Implementation of Treatment Supplier Standards

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07/03/07

Guideline: Process for Approval to the 2006 Standard for existing Treatment Suppliers

The following table of actions have been developed for the parties involved to facilitate the transition of an existing MAF accredited Treatment Supplier to become approved to the 2006 MAF-BNZ Treatment Supplier Programme Standard.

Stage 1: Operator/Organisation

Step Actions

1.1 Update your existing MAF accredited system to meet the requirements of the new 2006 MAF-BNZ Treatment Supplier Programme Standard.

1.2 Contact your nominated and contracted IVA and arrange a mutually acceptable time frame for the assessment of your updated system.

1.3 Submit your updated “Treatment Supplier System” to your IVA for assessment as per the agreed date along with two signed copies of the new “Contract of Approval” (refer Appendix 2 of the MAF-BNZ Standard, Requirements for the supplier of official treatments).

The IVA assessment will check your system for compliance against the new MAF-BNZ Standard and will consist of:

a) A desk evaluation, and;

b) An on-site assessment (verification) of any expanded scope to verify this activities compliance against your system and the appropriate new MAF-BNZ Standard (i.e. now undertaking your own staff competency assessment or including export treatments).

Where this IVA field assessment is of your “staff competency assessment process” (SCAP) and you are yet to operate this activity, MAF-BNZ has agreed with IVAs that this assessment may be delayed until it is first being operated.

c) Where the scope is expanded to include exports the application fee is required to cover BNZ review of the expanded scope and administrative processing.

Please note: Failure to meet the transfer date of 1 September 2007 will result in:

• Your existing MAF approval being terminated, and
• reverting to supervision of all treatments.

You will then need to follow the process outlined in Section 2.3.3 “Treatment supplier approval process” of MAF-BNZ Treatment Suppliers Programme: Overview & General Requirements Standard. In brief this will involve:

• Completing the application form (refer Appendix 1 of above standard)
• Having to pay the application fee of $480 + GST.
• Submitting your organisation’s documented system to your nominated IVA for a desk evaluation and field assessment for compliance.

1.4 Provide any additional information requested from your IVA.

1.5 On receipt of formal notification from your IVA that your updated organisation system has received MAF-BNZ approval, implement the new updated and MAF approved system.

1.6 On receipt of a copy of the MAF-BNZ counter signed copy of your organisation’s Contract of Approval, store this document in a secure location for future reference.

Stage 2: Independent Verification Agencies

Step Actions

2.1 On receipt of an updated system confirm the receipt of two signed copies of the new “Contract of Approval” (refer Appendix 2 of the MAF-BNZ Requirements for the supplier of official treatments Standard).

Note: IVA evaluation is not to proceed until these are present.

2.2 Assess the amendment(s) against the appropriate MAF-BNZ Standard(s).

The assessment process is to check each organisation’s system for compliance against the new MAF-BNZ Requirements for the supplier of official treatments Standard and will consist of:

a) A desk evaluation, and;

b) An on-site assessment (verification) of any expanded scope to verify this activities compliance against the system and the appropriate new MAF-BNZ Standard (i.e. now undertaking your own staff competency assessment or including export treatments).

Where this IVA field assessment is of the “staff competency assessment process” (SCAP) and they are yet to operate this activity, this assessment may be delayed until it is first being operated. Also state if their SPAP has been desk evaluated and found compliant, and what arrangements have been made to undertake the field assessment i.e. specific future date or, how the organisation is going to alert you they are about to enact the process for your assessment.

2.3 Request any additional information from the organisation and ensure:

• This additional information is obtained,
• The information meets the needs of the original request, and
• The evaluation process is not finalised until the appropriate complaint information is supplied by the organisation.

2.4 Once satisfied the organisation’s updated system complies with the appropriate new MAF-BNZ Standard send the recommendation to Exports (Attention: Team Support Officer – Plants) for the approval of the updated organisation’s system, and ensure the recommendation:

• Clearly states the appropriate MAF-BNZ Standard(s) the organisation’s system is compliant with, and to be MAF approved against.
• Contains the two signed (by the appropriate organisation) copies of the new “Contract of Approval” (refer Appendix 2 of the MAF-BNZ relevant standard) for MAF-BNZ counter signature.
• Contains either a hard copy of the organisation’s updated and evaluated system, or an electronic version of the same.
• Clearly states, whether the field assessment of an organisation’s “staff competency assessment process” (SPAP) is yet to be completed or that the SPAP has been desk evaluated and found compliant, and if not when a field assessment of the SPAP in operation is to be undertaken (i.e. specific future date).

2.5 On receipt of the MAF-BNZ Email notification that the recommendation has been received and the organisations system has been accepted for MAF approval, notify the appropriate organisation of their new MAF approved status.

2.6 On receipt of a MAF-BNZ counter signed copy of the “Contract of Approval”, forward a copy of this document to the appropriate organisation for their records and safe keeping.

2.7 Determine and place the MAF approved organisation on the appropriate audit schedule/frequency for compliance verification checks against their updated system.

Stage 3: MAF-BNZ

Step Actions

3.1 On receipt of an IVA recommendation for MAF approval of an organisation’s updated system confirm the recommendation contains the following:

• The appropriate MAF-BNZ Standard(s) the organisation’s system is compliant with, and to be MAF approved against.
• Two signed (by the appropriate organisation) copies of the new “Contract of Approval” (refer Appendix 2 of the MAF-BNZ relevant Standard) for MAF-BNZ counter signature.
• Either a hard copy of the organisation’s updated and evaluated system, or an electronic version of the same.
• If the field assessment of an organisation’s “staff competency assessment process” (SPAP) is yet to be completed and when a field assessment of the SPAP in operation is to be undertaken (i.e. a specific future date) or the SPAP has been desk evaluated and found compliant.

3.2 Confirm the organisation’s contact details, as per their updated system, is contained in the appropriate register i.e. “Plants Register of Approved Organisations Systems” (PRAOS) for exports and/or the treatment suppliers register.

3.3 Subject to the above information being compliant, Email the appropriate IVA advising them:

• their recommendation has been accepted
• the appropriate organisation’s system is now MAF approved, and
• the approximate date they should expect to receive the MAF-BNZ counter signed copy of the Contract of Approval for forwarding to the organisation.

3.4 Ensure the organisations existing approval (accreditation) number is entered onto both copies of the Contract of Approval, and arrange for the MAF-BNZ counter signing of these documents.

3.5 Forward one copy of the MAF-BNZ signed Contract of Approval to the appropriate IVA for forwarding to the relevant organisation.

3.6 Secure all information associated with the organisation’s system (including the IVAs recommendation and copy of the Contract of Approval) in the MAF-BNZ file management system.

3.7 Submit one in ten of the processed IVA recommendations and the appropriate organisation’s updated system to the MAF-BNZ internal quality control check.

Page last updated: 30 April 2008