A workshop to look at issues related to accreditation of NISIR laboratories took place at NISIR Headquarters on 6th and 7th September 2011.   The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training had participants from Central Veterinary Research Institute (CVRI) in Balmoral as well as officials from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training.  Others invited but did not turn up included Zambia Bureau of Standards, Zambia Agricultural Research Institute.  Invited from NISIR were all heads of programme as well as secretariat and NISIR Management.

The opening was done by Mr. Beaton Samson Kaluba, Chief Science and Technology Officer, representing the Director of Science and Technology Mrs. Jane Chinkusu who could not be available as she was attending other pressing government issues.   Professor Francis Tembo, Executive Director NISIR welcomed all present to the workshop on the accreditation of NISIR laboratories.  He pointed out that NISIR’s Strategic Plan was very clear on the need to have its laboratories accredited so as to ensure maintenance of laboratory standards.  He pointed out that quality of outputs could only be assured by quality measurements and failure to do so had serious consequences to an institution like NISIR.

In his remarks, Mr. Kaluba told the gathering that the meeting was very important as it brought some of the critical players in the issue of NISIR laboratories and how they were to run to meet international norms and practices.  He added that in the past, the Ministry was merely shooting in the dark as there was insufficient interaction with the key players that were on the ground on the matter of accreditation and organising a meeting for this purpose was important as a starting point.  Mr. Kaluba told the gathering that with a new policy on quality promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, accreditation of laboratory facilities was long overdue hence the need to evaluate where we were and also start the process if we have not began.

On the first day, the workshop saw presentations from Dr. Henry Njapau, Manager Research and Development at NISIR on the whats, whys and hows of accreditation including processes and procedures towards accreditation specifically dwelling on the SADC Accreditation System (SADCAS).  The ensuing discussions centred on how NISIR could approach this important matter of accreditation as it inhibited the institution from participating in various research and development as well as consultancy activities.  The institution was in no position to compete with outside laboratories as its credibility without accredited laboratories was questionable.

The second day was used to discuss the requirements for preparation of the two laboratories for accreditation and also the way forward including milestones.  In this regard the workshop agreed that NISIR should continue with the process of accreditation of the first two of its laboratories, namely, National Biotechnology Laboratory and the Centralised Laboratory.  The National Biotechnology Laboratory will be the first to be pretested and thereafter accreditation and will be followed by the Centralised Laboratory. The rest of the labs will follow thereafter.  The agreed roadmap is as follows:

• October week one–QA training
• December 2011-Completion of in house preparations
• February 2012-Pre-assessment
• March 2012-Submit Application for Accreditation to SADCAS
• April/May 2012-First Inspection/Audit
• November 2012-Second inspection (dependent on whether the first is successful)

The workshop was closed by Mrs. Jane Chinkusu, Director, Department of Science and Technology at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training.  She stressed on the importance of the accreditation programme and the need to move as quickly as possible.

It is hoped that all will go according to plan and that the Ministry of Science Technology and Vocational Training will assist with the requisite financial resources for the process of accreditation.

Chitaku G. Mucheleng’anga
September 2011