UPDATES ON JCRB ACTIVITIES

DEC Meeting June Member States 20 Associates of the CGPM (representing 30 over countries) 2 international organizations (184 NMIs + DIs) 45 Member States 20 Associates of the CGPM (representing 30 over countries) 2 international organizations (184 NMIs + DIs) THE CIPM MRA

DEC Meeting June OUTLINE Highlights of the 18 th Meeting Guide to the implementation of the CIPM MRA, CIPM MRA Logo, Seminars on the practical aspects of participation in the CIPM MRA

DEC Meeting June HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 18 TH MEETING Held in Muldersdrift, South Africa on 3-4 May It was attended by Twenty-six representatives from five Regional Metrology Organizations. The BIPM hopes to have its quality management system (QS) presented by an international panel of quality experts in Presentation to be conducted using guidelines provided by the document, Review of CMCs and the Monitoring and Reporting of the Operation of Quality Systems by International Intergovernmental Organizations, CIPM , first used in October 2006 to evaluate the IAEA. New calibration and measurement capability (CMC) definition. currently defined in JCRB 8/18 analogously, ILAC defined best measurement capability (BMC) ILAC and the CIPM agreed that these terms are identical the use of the two terms has created confusion in the metrology and accreditation communities alike. ILAC and CIPM have been working to develop a new common definition. new definition expected by November 2007 for approval by CIPM and ILAC GA.

DEC Meeting June PROPOSED NEW CMC DEFINITION In the context of the CIPM MRA and ILAC Arrangement, and in relation to the CIPM-ILAC Common Statement, the following shared definition is agreed upon: a CMC is a calibration and measurement capability available to customers under normal conditions, (a) as published in the BIPM key comparison database (KCDB) of the CIPM MRA or (b) as described in the laboratory’s scope of accreditation granted by a signatory to the ILAC Arrangement. A number of explanatory notes follow.

DEC Meeting June HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 18 TH MEETING Finished work on the document Recommendations for on-site visits by peers and selection criteria for on-site visit peer reviewers. document will help the RMOs with the task of mounting peer evaluations of NMI programs. document has now been recommended to the CIPM for approval in November RMOs are to develop processes to monitor changes to published CMCs from their NMIs after the results of comparisons become available. lack of such a processes is creating confusion among the RMO and CC WGs. RMO processes will be presented to the JCRB for comments by other RMOs. after JCRB consensus, the new processes will help reduce confusion. RMOs were encouraged only to use the “get published” CMC Excel tables at the JCRB web site before requesting changes to published CMCs. username: tcguest, password: tcontact Using these official versions of the published CMC tables greatly speeds the modification process and reduces sources of error in the KCDB.

DEC Meeting June HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 18 TH MEETING RMOs were asked to encourage their NMI Directors to provide designation information to the Director of the BIPM via the form available at the BIPM website (see RMOs were encouraged to inform the Executive Secretaries of the CCs, in advance, of all comparison using the form available in the JCRB web site (see Consult your RMO representative to the JCRB for more information on these and other topics considered by the JCRB during its last meeting. Full list of JCRB representatives is available at the JCRB web site (see You can monitor the review of your CMCs at the JCRB restricted web site (see hyperlink) using the username tcguest and password tcontact. Next meeting: Ottawa, Canada, September 27-28, 2007

DEC Meeting June UNDER DEVELOPMENT: GUIDE TO THE OPERATION OF THE CIPM MRA The guidelines for the implementation of the CIPM MRA are contained in a number of JCRB and CIPM documents. The everyday use of this material is becoming difficult for even everyday users. With the help of PTB’s Technical Cooperation Department, we are developing a short new document that describes the practical implementation of the CIPM MRA for the NMI laboratory staff. The document makes use of hyperlinks to all current documents as a means to provide the reader with more detail information on any subject. The Guide should be available for CIPM approval on November An electronic version will be available at the BIPM website.

DEC Meeting June NOW AVAILABLE: CIPM MRA LOGO A logo for the CIPM MRA is now available for voluntary inclusion in the calibration certificates of NMIs and DIs participating in the CIPM MRA. The purpose of the Logo is to draw the attention of the customers of NMIs and DIs participating in the CIPM MRA, and other interested parties, to the recognition by all other signatories of the CIPM MRA of the validity of the calibration certificates bearing it. A new CIPM document (CIPM ) describing the guidelines for the use of the logo is available at the CIPM MRA section of the BIPM website. Only the Directors of the NMIs or DIs interested in using the CIPM MRA Logo can request the use of the Logo from the Director of the BIPM. The NMIs and DIs duly authorized to use the CIPM MRA Logo are listed in the CIPM MRA section of the BIPM website. (authorized: 55 laboratories)

DEC Meeting June SEMINAR ON PARTICIPATION IN THE CIPM MRA Many NMI staff are not fully aware of how to make use of the CIPM MRA. This is specially true in NMIs who are yet to participate in the CIPM MRA. Their participation would increase the importance of the CIPM MRA and could help those NMIs reduce TBTs. A series of worldwide seminars is being considered to aid new NMIs with their first steps in their participation in the CIPM MRA. The seminar will bring together NMI decision makers with RMO representatives to develop strategies to craft CMCs tables and get them approved by the inter-RMO review process.

DEC Meeting June ST SEMINAR: SOUTH AFRICA Where: Muldersdrift (ZA). When: May 2-3, Participants: LACOMET (CR), SIM DZM (HR), EUROMET NIS (EG), associate member of SADCMET & APMP JCRB Representatives KazInMetr (KZ), COOMET KEBS (KE), associate member of SADCMET VMI (VN), APMP

DEC Meeting June ST SEMINAR: SOUTH AFRICA Where: Muldersdrift (ZA). When: May 2-3, Presentations: NMI overviews – p rovided by all 6 laboratories. Each presentation covered the following topics description of the metrology infrastructure in the country and how the NMI fits into it. description of the NMI – organizational chart, staff distribution (i.e., administration, technicians, scientist, etc.), budget, facilities, major proposed changes (if any). description of the NMI’s current affiliations with any of the RMOs. brief history of the NMI’s participation in the CIPM MRA – signing date, any Key Comparison activities, any CMC review activities. description of the metrology area where the NMI plans to make your first CMC submission, including the proposed schedule for such submission. description of the major roadblocks that the NMI anticipates to the submission of CMCs.

DEC Meeting June ST SEMINAR: SOUTH AFRICA Presentations: CIPM-MRA fundamentals CMCs and how to smoothly navigate their review process. Pedro Espina, Executive Secretary of the JCRB The KCDB and strategies for participating in comparisons. Claudine Thomas, KCDB Manager Quality Management Systems and how to secure international recognition. Bob Kaarls, Secretary of the CIPM The first CMC submission: lessons learned. Hernando J. Flórez R., Director CENAMEP Development of workplans for implementation of the CIPM MRA in each NMI. That evening, each NMI worked with JCRB experts in developing a CIPM MRA implementation strategy aimed at having published CMCs in at least one technical area by November Final presentations: each of the 6 laboratories presented their plans for their first CMC submissions and the audience provided feedback to them.

DEC Meeting June ST SEMINAR: SOUTH AFRICA Follow-up: NMIs are to continue to implement their strategies with the help of their RMOs The BIPM will follow up every 90 days to check on progress and provide advice There will be a follow-up meeting in PTB, Braunschweig (DE) in February 2008.

DEC Meeting June RESTRICTED JCRB WEBSITE ACCESS Username: tcguest Password: tcontact

DEC Meeting June THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION