THe Jamaica National Agency FOR ACCREDITATION
The Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) – established under the Companies Act of Jamaica as a public sector company, limited by guarantee – is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce.
About Us
The BEST Agency for Accreditation
Since its establishment in 2008, JANAAC has been carrying out its mandate of facilitating trade between Jamaica and its trading partners by enabling Jamaica’s Conformity Assessment System to meet international standards and the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.
A premier internationally recognised accreditation body that transforms quality infrastructures, facilitates global trade and improves quality of life.
To promote global trade, increase consumer confidence and market access through internationally accepted accreditation and training services.
JANAAC Global Accreditation’s corporate values are woven into the fabric of our organizational culture and represent the fundamental principles that define what we stand for as a company and how we do business:
- honesty
- accountability
- impartiality
- confidentiality
- integrity
- trustworthiness
OUR Partners
About Us
JANAAC Overview
The Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) – established under the Companies Act of Jamaica as a public sector company, limited by guarantee – is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC). As a Public Body, JANAAC is subject to the requirements of the Public Bodies Management and Accountability (PBMA) Act, and the Companies Act of Jamaica. Established in March 2007 as Jamaica’s national accreditation body, JANAAC commenced operations on April 1, 2008, and has developed a reputation for excellence, through the provision of world-class accreditation and technical training services to conformity assessment bodies (CABs) such as laboratories, inspection bodies, and certification bodies.
The Agency’s operations are funded by internally generated revenue from its core services and Standard Compliance Fees (SCF) that are charged and collected by the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) on special imports for the year.
The mission of JANAAC is to support the effective development of Jamaica and other member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) by providing CABs with accreditation services that are recognized globally by trading partners. These services enable CABs to meet international standards and the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, thereby facilitating market access, enhancing competitiveness and consumer wellbeing through improved stakeholder confidence in the quality and integrity of goods and services supplied.
About Us
JANAAC History
The Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) is an agency of the Government of Jamaica established as a result of a Cabinet Decision in September 2006. It was incorporated in March 2007 as a Company Limited by Guarantee under the Companies Act of Jamaica.
New ground rules of trade, established through various World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, promote free movement of goods and require that safety and quality of products be proven through transparent and reliable conformity assessment systems, thus eliminating technical barriers to trade. These new global rules require that governments implement conformity assessment systems that will ensure that the various agreements are met.
SERVICES WE OFFER
We provide expert and impartial accreditation services to a range of industries, ensuring that goods and services offered to the public meet the highest standards for quality. Accreditation is a recognisable mark of approval that signals to the world that the results produced by accredited conformity assessment bodies can be trusted. The technical training support that we provide to CABs help to facilitate their effective development and maintenance of quality management systems that conform to the relevant international standards.
Medical Laboratory Accreditation
Testing Laboratory Accreditation
Calibration Laboratory Accreditation
Inspection Body Accreditation
Certification Body Accreditation
FDA Accredited Third Party Certification Program (TPP)
FDA Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF)
JANAAC TRAINING
Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL
A Conformity Assessment Body is a body that determines whether specified requirements relating to a product, process, systems, persons or bodies, are fulfilled. Examples of CABs are laboratories, inspection bodies or certification bodies.
Frequently Asked Questions
ACCREDITATION
Accreditation refers to the process by which JANAAC, as the authoritative body with the responsibility for accreditation in Jamaica, grants formal recognition that CABs are competent to carry out specific tasks/services
JANAAC as a National Accreditation Body is responsible for:
Providing accreditation services to CABs, i.e.:
- Inspection Bodies, e.g. Bureau of Standards Inspectorate Division and the Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division Inspectorate.
- Certification Bodies e.g. The National Certification Body of Jamaica and the Coffee Industry Board.
- Public and Private Sector Laboratories(Testing, Calibration and Medical Laboratories).
- Providing technical training to personnel working within conformity assessment bodies.
- Facilitating the sharing of technical information with stakeholders.
Accreditation increases the confidence that international consumers and their regulatory agencies have in the goods and services provided by your business, as it tells the world that your business is technically competent and meets all the requirements of an international standard.
Therefore, businesses that are accredited will not only meet regulatory requirements but also have a marketing edge.
For some markets there are mandatory accreditation requirements.
For example, in the USA, there has been recent legislature enacted [September 2008], which requires that some children’s products entering the US market, be tested by an accredited laboratory.
Frequently Asked Questions
PROFICIENCY TESTING
Proficiency Testing is the determination of the calibration or testing performance of a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) against pre-established criteria by means of inter- laboratory comparison (ILC). ILC) is the organization, performance and evaluation of measurements or tests on the same or similar items by two or more CABs in accordance with pre-established conditions.
During an assessment and the decision making process, JANAAC, where applicable, examines the CAB’s participation and performance in PT and other comparisons as described in the Procedure for Assessing Participation in Inter – Laboratory Comparisons. CABs shall purchase test comparisons from external providers as JANAAC shall not provide these products.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 TESTING
JANAAC offers Accreditation Programmes or the Pre-Accreditation Approval Programme (PAAP) for COVID-19 Testing to laboratories, medical centres and pharmacies, to determine their technical competence to provide safe and reliable COVID-19 testing services to the public for travel, diagnostic or other purposes.
