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bmta.co.uk
THE FUTURE OF ASSESSMENT
Jeff Ruddle
Strategic Development Director
UKAS
The Move to Remote Assessment
The COVID-19 Pandemic has resulted in
Accreditation Bodies (ABs) needing to quickly
adapt from their normal business models of onsite
assessment to remote assessments.
Traditionally most ABs have conducted some
level of remote assessment with most
conducting pre-assessment document reviews
and processing extensions to scope by desktop
review. However, following the revision of
ISO/IEC 17011 in 2017 which opened up the
potential for greater remote assessment, many
ABs, including UKAS, have been investigating
how best to use remote assessment. The move
to remote assessment had ben gradual for
most ABs, but the realities of the travel
restrictions brought about by the COVID-19
pandemic mean that most ABs have had to
rapidly adopt a remote assessment approach.
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How Remote Assessments are Conducted
Although the format and timeframe of remote assessments will feel different to customers, the structure, processes
and fundamental nature of accreditation assessments remains the same. Meetings will be arranged, evidence
requested, documentation reviewed, activities witnessed, specific issues discussed, any non-conformities
highlighted (and hopefully closed) and a report/recommendation made. As the process relies heavily on IT
solutions, customers are advised to check access to and understanding of web-conferencing systems and that their
internet/WiFi/4G connections are robust enough to conduct live meetings and information exchanges.
At the outset of the remote assessment process, UKAS agrees a timetable with customers and provides them with
a list of documentation and records required. This is needed in advance of the due assessment date and can be
provided by a wide range of file common sharing services (such as Dropbox) as well as e-mail.
The confirmation of ongoing technical competence is the ultimate aim of accreditation, and UKAS is pragmatic
about how technical activities can be witnessed during remote assessments. A live stream is the ideal option, but a
narrated video recording could be an appropriate alternative. Where none of these are possible, then either a
vertical audit of previous work or technical interviews of authorised staff could be undertaken. When none of these
options are available then the witnessing element will need to be conducted at a time when UKAS is able to
conduct an on-site assessment.
Once collated, the evidence will be reviewed remotely by UKAS and discussed with the customer’s relevant
technical and quality staff during pre-arranged Q&A sessions. UKAS’s preferred platform is Microsoft Teams, but
other web-conferencing solutions can be used where these are accessible by UKAS. Although this approach can
fragment the assessment process, the overall time and resources devoted by UKAS and customers should remain
similar. Some customers have indeed found the staggered approach of remote assessments is less intrusive and
allows them to carry on with their day to day work while UKAS remotely reviews documents and records.