THE IMPORTANCE OF MEASUREMENT

1
THE IMPORTANCE OF MEASUREMENT

• A sound measurement system is fundamental to the
  production and delivery of high quality goods and
  services in society. It provides the basis for
• industrial development, e.g., manufacturing
  processes, product testing, food processing,
• fair trading and consumer protection in the
  domestic and international arenas,
• consumer confidence,
• health and safety,
• environmental monitoring,
• adoption of new technology and
• scientific advances
• It provides the framework in which manufacturers
  can demonstrate compliance with specifications
  within an internationally harmonised system.

2
A NATIONAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

• A national measurement system comprises five
  components
• physical metrology A National Measurement
  Institute (NMI) that develops, maintains and
  disseminates national measurement standards at
  the highest level appropriate to national needs,
  and develops and transfers new measurement
  technology to domestic users (corresponding
  international body BIPM/CIPM)
• legal metrology A nominated national authority
  with responsibility for overseeing legislation
  relating to measurement and its application in
  everyday commerce (OIML)
• laboratory accreditation a National
  Accreditation Body(ies) that ensures appropriate
  linkages (traceability) from measurements
  undertaken by NMIs to those undertaken in the
  workplace through an accredited network of
  technically competent calibration laboratories
  (ILAC)
• documentary standards a National Body that
  oversees the harmonisation of international and
  domestic written standards and the adoption of
  these at the national level (ISO, IEC, ITU)
• accreditation of certification bodies a National
  Body that is concerned with national requirements
  for certification and quality arrangements (IAF)

3
INTERNATIONAL METROLOGY - THE METRE CONVENTION

• The Metre Convention is an inter-governmental
  treaty that provides the international
  infrastructure with which the capabilities of
  national measurement standards can be
  internationally recognised and accepted at
  whatever level is required by a country. It is
  therefore relevant to countries at all stages of
  technical development.
• The objective of the Metre Convention is to
  provide a world measurement system, i.e., a
  consistent and internationally agreed system of
  traceable measurement and internationally agreed
  reference standards in science, physics,
  chemistry, engineering and trade. New areas of
  application are
• medicine,
• food,
• health safety,
• agriculture, and
• the environment.

4
INTERNATIONAL METROLOGY - THE METRE CONVENTION
(ctd)

• As an inter-governmental treaty, the Metre
  Convention now has 51 Member States. In addition,
  there are 15 Associates of the General Conference
  of Weights and Measures (CGPM).
• Activities are coordinated by the International
  Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), working
  through NMIs in the Member States of the
  Convention and under the auspices of the
  International Committee for Weights and Measures
  (CIPM).

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THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL METROLOGY

• Maintain consistency in world measurement at the
  highest levels
• Work towards consistency in national structures
• Provide the technical basis for product
  specifications, national and international
  legislation, etc.
• Reduce technical barriers to trade
• Encourage collaboration between NMIs
• Liaise with other international and
  inter-governmental bodies so as to advance the
  aims of traceable measurement

6
THE CIPM MRA

• The CIPM established a Mutual Recognition
  Arrangement (MRA) in 1999 in support of world
  trade to provide the technical basis for
  acceptance of national measurement standards and
  calibration and measurement certificates of
  National Metrology Institutes.
• Currently, MRA participants comprise
• 44 Member States of the Metre Convention,
• 2 International Organizations and
• 13 States/Economies that are Associates of the
  CGPM.

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GOALS OF THE CIPM MRA

• to provide greater confidence in, and
  knowledge of, the measurement capabilities
  of NMIs, particularly for the regulatory
  and accreditation communities
• to provide international recognition of and
  to improve the realisation of national
  standards by NMIs, particularly newer NMIs
  with less experience
• to provide the technical underpinning for
  acceptance between countries of
  measurements used as the basis for traded goods
  and services - equivalent calibration
  certificates accepted world-wide
• to reduce Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs)
  caused by lack of traceability and
  equivalence

8
BENEFITS OF THE CIPM MRA

• Participation in the Metre Convention and the
  CIPM MRA provide international recognition of
  national measurement capabilities. Such
  recognition gives the essential technical
  underpinning required by all governments and
  which enables them to participate effectively in
  global trade agreements. The MRA provides
• Increased formal confidence in measurements
  world-wide
• Knowledge of NMI calibration capabilities
• Equivalent calibration certificates accepted
  world-wide.
• An agreed framework in physics, engineering and
  chemistry that can be adapted to other
  technical areas e.g., food, agriculture,
  medical measurements etc

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BENEFITS OF THE CIPM MRA (ctd)

• The technical activities that form the basis of
  the CIPM MRA have shown unsuspected problems
  at NMIs (large as well as small). This would
  have cost several thousands to find out from
  a research programme.
• NMIs are using the CIPM MRA to benchmark their
  performance and decide whether to focus their
  activities on national priorities and rely on
  the capability of other NMIs for less
  strategically important areas.
• The combination of the CIPM MRA and national
  traceability systems conforming with ISO/IEC
  17025 gives regulators, legislators and
  international bodies such as the WTO objective
  evidence of the equivalence of measurements.

