Accreditation of Forensic Specialty Certification Bodies

ABSTRACT

The National Academy of Sciences Report of 2009 cited certification and accreditation as positive goals for forensic specialty practitioners and certification boards respectively. Certification bodies, more broadly known as conformity assessment bodies (CABs), that assess conformity to standards for forensic practitioners have existed for decades. However, accreditation bodies that assess CAB competence, other than for specialties in the medical profession, have only recently been available for forensic specialty CABs and exist in the singular form of the Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board (FSAB). This article is intended to inform journal readership of the background, scope, and purpose of the FSAB, its current role in accrediting CABs, and its plans for participating in the continuing improvement of the forensic science practices in the United States and abroad.

KEYWORDS:

• accreditation
• certification
• conformity assessment body