Between October 13 and 17, 2025, representatives of the Ecuadorian Accreditation Service (SAE) carried out a technical visit to the National Accreditation Body (ENAC) for the purpose of strengthening SAE personnel’s technical capacities in managing and assessing flexible scopes, in accordance with the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17011 standard and the best international practices established by ILAC.

During the visit, SAE technicians participated in working sessions focused on particularizing accreditation requirements under the ISO/IEC 17025 standard, addressing issues such as staff competency management, accreditation criteria and procedures, planning and executing assessments, technical review, decision-making and maintaining accreditation of conformity assessment organizations (CBOs) with flexible scopes.

Likewise, progress was made in managing flexible scopes in other ENAC-accredited schemes, such as clinical laboratories (ISO 15189), proficiency testing providers (ISO/IEC 17043), and reference material producers (ISO/IEC 17034).

The training, which is primarily practical in nature, also included the SAE technicians participating as observers in an actual audit of an accredited laboratory with flexible scope, which enabled them to gain first-hand knowledge of the procedures and technical criteria application used by ENAC in these processes.

This internship is another example of ENAC's commitment to developing, promoting, and disseminating accreditation procedures and techniques, and to assist in implementing them in other countries, a policy of actively supporting in developing the international quality infrastructure by participating in various collaborative projects.