The ISO/IEC 17043:2010 which outlines the general requirements for proficiency testing in conformity assessment, was revised in 2020 by the ISO CASCO Working Group 57. The purpose of the revision was to harmonise the structure and content with other recently updated ISO standards, and to integrate changes in current practices and technologies. The updated standard was made available in May 2023.

One of the significant changes made was to align the structural format of the standard with ISO/IEC 17025:2017, while also harmonising it with the quality and technical articles of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015. The revised standard emphasizes a risk and opportunity-oriented system that encourages continuous improvement. Additionally, revisions from the ISO 13528:2022 standard and common ISO/CASCO PROC 33 elements were integrated.

The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) has set a transition period of three years for proficiency testing providers to comply with the revised standard. By the end of this period, all proficiency testing providers accredited according to ISO/IEC 17043:2010 must have completed their transition to the ISO/IEC 17043:2023 version.

While the CIPM MRA does not require quality system of metrology institutes to comply with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17043:2023, several institutes make use of this ISO/IEC standard for the organisation of proficiency testing programmes for their stakeholders. Some have taken additional steps to have themselves accredited based on this ISO/IEC standard. Joint proficiency testing programmes organised by APMP member institutes for accredited laboratories of Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC)’s member accreditation bodies also follow the requirements of both standards.

In the needs survey conducted in mid-2023, 24 institutes (39% of all full/associate member institutes) from 19 economies (46% of all full/associate member institutes’ economy) responded. The respondents included members of all 12 technical Committees (TCs), 6 Focus Groups, Developing Economies Committee (DEC) and Joint Proficiency Testing Working Group.

In view of the strong need and interest to learn and apply the new requirements of both standards, and to accommodate as many APMP member institutes as possible, a hybrid workshop was proposed. The workshop would not only benefit TCQM but also other TCs with member institutes that organise proficiency testing programmes or inter-laboratory comparisons among themselves or for their stakeholders.

With the support from APMP’s Lead TC Chair, Dr Victoria Coleman; TCQM Chair, Dr Byungjoo Kim; and DEC Chair, Mr S. D.I. Dias, the workshop was eventually held over 3 full days from 19 to 21 March 2024 in HSA, Singapore. It was hosted by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Singapore; the National Measurement Standards - National Standardization Agency of Indonesia (SNSU-BSN); and the National Metrology Centre (NMC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore.

Ten (10) APMP DEC-sponsored participants from BRiCM (Bangladesh), NPLI (India), SNSU-BSN (Indonesia), KIMIA (Malaysia), MASM (Mongolia), NBSM (Nepal), ITDI (Philippines), NMISA (South Africa), NIMT (Thailand), and VMI (Vietnam) attended the workshop in-person. Additionally, the workshop welcomed another four self-sponsored APMP participants from VMI, ITDI and SASO (Saudi Arabia). In addition to the 32 onsite participants, about 230 participants joined the workshop online. Member institutes from 19 member economies benefited from the workshop.

Figure 1. In-person participants of Mr Sidney and participants at the workshop held in HSA.

Figure 2. Participants were solving questions by applying their statistics knowledge.

APMP was honoured to be able to invite Mr Steve Bruce Sidney as the Trainer for the workshop. Mr Sidney was a Co-Convenor of ISO Working Group 57 (revision of ISO/IEC 17043) and had been deeply involved in the revision of both this standard ISO/IEC 17043:2023, as well as being a Co-Convenor of ISO 17025:2017. As a member of the Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM) Working Group on the International Vocabulary of Metrology (JCGM-WG2:VIM), and the JCGM Working Group on the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (JCGM-WG1:GUM), he understood the mechanisms of the CIPM MRA which proved to be helpful as the participants raised questions linking to their calibration and measurement capability (CMC) claims.

The participants’ feedback on the workshop speaks volumes! Both online and in-person participants had plenty of chances to ask questions, and they were delighted to find that most of their queries were expertly addressed during the sessions. In addition, the workshop surpassed expectations for many, with most feeling completely satisfied or largely fulfilled. Excitingly, a significant number of participants are already planning to put their newfound or updated knowledge into practice within the next year. The feedback highlights unanimous praise for the trainer's exceptional organisation, depth of knowledge, clarity in explanations, and engaging presentation style. It is clear that the workshop was a success.

Co-authors: Dr Tang Lin Teo (HSA, Singapore), Ms Dyah Styarini (SNSU-BSN, Indonesia) and Dr Chua Sze Wey (NMC, A*STAR, Singapore)

Acknowledgements: HSA colleagues, Ms Jia Sui Thang for managing the logistics and analysing the feedback, and Dr Benny Tong for the technical support at the workshop.