develop consensus standards for use by TNI's programs. This group has a support role in assisting other programs with activities such as guidance and standards interpretation.
fosters the generation of data of known and documented quality is through the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, or NELAP. The purpose of this program is to establish and implement a program for the accreditation of environmental laboratories.
is to establish and maintain a national PT program to support TNI’s National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, and other activities.
Field Activities Program (NEFAP) Executive Committee is to establish and implement an accreditation program for field sampling and measurement organizations (FSMOs).
Audit Sample Program is to develop consensus standards for the manufacture and analysis of audit samples for source emission testing.
on a variety of topics of interest to the environmental measurement community. TNI also hosts two regularly scheduled meetings per year, typically in January and August. Both are a week long and involve open meetings of TNI committees as well as training courses and other special sessions.TNI Mentoring Expectations
TNI welcomes you to our all-volunteer initiative developed and designed to directly support laboratories seeking to implement and maintain a Quality Management System (QMS) based on the TNI standard. * This initiative will provide laboratories with the opportunity to learn from an industry professional and gain the skills and confidence necessary to excel while building a relationship that will inspire, encourage, and support you in your future endeavors. Your laboratory will be receiving guidance and coaching to meet the challenges of implementing a quality management system and be able to ask questions and have honest conversations with someone who’s been there.
In order for everyone to get the most out of this experience, we want to ensure a common understanding of the roles and expectations for everyone involved.
For the mentored laboratory, these expectations include:
- Providing the scope of work along with information and documentation as requested by the Mentor.
- Committing time and resources required to implement a TNI-compliant QMS, including purchasing a licensed copy of the TNI standard.
- Releasing TNI and the Mentor from liability.
- Understanding that the mentor is not a consultant and will serve in an advisory role only. The Mentor will not take any action on behalf of the mentored laboratory.
- Maintaining an active membership in TNI (at least one person in the laboratory).
For the mentor, these expectations include:
- Maintaining professional and ethical standards while serving as a TNI Mentor.
- Keeping completely confidential all case information and sensitive materials that they may observe or become aware of while in or around the mentored laboratory.
- Avoiding actions in Conflict of Interest.
- Providing a summary of qualifications.
- Understanding that the mentor will serve in an advisory role only and shall not provide any consulting services, paid or unpaid. The Mentor will not take any action on behalf of the mentored laboratory.
For TNI, these expectations include:
- Hosting an initial meeting with the laboratory to discuss the objectives and expectations of the mentor effort, the commitment of the laboratory, and to document some basic information about the laboratory, including the scope of their testing and where they are in progress in terms of developing a QMS.
- Reviewing the laboratory’s responses to the above, assessing available resources, and determining if the Parties should move forward.
- Providing the name (s) of the potential Mentors to the laboratory to assess any conflict of interest. TNI will not assign a Mentor that is not acceptable to the laboratory.
The mentoring relationship may be terminated by any party at any time.
*Laboratories participating in this program may choose to implement a QMS but are not required to subsequently obtain accreditation.