areas:
- Identification of objects of conformity assessment
- Clear definition of intended use, characteristics, boundaries and assessability of objects (products, processes, services, systems, data, people, organizations, etc.).
- Specified requirements
- Requirements must be technically relevant, transparent, coherent and consider stakeholder views; they should avoid unnecessary obstacles to trade and apply a risk-based approach.
- Conformity assessment activities and bodies
- Expectations for conformity assessment bodies and accreditation bodies to operate impartially, manage risks to impartiality, protect confidentiality, demonstrate competence, process applications and complaints promptly, maintain records, and publish service information.
- Conformity assessment systems and schemes
- Systems and schemes should be designed and administered transparently, non-discriminatorily and in ways that facilitate acceptance of results and avoid technical barriers to trade.
- Conformity assessment results
- Guidance on producing and recognizing reliable results, including acceptance of relevant assessment outcomes to avoid duplication.
The standard emphasizes openness, transparency, impartiality, confidentiality, coherence and effectiveness, and encourages a risk-based approach across conformity assessment activities.
Practical applications
ISO/IEC 17060:2022 is practical for:
- Designing or revising conformity assessment schemes and programmes
- Establishing policies and procedures for conformity assessment bodies and accreditation bodies
- Developing normative documents and specified requirements suitable for first-, second- or third-party assessment
- Supporting regulatory authorities, trade officials and industry in harmonizing practices to reduce technical barriers to trade
- Guiding peer-assessment groups, scheme owners and organizations issuing declarations of conformity
Using this code of good practice helps organizations increase the credibility, acceptance and international recognition of conformity assessment results.
Who should use it
- Conformity assessment bodies (testing, inspection, certification)
- Accreditation bodies and peer-assessment groups
- Regulators, trade officials and scheme owners
- Standardizers and organizations drafting normative documents
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 17000:2020 (vocabulary and general principles) - referenced for terms and definitions
- ISO/IEC 17007 - guidance for drafting normative documents suitable for conformity assessment
Keywords: ISO/IEC 17060:2022, conformity assessment, code of good practice, specified requirements, conformity assessment bodies, accreditation, risk-based approach, conformity assessment schemes.
