ISO/IEC 17020
Definition
The international standard specifying requirements for the competence of inspection bodies, covering their activities, management systems, and operational procedures. Applied to forensic archaeology field units as the relevant accreditation framework.
- Standard body
- ISO/IEC
- Covers
- Competence of inspection bodies
- Applied to
- Forensic archaeology field units
- Distinct from
- ISO/IEC 17025 (testing/calibration labs)
Common questions
How does ISO/IEC 17020 differ from the more familiar ISO/IEC 17025?+
17025 accredits laboratories that produce testing or calibration results, while 17020 accredits inspection bodies that examine, judge and report on conformity of items, sites or processes. A field archaeology or scene-inspection unit fits the inspection-body model more naturally than a bench-testing lab model.
What does accreditation under this standard actually assess?+
It assesses the inspection body's impartiality, competence of personnel, documented procedures, and management system for the inspection activities it performs, rather than the accuracy of a specific analytical measurement.
Related terms
- Casework Peer Review
- Independent review of a forensic expert's findings and conclusions by a second qualified specialist before the report is issued. The standard model...
- Expert Witness
- A person whose specialised knowledge is accepted by a court and who gives opinion evidence, not just factual evidence. Forensic auditors frequently...
- Forensic Science Regulator (FSR)
- A statutory regulator in England and Wales established by the Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021. The FSR sets a mandatory Code of...
- IAFS
- The International Association of Forensic Sciences, one of the major professional bodies for forensic scientists globally. Membership signals engagement with the wider...
- Impartiality Duty
- The obligation on an expert witness to provide the same opinion regardless of which party instructed them. An expert who would change...