The Conformity and Standards Services Sector, within Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, facilitates the development of technical documents which includes technical standards and guidelines, through active engagement with relevant stakeholders which includes public and private sectors experts as well as experts from academia. The Conformity and Standards Services Sector strives to harmonize existing standards and standards related documents through acting as a neutral facilitator representing the interests of all Abu Dhabi government and industry. The sector also coordinates with Ministry of Industry and Advanced technology for documents aimed to be adopted on federal level.
The standardization process provides a mutual reference between suppliers and clients which facilitates trade and technology transfer.
Standards
Document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.
Standards usually focus on performance and are developed to minimize technical barriers.
The Council established the Quality Infrastructure Services Sector to facilitate the development of standards in partnership with all stakeholders. Its purpose is to align existing specifications with other standard-related documents related to specifications by acting as a neutral assistant representing the interests of both the Government of Abu Dhabi and the Industrial Sector, in coordination with the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrolo gy.
The sector also identifies relevant specifications in areas where there are no UAE standards by providing a technical guide that highlights the available international standards. This is in addition to the development of new specifications through participation with all stakeholders in accordance with established procedures and raise the level of public awareness within governmental bodies and the private sector of the importance of specifications, quality and conformity.
Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council supports all relevant partners in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and in partnership with the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) by working on the development of UAE specifications to meet the needs of those bodies.
The Council has established a standing Technical Committee for the purpose of developing specifications and approving conformity programmes. The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council is composed of more than 30 members, representing all governmental bodies related to the work of the Council.
In addition, it includes representatives of the private sector and federal bodies, including the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology. The committee, through its working groups, prioritizes the needs of standards in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and enhances compatibility with both UAE specifications and international standards in all sectors, including the industrial sector.
Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs)
According to ISO/IEC 17000, Conformity Assessment is defined as "demonstration that specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or body are fulfilled".
Conformity assessment bodies (CABs) are the bodies performing conformity assessment, which includes testing laboratories, calibration laboratories, medical laboratories, inspection bodies, and certification bodies.
Conformity Assessment Bodies Services Department (CABS), aims to makes sure that Abu Dhabi CABs are meeting the mandatory requirements as issued by the regulatory bodies. In addition to that, CABS conducting developing programs, such as training and proficiency testing programs (PTPs) to enable Abu Dhabi CABs to be nationally and internationally recognized, which is finally, facilitate the trade between Abu Dhabi and other countries and increase the confidence in the services provided by the CABs working in Abu Dhabi.
Conformity
Conformity Programme Services represent standards, technical specifications and regulatory requirements through which mandatory requirements are defined. These programmes define the testing and inspection systems to ensure the continued compliance of products. Conformity assessments are carried out by assessment bodies which includes testing laboratories, inspection bodies, and certification bodies. QCC established the Conformity Programme Services Sector to develop and adopt programs which contribute to verifying that products comply with technical specifications and mandatory requirements before being traded in markets or providing services to beneficiaries. The Council provides Conformity Programme Services in four main fields: products personnel, production systems and administrative.
Product Conformity Programmes
The Council works with strategic partners from both the public and private sectors to identify the required specifications for certain types of products, whether to verify the safety of these products or their quality and efficiency. These types of specifications are determined according to the needs of the public and private sectors.
The verified product will be granted a conformity certificate, and in certain cases the license to use the Trustmark will be granted as well. The Certificate of Conformity and the Trustmark are proof that the product, its components and the production process are in compliance with the mandatory requirements set out by the Conformity Programme.
The Council periodically checks the continuity of conformity of the certified products and also verifies the Trustmark through market surveillance and testing random samples of the product. Market surveillance activities are essential in this case, because they promote credibility, efficiency and quality products which hold the Trustmark and QCC certificate. to view the list of conforming products and to discover the requirements and procedures for obtaining the Certificate of Conformity for products.
Personnel Conformity Programmes
The Council sets Personnel Conformity Programmes that enable individuals offering various services to obtain Certificates of Conformity that meet Abu Dhabi professional standards and requirements as specified by regulators. The professional standards include the competencies, abilities and skills that must be met by the individual to practice a particular occupation or profession.
The Council develops these programmes in collaboration with the regulatory bodies and various industrial sectors in Abu Dhabi, in order to enable individuals and companies providing various services in the Emirate to distinguish their skills by obtaining a Certificate of Conformity after obtaining the necessary training to practice the profession or craft.
The Personnel Conformity Certificate is granted to individuals after passing the necessary tests according to the conformity program for each occupation or craft. The certificate of conformity indicates that the person holding the certificate meets the relevant professional standards approved by the regulatory bodies in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to practice the profession or craft.
System Conformity Programmes
Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council prepares and develops System Conformity Programmes by adopting relevant standards or by working with strategic partners from the public and private sectors to determine the specifications and requirements needed for adopting a specific production system.
Management Conformity Programmes
Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council collaborates with partners from the private sector to assess the systems followed in companies that request the acquisition of a system quality certificate. The Certificates of Conformity are granted to companies that meet the requirements of the conformity programme. They are also given the license to use the Trustmark.
to view the list of systems subject to conformity programmes and to discover the requirements and procedures needed for obtaining the Management Conformity Certificate.