Familiarize yourself with NATA Accreditation Requirements (NAR) for the relevant program and discuss with the relevant NATA technical staff about the accreditation. You'll have to pay a fee to cover the package and postage of the NAR.
Negotiate for an advisory visit with the NATA lead team (NATA technical staff), who will inform you of the requirements of the accreditation and assessment process. The technical staff will also review your facility to help you determine if you are ready for the accreditation. The staff will then write a report about after the advisory visit to summarize your discussion.
Obtain a prescribed NATA application form from any NATA office or NATA website and apply for the accreditation. Include the application fee when sending the application form.
Submit a copy of your proposed scope of accreditation, information on staff, calibration and /or test procedures and current management system documentation so it can be reviewed by the lead assessor. The lead assessor will use the document to compare the facility’s documentation and procedures with the NAR. He will then write a feedback and may ask you to provide further information prior to assessment.
Arrange for NATA to come and assess the facility when you are ready for evaluation. The assessment team from NATA will consist of the lead assessor and one or more specialist volunteer technical assessors, depending on the areas that must be covered in the course of assessment. The assessment team is chosen according to their specialist knowledge, which is matched closely to your activities. The assessment, which can take one or more days, involves a thorough evaluation of your facility’s overall operation.
Hold a discussion with the NATA team at the end of the assessment, where the findings of the assessment are presented. The purpose of this discussion is for you to clarify any issues and misunderstandings about the assessment that you may have.
Get the certificate of accreditation and scope of accreditation after formally being advised of the granting.