Letter from the president |
IAS recognizes and honors outstanding individuals for their tireless contributions to furthering the science of accreditation |
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| My thoughts go back to 1992 and the early years of formation of the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) when the process of peer evaluation of member-accreditation bodies started to take shape. I participated in the initial signing ceremony launching the APLAC Memorandum of Understanding in 1994 with, among others, Jack Garside (Telarc, New Zealand), John Gilmour (NATA, Australia) and John Locke (A2LA, United States). Now, years later, we are not only looking at an APLAC with 37 accreditation bodies from 24 economies but also at the prospect of a merger of the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation with APLAC effective Jan. 1, 2019. The emerging Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) will be the largest regional accreditation cooperation in the world. As the oldest accreditation body in North America representing the construction industry, the International Accreditation Service (IAS) is proud to have partnered in the establishment of APLAC and to now preside over its transformation into APAC. The International Accreditation Service celebrated World Accreditation Day on June 9 with a proclamation signing and news release distribution. In addition to public service announcements, we are gathering at the IAS headquarters office in July to recognize and honor IAS staff, assessors, technical experts, council and committee members, and the IAS board of directors for its tireless contributions to furthering the science of accreditation. "ICC and its affiliated Family of Companies are the only independent non-profit entities that can provide all needed support tools for effective code implementation such as training, certification and accreditation." In early June, I traveled to Brussels to participate in the World Reconstruction Conference where several experts from around the world discussed how adoption of current building regulatory processes and implementing improved building codes can help enhance living standards, reduce losses in the event of the next disaster and how a community can get back on its feet quickly after a major destructive event. The concept of utilizing a single set of coordinated codes such as the International Codes published by the International Code Council (ICC) was well received by the hundreds of participants at the World Reconstruction Conference. The Code Council and its affiliated Family of Companies are the only independent non-profit entities that can provide all needed support tools for effective code implementation such as training, certification and accreditation. A meeting to discuss the World Bank's Building Regulation for Resilience program took place immediately after the World Reconstruction Conference event in Brussels. I represented the International Code Council at this meeting, which was against the backdrop of the World Bank's new "Roadmap for a Resilient Built Environment" tool. The roadmap is designed to support client countries in the effective planning and implementation of building regulatory capacity. It is intended to provide step-by-step actions and a set of practical tools for national and local governments to scope context-specific issues, assess their current capacity and prioritize investments for improving living conditions across the globe. All in all, we are once again looking at a very busy summer season at IAS with several of our staff on the road promoting our work or conducting assessments. I wish you all a very enjoyable and safe summer! 
C.P. (Chuck) Ramani, P.E., CBO President International Accreditation Service |