New publication explains benefits of accreditation
December 1st 2005

Accreditation is a key tool for use at local and national level for ensuring effective implementation of standards for the delivery and procurement of services.

A new publication from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) explains just how accreditation works and what advantages it provides for officials requiring secure standards in services they are either providing or procuring.

Called Accreditation Matters, the publication outlines how accreditation can help achieve good governance, less bureaucracy and efficiently uphold standards. Increasingly, government officials are looking for new ways to ensure public services are purchased or delivered in a consistent, reliable way.

The concern, however, is these standards should be achieved without adding a burdensome and costly layer of administration.

Examples of successful accreditation schemes come from many different arenas, such as the food, health and safety and construction sectors.

UKAS accredits 100 asbestos inspection bodies, contributing to the reduction in deaths from asbestos-related exposure.Drug testing schemes are operated through laboratories that are accredited by UKAS and the national DNA database requires that all data should come from UKAS-accredited laboratories.

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