An approved COVID-19 testing facility is an entity that has successfully satisfied the requirements of JANAAC accreditation programmes or the Pre-Accreditation Approval Programme (PAAP) for COVID-19 Testing.
JANAAC is Jamaica’s national reference point for information on approved COVID-19 testing facilities. The list of accredited and pre-accredited COVID-19 testing facilities may be accessed here:
The navigation menu allows for the searches to be done by name, region, status, and scope.
No, JANAAC, as an accreditation body does not conduct COVID-19 testing. However, our Agency has endorsed several entities that provide COVID-19 testing through our Accreditation Programmes and Pre-Accreditation Approval Programme (PAAP).
Frequently Asked Questions
JANAAC PRE-ACCREDITATION APPROVAL PROGRAMME (PAAP)
On January 21, 2021, the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC) and the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC), launched a Pre-Accreditation Approval Programme (PAAP) for unaccredited medical and testing laboratories and point-of-care testing (POCT) providers, to participate in a process wherein JANAAC will verify and validate their technical competence to conduct COVID-19 testing. Unaccredited medical and testing labs, doctors’ offices, medical centres and pharmacies are given an open invitation to participate in this novel programme, and thereby boost the nation’s COVID-19 testing capacity.
Successful applicants under the JANAAC PAAP are awarded a Pre-Accreditation Certificate confirming their competence and conformance to the technical requirements to conduct COVID-19 testing. The labs and point-of-care testing (POCT) providers that are pre-accredited under this programme are expected to transition to full accreditation within two years of approval at which time they may expand their scope to include other tests provided to their customers.
There are several avenues that applicants can explore to access technical support. They are as follows:
Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) – JANAAC makes available sensitisation sessions on the JANAAC PAAP during which a comprehensive review of the requirements for the programme is done.
National Accreditation Focal Point of Jamaica (NAFP JA) – The NAFP JA is an arm of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) that offer quality management templates, training and other technical support to interested PAAP applicants.
Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) – The National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) within the Ministry of Health and Wellness provides an inter-laboratory comparison system, to test the proficiencies of COVID-19 testing providers in satisfying the requirements to demonstrate the validity of test data and produce quality test results
No. JANAAC is the sole reference point to receive and process applications for COVID-19 testing approval.
Yes. Consistent with national requirements for data gathering to influence the design and implementation of mitigation and control measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, all approved labs and POCTs that perform or analyse a test to detect COVID-19 must report positive test results to the MoHW using the designated reporting channels.
Yes. JANAAC will assess COVID-19 testing providers against 12 minimum requirements, summarised from clauses 4.1.1.2-4, 4.8 and technical requirements 5.1-5.9 of the ISO 15189:2012 standard (clinical samples) or clauses 4-7 and 8.6.2 of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard (non-clinical samples). Entities interested in applying to the JANAAC PAAP must ensure conformance with the previously mentioned clauses of the relevant standards. (Refer to the JANAAC PAAP Minimum Requirements).
Applicants are required to purchase a copy of the standard(s) that are applicable to their scope of work.
- ISO 15189:2012 – medical laboratory testing of human samples
- ISO/IEC 17025:2017 – testing laboratories with respect to environmental samples, food and veterinary samples
- ISO 22870:2006 and ISO 15189:2012 – collection and analysis of human samples for point-of-care tests, such as the COVID-19 Antigen Tests.
JANAAC will conduct on-site assessments at labs and POCTs to witness the suitability of the facilities, equipment, sampling practices, test methods, traceability and accuracy of test results and test reports, patient handling, among other technical activities. Strict adherence to the relevant health and safety protocols will be observed to safeguard the clients and the JANAAC Technical Team.
Remote assessments may be performed for follow up visits.
- The facility’s completed application form and associated documentation is reviewed within a day of submission, and an assessment team is selected.
- Once a date is confirmed with the applicant, an assessment of the testing facility is conducted against the minimum requirements, and a report is submitted to the applicant within 5 working days.
- The facility will be given time to implement corrective action(s) for deficiencies identified. A re-visit by the JANAAC Assessment Team may be necessary.
- Depending on the testing provider’s ability to close out findings, the process could range from 7 days to 6 weeks.
- After resolving the issues identified, JANAAC will award a pre-accreditation certificate to the facility.
JANAAC will only give approval to POCTs and labs that utilise test kits for the detection of COVID-19 that are sanctioned by the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW).
The technical services provided by JANAAC for its Pre-accreditation Approval Programme are heavily subsidised by the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) and excludes all internal JANAAC costs. Applicants will only be required to pay for travel related costs (as applicable) and external fees. This provides an advantage to a wider cross-section of labs and POCTs to seek endorsement as official COVID-19 testing providers. The costs below for the assessment of a single entity range between:
I. J$40,000.00 – Cost to assess point-of-care testing providers using antigen test kits
II. J$88,000.00 – Cost to assess unaccredited medical and testing labs for PCR tests
Note: Additional charges may apply for follow up visits if applicable.
Download and submit the completed Application Form to servicerequest@janaac.gov.jm.
The Structure of JANAAC
