Introduction by the board
The RvA may and must operate with a high degree of independence. Supervision of our work and advice in the decision-making process concerning accreditation are of major importance in this regard.
Supervision of our work and advice in the decision-making process regarding accreditation guarantee the expertise, impartiality and independence of the RvA and provide a critical evaluation of our activities and our business operations.
The Board of Supervisors ensures that the Executive Board realises the objectives of the RvA and provides the Executive Board with advice. The members are selected based on expertise and competences.
The Accreditation Committee consists of five members. They have been appointed on the basis of their expertise in accreditation, their integrity and independence. The Committee’s duty is to advise the Executive Board with regard to granting accreditations. In addition, it has the authority to advise the Executive Board regarding suspensions and withdrawals of accreditations.
In 2024, Prof. Mariëlle Stoelinga and Prof. Petra de Weerd-Nederhof were reappointed for a second term as members of the Accreditation Committee. The Board of Supervisors has approved the extension of the third term of appointment of the Chair of the Accreditations Committee Kees Pasmooij.
In the event of objections against a decision by the RvA’s Executive Board, a member of this Committee will be engaged. The members of this Committee are strictly independent.
The RvA must comply with the relevant provisions of the Autonomous Administrative Authorities Framework Act (Kaderwet zelfstandige bestuursorganen) and European Regulation 765/2008. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) supervises this. A regulatory evaluation of the RvA as an autonomous administrative authority takes place every five years. For inspection of the substantive side of the work, the Ministry of EZ can rely on Peer Evaluations by the European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA). Peer Evaluations are carried out independently of the ministery every four years, by accreditation bodies from abroad that assess the RvA. The RvA is assessed against ISO/IEC 17011.
In order to remain a signatory of the EA’s Multilateral Agreement (MLA), the RvA must meet the requirements of European Regulation 765/2008 and the international ISO/IEC 17011 standard.
Every four years, the RvA is assessed by an EA assessment team in the form of a Peer Evaluation. The last Peer Evaluation took place in 2021, with positive outcomes. The next peer review is planned for the end of 2025.
The responsibilities of the Executive Board include the realisation of the goals and business operations of the RvA. The Executive Board receives advice from the Accreditation Committee, the Strategic Advice Forum, the User Council and the RvA Impartiality Consultation, among others.
The User Council consists of representatives of the RvA’s direct clients and it advises the RvA on rates, service standards, and the quality of the service provision. Furthermore, we informed the User Council about the digitalisation projects that are under (ongoing) development. Topics such as the RvA’s sustainability policy, business development and joint development processes with clients, the scarcity in the labour market and the status of the Information-driven Work programme with the associated dashboards were also discussed.
It is important that the RvA is impartial in its actions. The involvement of stakeholders in the process for ensuring impartiality is in line with the standard that the RvA must comply with: ISO/IEC 17011. The RvA Impartiality Assemblee was set up in 2022. The participants of this Assesmblee meet once a year to discuss a risk analysis of the RvA’s impartiality and to advise the Executive Board in this regard.
The Strategic Advice Forum was established in 2022 to engage in theme-oriented dialogue with stakeholders about specific societal challenges. The composition of participants of the Strategic Advice Forum partially varies depending on the theme and the agenda. We invite a number of our stakeholders to every meeting: the Ministry of EZ, NEN, Fenelab, NVCi, the Association of Scheme Owners and representatives of the medical laboratories.
In addition to the permanent members, other stakeholders can also join meetings if they have an affinity with the selected theme. A meeting on the topic of risk-driven accreditation took place in 2024.
This overview shows the compositions of the governing bodies and advisory committees on 1 March 2025.
2nd term until 1 December 2024
3rd term until 14 March 2025
3rd term until 14 March 2025
2nd term until 15 October 2026
3rd term until 31 August 2026
The Board of Supervisors’ report for 2024 can be found in the RvA’s 2024 Financial Report, which can be downloaded from rva.nl/en/annual-reports. This report also provides more information about the members of the Board of Supervisors and their additional functions.
Permanent participants of the Strategic Advice Forum are representatives of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, NEN, NVCi, Fenelab, the medical laboratories, VSL and the Association of Scheme Owners. Depending on the theme, other stakeholders may join in.
