Conformity Assessment is defined* as "activity that provides demonstration that specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or body are fulfilled." The product, process, etc. is referred to as the object of assessment. Conformity assessment (CA) may be performed by:

• a first party, the provider of the object being assessed
• a second party, the purchaser or user of the object being assessed
• a third party, a person or body that is independent of the first and second parties

CA may involve such activities as testing, inspection, examination and certification as well as accreditation of conformity assessment bodies.

Standards published by ISO/IEC provide specifications for the conduct of CA to ensure that the results are credible and provide the necessary confidence to those who depend upon them. While testing, inspection and examination can be first, second or third party CA, certification is, by the ISO/IEC definition, a third party activity.

The three main stages of CA are

• Selection - collection or production of information on the object of assessment
• Determination - carrying out activities which provide information on the fulfillment by the object of assessment of the specified requirements
• Review and attestation - checking that the selection and determination activities have been properly carried out and authorizing and issuing a statement of conformity that fulfillment of the specifed requirements has been demonstrated

The statement of conformity could be a manufacturer's declaration of conformity for first party CA, a conformity report for second party CA or a certificate of conformity for third party CA.

For the highest level of confidence in the results of CA, certificates from an accredited certification body should be used. Accreditation is carried out by a nationally recognized body such as the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and involves inital assessment, routine surveillance and periodic re-assessment of the body for conformity with the relevant international CA body standard e.g. ISO/IEC Guide 65 for product certification bodies.

*ISO/IEC 17000:2004 " Conformity assessment - Vocabulary and general principles"