The Critical Role of Scheme Validation in ISO/IEC 17024 Accreditation

By George Anastasopoulos, Technical & International Business Development Manager, PJLA

Scheme validation is a foundational yet often misunderstood element of ISO/IEC 17024 compliance. While many certification bodies focus on examination tools, true scheme validation ensures that the entire certification program—from job analysis to assessment methods—is designed to measure real-world competence aligned with industry needs.

In a recent LinkedIn article, George Anastasopoulos outlines a structured, eight-step approach to robust scheme validation, including defining competence requirements, ensuring fairness and reliability of assessments, engaging stakeholders, piloting the scheme, and documenting all processes for continual review. Clause 8.5 of ISO/IEC 17024 mandates ongoing scheme validation, while Clause 8.4 details essential components such as expert involvement and competence alignment.

George emphasizes that accreditation success hinges on treating scheme validation not as a formality, but as a strategic investment in credibility, fairness, and trust. A mature certification body is one that builds its reputation on the strength of its validation practices.

Follow this link to read the full article.