Certification Services Working Group

The Terms of Reference for the Certification Services Working Group are provided below. These outline the scope of the group's activities.

Download the group's Terms of Reference [Word 31kb]

Under direction of the DQMAWG:

  1. To develop and maintain national guidelines, standards, protocols and procedures for the consistent operation of Certification Services* for domestic market access in Australia.  These national standards and procedures will need to satisfy the entry conditions setby interstate jurisdictions and are to be based on international standards wherever possible.
  2. To develop and review ICA protocols and procedures and oversee the implementation of the National ICA Scheme.
  3. To apply the quality management principles of continuous improvement to Certification Services within Australia, including ensuring that regular audits of systems and requirements are conducted and improvements/corrective actions are implemented.
  4. To assist with the review of relevant state/territory government legislation andentry conditions, to ensure consistency of terminology, where possible, to harmonise the entry measures imposed by individual state/territory plant quarantine authorities and to refer inconsistencies and proposed corrective actions to DQMAWG for resolution.
  5. To develop and maintain harmonised recording, reporting and administration systems to facilitate effective management and exchange of information relating to plant health certification.
  6. To ensure that international market access requirements are considered indevelopment of domestic protocols and procedures.  This strategy would provide for acceptance of domestic certification by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for the issue an international Phytosanitary Certificate.
  7. To develop an annual work plan for endorsement by DQMAWG and provide a written report of progress against the work plan at each DQMAWG meeting.

*Certification Services means government inspection services and Interstate Certification Assurance (ICA) Scheme services.