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WHY SHOULD DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PARTICIPATE IN
INTERNATIONAL METROLOGY?

• Participation in international metrology provides
  developing countries with a voice in
  international discussions and ensures they are
  kept abreast of relevant international trends
  benefits that translate to support for and
  facilitation of technology transfer within the
  domestic environment.
• An economic analysis of the benefits of the CIPM
  MRA, commissioned by the BIPM and undertaken by
  KPMG Consulting, found that a conservative
  estimate of the impact of the CIPM MRA in
  reducing TBTs is likely to be very large a sum
  of at least US4 billion was mentioned.

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WHY SHOULD DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PARTICIPATE IN
INTERNATIONAL METROLOGY?

• TRADE IS THE KEY TO WORLD GROWTH AND THE
  REDUCTION OF POVERTY
• The significance that CIPM MRA Signatories
  attach to their participation can be
  appreciated by noting that around 89 of world
  trade in merchandise exports is between CIPM
  MRA participant nations (WTO 2001
  International Trade Statistics). At the moment,
  only a small number of these participants are
  from small and developing countries.
• The CIPM MRA has been recognised in trade
  negotiations such as the US and EC 2000
  Agreement as providing evidence of the
  equivalence of national standards of
  measurement.
• . . About 80 of global merchandise trade is
  affected by standards and regulations that
  embody standards. (R Kammer, previous Director
  of NIST, USA).
• . .70 of the burden on developing countries
  manufactured exports results from trade
  barriers. ( World Bank)

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HOW CAN YOUR COUNTRY PARTICIPATE?

• Applications to participate should be directed to
  
• The Director, BIPM, Pavillon de Breteuil, F
  92312 Sèvres Cedex, FRANCEE-mail
  tquinn_at_bipm.org awallard_at_bipm.org
• Membership fees of the Metre Convention are based
  on UN contributions, with a maximum of 10 and a
  minimum of 0.5. The minimum fee for Full
  Membership of the Metre Convention of 0.5 of the
  BIPMs annual budget is, in 2003, about
  US40,000.
• The minimum subscription to become an Associate
  of the CGPM is 0.05 of the BIPM budget and, in
  2003, is about US4,000.
• More details can also be found on the BIPM web
  site - Metre Convention http//www.bipm.org/en/c
  onvention/ CIPM MRA http//www.bipm.org/en/con
  vention/mra

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Accreditation through competent calibration and
testing laboratories
Traceability of measurements to the SI
Legislative legal measurements
Conformity with specification standards
Collaborations through MoUs
MEASUREMENT
Sound measurement underpins confidence in the
international system for trade in goods
services, quality of life and promoting
sustainable development
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Joint Committee on coordination of assistance to
Developing Countries in Metrology, Accreditation
Standardization JCDCMAS

• JCDCMAS seeks to bring together all specialist
  organisations that operate at a
• global level and that are active in promoting MAS
  (metrology, accreditation and
• standardization) as a tool for sustainable
  economic development. These
• organisations are those
• responsible for international metrology and
  accreditation
• involved in setting and harmonising documentary
  standards at the international level
• with expertise in developing sustainable MAS
  infrastructures in developing countries and
  regions.
• The aim of the initiative is to pool expertise
  and to provide information as a way of
• raising awareness of the various activities that
  make an appropriate and coherent
• MAS infrastructure to support sustainable
  economic development. The emphasis
• will always be on supporting, enhancing and
  adding value to existing activities. The
• countries and regions concerned can then set
  their own priorities and develop an
• MAS model that best meets their needs and
  conforms to international requirements.
• The JCDCMAS will act as a source of up-to-date
  and expert information but neither
• has, nor intends to promote, any preconceived
  "model" for MAS
• infrastructure. It is not the role of the JCDCMAS
  to seek external
• funding as a group this is the function of each
  body, as deemed
• appropriate by its constituency.