NEWSLETTER - No.2 June 2006 - Proficiency Testing & Inter Laboratory Comparisons

News and Progress on PT & ILC Project
As the project is in the data collection phase, which is the second phase, we would like to share the outputs of this phase with you. Over the duration of the project, it is expected that nationally organized PT and ILC are becoming usual and natural practices in the accreditation process. The project is using a 4-phase approach to achieve its objectives.

Project Working Group
A working group (WG) for the project has been established which consists of representatives from the selected key stakeholders and will ensure that the project develops in a way that gives maximum output which is useful to the beneficiaries in Turkey. The role of the WG is to advise and make comments on the progress, achievements and the plans of the project. Each phase of the project will be rounded off with a meeting of the WG for selected stakeholder representatives and with a workshop for a larger group of stakeholders. The WG held two meetings during the inception phase and two during data collection phase.

Sector Working Groups
Since the infrastructure of Proficiency testing is very much dependent on the sector, the WG decided to form Sector Working Groups (SWG) to ensure that the sectoral needs are captured in a detailed manner. The Proficiency Testing and Inter Laboratory Comparisons Project in Turkey has recognized (to date) the following sectors, for which Sector Working Groups (SWGs) have been formed:
• Food
• Calibration
• Cement
• Fuel
• Medical
• Environment
• Veterinary Health and Diseases
• Textile

Other suggested potential PT sectors include, aluminum, construction materials, car industry, pharmaceuticals etc. The WG Members provided and still providing basic information to identify whether a SWG should be established. Initial contacts with car industry and aluminum have been established.

Calibration, Food and Fuel sector working groups held their first meetings. They are trying to identify the laboratories or institutions which are interested to be a provider in the future, the reference laboratories in sector and a suitable PT&ILC Schemes module for their sector.

If you have any suggestions please contact us.

Trainings
The trainings supported by the project will start in second half of June. First training will be train the trainer which will be given in English. Each SWGs are responsible to choose the people who will be trainers in their sector and will participate to the training. Then these trainers will give trainings to a larger group of participants with international expertise. These trainings will be in Turkish.

Database of Laboratories

Would you like to help us?

As we are in the data collection phase of the project, we are trying to create a database about the laboratories in TURKEY with the support of and information collected through the WG members, the authorities, the relevant associations etc. There is already a database mainly capturing the list of the public laboratories, however, the information about the private laboratories is weak. We would like to have all kinds of support on this database so if you would like to share information please contact us.

last updated: 31.05.2006
burcak.oztekin@expert-centre.org