TÜRKAK Advisory Board Meeting

TÜRKAK Advisory Board Meeting

On November 5, 2024, TURKLAB participated in the TÜRKAK Advisory Board Meeting, which was held at The Green Park Hotel Çankaya - Ankara.

The meeting commenced with opening speeches by TÜRKAK Secretary General Ms. Banu Müderrisoğlu and TÜRKAK Chairman of the Board and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mehmet Kemal Bozay. This was followed by a presentation on TÜRKAK’s activities delivered by TÜRKAK Deputy Secretary General Mr. Serhat Gök.

Subsequently, the Advisory Board members provided their views and recommendations on the following questions. The meeting was conducted in a workshop format, with discussions taking place at tables moderated by TÜRKAK professional staff. It was reported that the consolidated findings would be compiled into a final report and shared with the participating organizations.

Questions Addressed During the Workshop:

1. What are your recommendations regarding accreditation policies and objectives?

TURKLAB's recommendations on this topic were as follows:

1. Maintaining organic communication with sector umbrella organizations (TURKLAB, UDDER, AGFD, etc.) to collaborate on projects aimed at sector development and addressing industry needs.
2. Organizing events to raise awareness and encourage voluntary certification programs.
3. Strengthening relationships with accredited organizations based on their accreditation type, through periodic meetings with specific agendas.
4. Defining methods to enhance the sectoral expertise of auditors.

2. What are your suggestions regarding the institution’s promotion, priorities, and solutions to its challenges?

• Reviewing duplicate audits, ensuring that ministry experts are included in TÜRKAK’s auditor/expert pool, and conducting simultaneous audits on behalf of both institutions during accreditation inspections. (This recommendation emphasized the previous cooperation efforts between TURKLAB and TÜRKAK).
• Continuing and improving efforts to calibrate auditors for standardization.
• Taking action to facilitate access to file managers.
• Converting increased contribution fees into quality services for accredited organizations, by establishing concrete and improved KPIs that align with expectations.

3. What are your recommendations for maintaining the institution’s impartiality?

Acknowledging the ongoing efforts to enhance service processes, including auditor selection and assignments, while emphasizing the need for maximum transparency and impartiality in these processes.