Rabat – Morocco’s scientific police laboratories, affiliated to the Institute of Forensic Sciences of the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), have maintained their ISO 17025 certification.
DGSN announced the results of the international audit operation that gave the laboratories renewed certification on Wednesday, August 26.
“This distinction proves the involvement of national security [services] in the process of modernizing forensic research mechanisms, as well as serving citizens’ rights and the justice system,” DGSN said in a statement.
Morocco’s scientific police laboratories first earned the ISO 17025 certification in October 2018, after an audit operation by the American National Standards Institute.
ISO 17025, also known as ISO/IEC 17025, is a list of general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. It testifies that laboratories are technically competent.
The International Organization for Standardization first issued the ISO 17025 certification in 1999. The certification has many commonalities with the better-known ISO 9000 certification for quality management. However, ISO 17025 lists more specific technical requirements, developed especially for laboratories that produce testing and calibration results.
In practical terms, the ISO 17025 certification testifies that the laboratories of Morocco’s scientific police consistently produce valid results through a quality system.
The certification does not only attest to technical qualities of the laboratories, but it also emphasizes the responsibility of senior management. It has a set of requirements for continual improvement of the management system, as well as external communications.
Requirement categories
The ISO 17025 certification went through two updates, in 2005 and 2017. The current version, issued in 2017, includes eight different categories of requirements.
The categories are scope, normative references, terms and definitions, general requirements, structural requirements, resource requirements, process requirements, and management system requirements.
General and structural requirements relate to the organization of laboratories, while resource requirements concern the staff and tools the laboratories use to produce valid results.
Process requirements relate to the different activities conducted in the laboratories, ensuring they respect scientific and technical standards.
Finally, management system requirements concern the laboratories’ quality management system implemented to support the work of its staff and the production of valid results.
The international audit that Morocco’s scientific police laboratories went through is part of regular operations aiming to ensure that ISO 17025-certified laboratories maintain their good practices.
