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Joseph Mugula. PVoC_Marketing

Product Conformity Assessment (PCA)

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What is a Conformity Assessment Program?

� Product Conformity Assessment is a solution designed to ensure that specific products meet the requirements of the technical regulations and standards set by a regulatory authority in the importing country.

� The program consists of verifying Product’s compliance with the requirements of applicable standards and technical regulations.

� The evaluation is done following the review of reports from one or a combination of interventions such as laboratory testing, physical Inspection and factory audits.

� The conformity of the products is evidenced by the issuance of a Certificate of Conformity usually requested for customs clearance.

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Alternatively

Conformity assessment is the process used to show that a product, service or system meets specified requirements. These requirements are likely to be contained in an ISO standard. But, ISO itself does not perform conformity assessments.

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That a product, service or system meets certain requirements has a number of benefits :

1. It provides consumers with added confidence.

2. It gives the company a competitive edge.

3. It helps regulators ensure that health, safety or environmental conditions are met.

4. The main forms of conformity assessment are certification, inspection and testing.Although testing is the most widely used, certification is the best known.

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QUALITY IS NOT OBVIOUS/ ITEM

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Certification

Certification is the provision by an independentbody of written assurance (a certificate) that theproduct, service or system in question meetsspecific requirements. Certification is also knownas third party conformity assessment.

Many companies and organizations decide to getcertified to one of ISO’s management systemstandards, such as ISO 9001. This is a way ofshowing outsiders that the organisation has aneffective quality management system in place

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TestingTesting is the determination of one or more of an

object or product’s characteristics and is usuallyperformed by a laboratory.

For example, many people have their blood testedwhich involves analyzing the blood against anumber of characteristics such as whether itshows the presence of a disease, or geneticdisorder.

CASCO has developed a number of standards thatlaboratories can follow to help ensure that theirresults can be trusted.

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Inspection

• Inspection describes the regular checking of a product to makesure it meets specified criteria.

• Fire extinguishers, for example, should be regularly inspectedto make sure they remain safe and functional. Lifts and othermachinery also need to undergo regular inspection to makesure they are safe for use.

• CASCO has developed a number of standards that inspectionbodies can follow to help ensure that we can trust their work.

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What Intertek has to offer?

• Provide guidance for defining the scope for the program.

• Design the conformity assessment process according to the specific needs.

• Establish the criteria for the approval of laboratories.

• Conduct Risk management Analysis to identify sensitive products to be subject to the program.

• Offer on the job training to technical staff from UNBS

• Support for the development of standards and technical regulations.

• Assist in implementing National Quality Infrastructure.

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Program’s Objectives

Product Conformity Assessment is needed to:

� Prevent the importation of unsafe, sub-standard and/or counterfeitgoods

� Protect consumer’s health and safety and the environment

� Safeguard local producers & Industry from unfair competition

� Reduce the risk that the domestic market becomes the dumping ground for nonconforming products

� Facilitate customs clearance process

� Overcome the risk of rejection of the products in the country of destination

� Promotes the image of the quality of the products

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AN EFFECTIVE PVOC PROGRAM PREVENTS…

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AN EFFECTIVE PVOC PROGRAM DETECTS…

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Benefits for Uganda as an exporting country

� Improves economic growth and development

� Facilitates trade and access export markets ( product counts with an added value)

� Reduces the risk of rejection of the products by the importer and by the local market at the country of destination

� Provides good information of the quality of the products (certified products = quality guarantee)

� Generates trust in the client countries

� Consumer confidence in products and services

� Image of quality

� Helps the private sector to solve the quality , compliance and certification problems

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Why UNBS introduced PCA Program?

The current system of self-certification by manufacturer or exporter is not successful

The national market is flooded with inferior quality products

A system to verify compliance of certain products to National / International standards is necessary

Implemented globally to verify product compliance prior to shipment. Aids trade facilitation

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Applicant

Accredited Laboratory

Inspection & Certification

Body

Product Information / Request for Certification

Test Report

Audit Report

Inspection Report

Intertek

Product Experts

(evaluation and analysis)

Certification Manager

(Decision to certify)

Parties and activities implied in the Product Confo rmity Assessment

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Fees

PCA fees depend on the scope of the program as well as the type and the level of interventions

The fees are generally borne by the exporters

Conformity assessment program do not require a budget from the central government, this contributes to the speed of implementation

PCA offers the possibility of a payment of a royalty to the standards organization for developing their infrastructure

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Thank you for your attention;

A health Nation is a rich nation.