AASHTO Journal - Q&A Podcast: The AAP Procedures Manual Redesign

The latest episode of the AASHTO re:source Q&A podcast reviews changes made to the new AASHTO Accreditation Program or AAP Procedures Manual, which integrates the old procedures manual with newer policy and guidance documents that have been issued via the AASHTO re:source website.

[Above image by AASHTO]

AASHTO re:source is a technical service program offered by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials that provides services and tools through three major programs: the Laboratory Assessment Program or LAP, the Proficiency Sample Program or PSP, and the AAP.

This episode of the Q&A podcast – a podcast series originally launched in September 2020 – reviews additions to the new manual resulting from AASHTO re:source Administrative Task Group or ATG precedents not previously stated directly; part of an effort to promote transparency by using more specific language about the minimum acceptable situations for approval of situations in which management is provided to more than one facility and other shared personnel situations.

Due to the release of this new version, a few of the policy and guidance documents were retired and others revised due to the incorporation of that content into the main body of the procedures manual. There will still be policy and guidance documents that explain some of the requirements in greater detail, but the intent is to incorporate the requirements into the procedures manual where possible, AASHTO re:source noted.

The organization of the new manual is intended to present some of the essential information that everyone needs to know up front, and then starting in Section 7, it takes the reader through the accreditation process.

Starting in Section 14, the procedures manual starts to describe other situations that could be of interest, such as ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, project laboratories, and mobile laboratories.

Finally, there are other important topics explained like confidentiality, external complaints, refusal of service, and information about certificates of accreditation, accreditation directory listings and how to properly promote laboratory accreditation.

To view the new 18-page AAP Procedures Manual, click here.