Expanded Offerings, New Leadership

It became apparent early in RAB's development that there was a large variation in the abilities of certification body auditors. A means of gaining greater assurance of the abilities of auditors was needed.

RAB felt that ASQ's existing program for certification of quality auditors needed a component of demonstrated ability. ASQ gave RAB the go-ahead to create its own program. The program was introduced at the ASQ Quality Audit Division's first Quality Audit Conference on February 28, 1992. The first quality system auditor certifications were issued June 10, 1992.

RAB imposed a requirement that a certification body seeking RAB accreditation had to use certified auditors. "Although there was an appearance of conflict of interest, we didn't see a way around it," Lofgren said. The requirement was later reluctantly removed.

RAB introduced a program to accredit quality system auditor training course providers on October 8, 1992. Again, the driver was the perceived need for such a program to provide assurance of consistent auditing practices.

RAB added staff as its lines of business grew and as the original management systems business expanded following publication of the ISO 14000 standards. Joseph Dunbeck was hired as RAB's first CEO on Dec. 1, 1995, to provide overall leadership to the expanding organization.

Peach, then chair of the RAB board of directors, said "Bringing Dunbeck on board allows RAB president George Lofgren to continue in that capacity and focus on strengthening RAB's existing quality management activities." Lofgren would remain as RAB's QMS president until his retirement in August 2000.

Dunbeck vowed to "focus on strengthening customer relations and on achieving and maintaining worldwide acceptance and recognition for each of RAB's programs." He was responsible for negotiating the second agreement with ANSI that led to formation of the ANSI-RAB NAP, which covered accreditation of certification bodies for both quality and environmental management systems.

The ANSI-RAB NAP was administered by the Joint Oversight Board, which oversaw separate EMS and QMS Councils, made up of volunteers with expertise for their respective programs. The Councils reviewed RAB assessment team reports and made accreditation decisions. Dunbeck recruited representatives of government and nongovernmental organizations to participate on RAB's board of directors and Councils. By November 1996, the RAB board of directors had been reconstituted to include experienced environmental professionals to provide leadership for the new program. The ANSI-RAB NAP accredited its first five ISO 14000 certification bodies in March 1997.

When RAB accredited its 50th certification body for QMS March 15, 2000, Dunbeck said, "This signals that our accredited ISO 9000 registration has become both widely used and widely respected for all types of businesses."

Although the ISO 9000 series standards were designed to be applicable to any type of business entity, some industry sectors saw the need for sector-specific versions of the standards.  Accreditation programs for the AS9000 aerospace standards and the telecommunications industry's TL 9000 were added during Dunbeck's tenure. Under his leadership, RAB also moved from being a strictly national organization to one that operated internationally. Initially, RAB had accredited only certification bodies headquartered in the United States. Dunbeck made the RAB mark available to certification bodies regardless of where they were based and where they conducted business. "This redirection came in direct response to our customers, and their customers, as they have moved so aggressively to become international," he said.

After Dunbeck announced his intention to retire, Robert  H. King Jr. joined RAB as president January 2, 2002. "Bob's experience in creating value across national borders will serve us well as he continues our ongoing efforts for worldwide acceptance and recognition of RAB programs," John   Knappenberger, then chair of the RAB board of directors, said.

King joined RAB a few months before Dunbeck retired to ensure a smooth transition in leadership and allow Dunbeck to complete his term as an IAF director and treasurer.

King oversaw the splitting of RAB into two businesses. As president and CEO of RAB's successor organization, he also oversaw further expansion of the activities of the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board.

RAB's multiple lines of business were a source of contention outside the United States. Although auditor certification and training course provider accreditation were managed independently from the original business of accrediting management systems certification bodies, there were concerns in Europe about the organization offering both accreditation and certification.

ISO/IEC 17011, which would replace ISO/IEC Guide 61 in 2006 as international requirements for accreditation bodies, included a clear prohibition against an organization engaging in the same activity as that which it accredits; this was broadly interpreted by the Europeans to mean that an accreditation body cannot engage in any activity that is called "certification." The handwriting was on the wall for RAB, and work began on separating the lines of business.

In June 2004, RAB signed an agreement to divest itself of its auditor certification business and to merge that business with the Quality Society of Australasia (QSA International). King also worked with ANSI on an operating agreement to form a new legal entity to carry on RAB's original business. In October 2004, RAB's board of directors voted to recommend that ANSI and ASQ move the business of the ANSI-RAB NAP to a new partnership.

Effective January 1, 2005, the ANSI-RAB NAP became a legal entity, jointly owned by ANSI and ASQ, and renamed the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board. The ANAB mark replaced the ANSI-RAB NAP mark for accredited certification bodies. Auditor certification and training provider accreditation were taken over by another new organization, RABQSA International.

King characterized the splitting of the businesses as good for industry. "It gives us legal standing in the eyes of IAF," he said. "It gives us the ability to really focus directly on accreditation services."

Splitting the RAB businesses required establishing separate boards of directors for the two new organizations. Knappenberger resigned from the RAB board of directors to become chair of RABQSA International's board of directors .Connie Conboy became chair of the new board of directors for the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board, after almost 10 years as a member of the former RAB board of directors.

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