ILAC Guidance Documents (G Series)

ILAC Guidance documents for accreditation bodies and accredited organisations may provide information on the interpretation of accreditation criteria for specific applications.

  • ILAC G3:08/2020 Guidelines for Training Courses for Assessors Used by Accreditation Bodies
    These guidelines have been prepared to assist accreditation bodies to set up training courses that are in line with international practice and which will enable them to generate the lead assessors and technical assessors that they need. 
  • ILAC G7:04/2021 Accreditation Requirements and Operating Criteria for Horseracing Laboratories 
    The purpose of this document is to provide: Part A: A compilation of test-method-related requirements for horseracing laboratories that accreditation bodies have submitted. Part B: Recommendations for establishing the presence of prohibited substances that have been agreed within the horseracing industry. Part C: Additional recommendations on compliance with an appropriate performance specification, and the adoption of harmonised definitions for terms commonly used by racing chemists.
  • ILAC G8:09/2019 Guidelines on Decision Rules and Statements of Conformity
    This guidance document has been significantly revised to assist laboratories in the use of decision rules when issuing statements of conformity to a specification or standard as required in the 2017 edition of ISO/IEC 17025. In addition, this document also provides an overview for assessors, regulators and customers when considering decision rules and conformity with requirements.
  • ILAC G17:01/2021 ILAC Guidelines for Measurement Uncertainty in Testing  
    This document provides guidance and related references for the evaluation and reporting of measurement uncertainty in testing in order to fulfil expectations of the relevant clauses of ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The document also aims to assist laboratories in understanding the common approach taken by accreditation bodies when performing assessments against these requirements included in ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
  • ILAC G18:01/2024 Guideline for describing Scopes of Accreditation 
    The purpose of this publication is to provide guidance to accreditation bodies in describing scopes of accreditation in order to allow an effective and harmonised application among ILAC MRA signatories in relation to the relevant International Standards. One of the key roles of an accreditation body is to ensure (to an adequate degree of confidence) that the conformity assessment body has the competence to perform all of the services defined in the scope of accreditation. The description and assessment of the scope of accreditation therefore represents the core of the accreditation process.
  • ILAC G19:06/2022 Modules in a Forensic Science Process
    This document is intended to provide guidance for forensic science units involved in examination and testing in the forensic science process by providing application of ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO/IEC 17020.
  • ILAC G21:09/2012 Cross Frontier Accreditation - Principles for Cooperation – under revision
    This document was first endorsed by the ILAC General Assembly in 2001, as a code of good practice for ILAC member bodies. The principles set out in this document serve to strengthen the international network of accreditation bodies through the ILAC Arrangement. This document has been revised and approved for publication after being endorsed by the ILAC membership.
    (Proposed revision follows extensive feedback from a workshop held on cross frontier accreditation and cooperation between accreditation bodies and may result in the revised document moving to the P-series category).
  • ILAC G24:2022 Guidelines for the determination of recalibration intervals of measuring equipment
    The purpose of this document is to provide laboratories (and other CABs, eg inspection bodies, RMPs and PTPs reliant on measuring equipment in their activities), with guidance on methods to determine and review the recalibration intervals of measuring equipment under their control as part of establishing the calibration program of their facility.
    The Spanish translation is available here.
  • ILAC G26:11/2018 Guidance for the Implementation of a Medical Accreditation Scheme  
    This is a practical guide for accreditation bodies implementing a medical laboratory accreditation system using ISO 15189. It identifies key aspects of the standard, points out its unique element, and provides advice for the development and maintenance of an accreditation program that is based on ISO 15189. 
  • ILAC G27:07/2019 Guidance on measurements performed as part of an inspection process
    This document is intended to provide guidance on measurements carried out as part of an inspection activity for both inspection bodies and the accreditation bodies assessing inspection bodies.  The key objective of this guidance is to help ensure the validity of the measurements performed as part of inspections carried out in accordance with ISO/IEC 17020.  It also provides examples via case studies of measurements carried out in inspection that may need to take into consideration the requirements included in ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15189.
  • ILAC G28:07/2018 Guideline for the Formulation of Scopes of Accreditation for Inspection Bodies
    The aim of this document is to assist accreditation bodies in consistently meeting the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011:2017 associated with scopes of accreditation for inspection body accreditation and to encourage an effective and harmonised approach to scopes among accreditation bodies in relation to ISO/IEC 17020:2012. 
  • ILAC G29:06/2020 Guidelines for harmonization of scopes of ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation of WADA anti-doping laboratories
    This document has been developed by the ILAC-WADA Liaison Group with additional contributions from the WADA Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG) and the WADA Science Department. It provides accreditation bodies involved in the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation of WADA anti-doping laboratories with guidance on the formulation of the scopes of accreditation for these laboratories taking into account the specific needs of the anti-doping field. This document is cross-referenced in the revised WADA ISL scheduled for implementation on 1 January 2021.  A minor editorial revision was made in April 2021 to the final column title  in the table contained in Annex 1.

Please note:

The Spanish translations of ILAC Guidance documents can be found on the IAAC website

The Russian translations of ILAC Guidance documents can be found on the AAC Analitica website.

The Turkish translations of ILAC Guidance documents can be found on the TURKAK website

A list of withdrawn documents is also available here.