JANAAC Global Accreditation Enables Public and Private Entities to Compete Globally

The Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC), now trading as JANAAC Global Accreditation, is steadily emerging as a vital engine of regional development, enabling public and private entities across the Caribbean to compete in a globalised economy.

As the only internationally recognised accreditation body in the English-speaking Caribbean, JANAAC is leveraging international standards to unlock market access, build confidence in conformity assessment bodies (CABs), and support sustainable economic growth.

Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, the agency’s Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Yvette Castell, said JANAAC’s mission is to strengthen Jamaica’s and the region’s trade facilitation infrastructure through accreditation services that meet globally accepted standards.

“Our mandate at JANAAC Global Accreditation is to ensure that conformity assessment bodies meet and maintain applicable international standards and that they adhere to relevant industry and regulatory requirements across various industries,” Dr. Castell explained.

Operating under the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), accreditation schemes currently offered by JANAAC include ISO 15189 for Medical Laboratories; ISO/IEC 17025 for Testing Laboratories; ISO/IEC 17025 for Calibration Laboratories; ISO/IEC 17020 for Inspection Bodies; ISO/IEC 17021-1 for Certification Bodies offering QMS certification; ISO/IEC 17024 for certification of persons, such as mechanics and cosmetologists; and ISO/IEC 17065 for Product and Process Certification Bodies.

JANAAC is also one of only four accreditation bodies globally recognised by the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the Accredited Third-Party Certification Programme (FDA-TPP) for Certification Bodies auditing food manufacturers, and the FDA Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF) programme, for food-testing laboratories.

These schemes have played a major role in JANAAC accrediting 77 CABs since its inception in 2008 and currently serving clients across 11 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member States, namely, Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Additionally, the agency has issued over 100 accreditation certificates.

Dr. Castell noted that in addition to JANAAC being the only internationally recognised accreditation body in the English-speaking Caribbean since 2013, “they are the only accreditation body with full membership and executive-level representation in the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC), and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), where they gained full membership in 2023”.

The accreditation body also stands as a signatory to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ILAC MRA) for four standards, namely ISO/IEC 17025 for both testing as well as calibration, ISO 15189 for medical laboratories and ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection bodies.

“Our signatory status with ILAC means that the tests and the inspection reports of our accredited CABs are accepted worldwide,” the Acting CEO noted, adding that “accreditation to the international standards are benchmarked against best practices by certification and, of course, inspection bodies which help to remove the reason for double testing, double certification as well as for double inspection, which establishes confidence in the marketplace.”

Further enhancing its international profile, JANAAC is also approved for 10 of the 11 possible scopes under the FDA-TPP, and that also adds another layer to the agency’s accreditation to strengthen the trade facilitation infrastructure for Caribbean exports.

Dr. Castell said JANAAC will continue to lead efforts to promote accreditation across key industries.

“JANAAC will, of course, continue to fly the accreditation banner high and work with our partners to raise awareness on the value of accreditation to our everyday lives and to build a culture of quality in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean,” Dr. Castell said.

“We will champion the advancement of globally accepted standards across key industries to build trust and enhance stakeholder confidence in an interconnected global marketplace,” she affirmed.

She issued a call to all stakeholders, including manufacturers and public and private laboratories, to seek JANAAC accreditation.

“We are encouraging our manufacturers that have in-plant laboratories, our regulatory bodies that conduct essential services to support trade facilitation and consumer protection, and our other public and private laboratories, inspection and certification bodies, to get accredited by JANAAC, and help build a safer nation and a more prosperous economy,” Dr. Castell urged.

For her part, JANAAC’s Acting Senior Director for Accreditation, Training and Quality Management, Gabrielle Andrade-Bell, elaborated on the structure of the Agency’s service offerings and their far-reaching benefits to businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“JANAAC has two core services – our Accreditation Programme and our Training Institute. Our internationally recognised accreditation confirms the competence of CABs, while our training supports those CABs in achieving and maintaining their standards,” she said.

JANAAC’s training is delivered at their Institute by experts with intimate, real-world knowledge of accreditation standards.

“Our facilitators not only understand the standards but also provide region-specific examples that ensure the standards are interpreted in a way that makes implementation seamless,” Mrs. Andrade-Bell said.

She appealed to regulators, consultants, CABs, and other stakeholders to access JANAAC’s training services and prepare for global certification.

“When you apply international standards, you speak the language of your export market. Accreditation enables SMEs to gain market access, secure international contracts, and boost their credibility,” she pointed out.

Mrs. Andrade-Bell also emphasised that accreditation reduces risk, fosters a culture of continuous improvement, and helps build resilient operations.

“Accreditation is a tool for innovation and quality. It helps SMEs improve internal systems, deliver better products, and scale up sustainably. It levels the playing field and opens doors for growth,” she said.

For more information on JANAAC’s training and accreditation services, persons may visit www.janaac.gov.jm or call 876-968-7790/ 876-968-7799.