The Technical Advisory Council (TAC) is appointed by the GAB Governing Board to provide impartiality and transparency on matters relating to GAB activities and decisions.

The TAC is defined in the treaty which established GAB and as such it is a permanent and important part of the structure of GAB. The TAC Chair attends GAB Governing Board meetings as an observer.

Responsibilities

a. To safeguard impartiality;

b. To develop and maintain the principles and major policies of operation of its accreditation system; and

c. Provide an opportunity for the effective involvement by interested parties.

Functions

a. Review and endorse criteria and conditions, in line with Governing Board policy, for the granting, maintaining, extending, reducing, suspending and withdrawing accreditation;

b. Review and endorse any technical variation to the criteria and conditions for the granting, maintaining, extending, reducing, suspending and withdrawing accreditation;

c. Reviewing the implementation of Governing Board policy and reporting the outcome to the Governing Board;

d. Reviewing the performance of the joint accreditation system, including the Accreditation Review Board (ARB) and report the outcome to the Governing Board;

e. Delegating authority to committees or individuals, as required, to undertake defined activities on its behalf;

f. Establishing Technical Committees to develop and make recommendations as to the criteria and conditions to be applied in new areas of accreditation;

g. Establishing Consultative Committees to advise the TAC and/or the Secretariat on any aspect of its business;

h. Provide advice to the Governing Board on matters relating to the joint accreditation system, including policy matters relating to the operation of the ARB, the implementation of those policies and the performance of the ARB; and

i. Develop and recommend to the Governing Board rules of procedure for the ARB to enable it to deal with applications for accreditation, assessments in relation to such applications and also for the granting, maintaining, extending, reducing, suspending and withdrawing of accreditation.

Current members of the TAC (as on 1st Jan 2012)

The membership of TAC includes representatives from key stakeholder groups including conformity assessment bodies, purchasers of the services of conformity assessment bodies, regulators, and consumers.

Mr. Mark Bates
Representing: Manufacturers.

Mr John Howard
Representing: Inspection Bodies.

Mr Tony Banes
Representing: Certification Bodies.

Mr Craig Batty
Representing: Certification Bodies.

Mr. George Jacob
Representing: Health and Human Services sector.

Mr. Alex Powel
Representing: Conformity Assessment Expert.

Mr. Alen Philips
Representing: Regulators.

Mr. John Detroid
Representing: User Groups.

Ms. Suzain Philip
Representing: Regulators.

Mr. Sam Patrick
Representing: Manufacturers.