Short instruction
The members of the International Network on Quality Infrastructure (INetQI) have recently agreed upon the definition of Quality Infrastructure (QI) as ''the system comprising the organizations (public and private), together with the policies, relevant legal and regulatory framework, and practices needed to support and enhance the quality, safety and environmental soundness of goods, services, and processes'' (InetQI, 2024). QI relies on metrology, standardisation, accreditation, conformity assessment, and market surveillance (InetQI, 2024). National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) is a system which consists of three core components without which its other parts cannot operate optimally: metrology, standardisation, and accreditation and services based on these components consist of calibration (derived from metrology), testing, inspection, and certification that are enhanced by market surveillance (the government’s feedback and control mechanism) (Kellerman, 2019, pp. 42).
The ILOs examples
K6.1., K6.3., K7.1., K7.2., K7.3., S6.2., S6.6., S7.1., S7.2., S7.10.
Recommended Teaching Case studies/Serious games/Оther
Recommended duration of tutorials: from 30 minutes to 90 minutes
Good practice
Educators teaching about QI usually do so by focusing on the essential components of both QI and NQI: (1) metrology, (2) standardisation, (3) accreditation, (4) conformity assessment, and (5) market surveillance. Educators usually emphasize how each essential component supports economic development, ensures quality and safety, and facilitates international trade by building trust in products and services. Educators use interactive workshops to demonstrate the relationship among the essential components of QI, e.g., how metrology underpins testing and calibration, or how accreditation validates the competence of conformity assessment bodies. They also use case studies to demonstrate the real-world application of QI, e.g., how NQI supports international trade agreements and/or enhances the competitiveness of SMEs.
Recommended sources
If you are new to the topic, the basics can be found at:
https://hsbooster.eu/training-academy/quality-infrastructure
Other sources relevant to the topic:
- Blind, K. (2024): The role of the quality infrastructure within socio-technical transformations: A European perspective, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 199, 123019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123019.
- InetQI. (2022). Quality Infrastructure. Accessed on November 09, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.inetqi.net/documentation/quality-infrastructure-definition/.
- Kellerman, M. (2019). Ensuring Quality to Gain Access to Global Markets (A Reform Toolkit). Accessed on October 27, 2022. Retrieved from: https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/249621553265195570-0090022019/original/FullQIToolkitReport.pdf.
- The World Bank. (2018). Quality Infrastructure. Accessed on October 27, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/competitiveness/brief/qi.