TNI Re-Aligns Governance and Operations

Date Posted: 6-10-2010

When TNI was formed in 2006, the primary focus was to assimilate the operations of the predecessor organizations, the Institute for National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation and the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference.  Since that time, TNI's activities have grown into new areas such as the National Environmental Field Activities Program (NEFAP) and the Stationary Source Audit Sample program. In addition, some existing programs, like the Proficiency Testing program, are now working in activities beyond the scope of the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP).  All of these changes have indicated a need to revisit the governance and structure of the organization.

Furthermore, there has been some confusion on the use of the term Boards, as in the PT Board and the NELAP Board.  As a result of these factors, the TNI Board of Directors has been working on a plan to realign TNI's program and committee structure to better match actual activities.  This plan has resulted in a change to the TNI bylaws, in Article VI, Section 1, concerning core programs and Article VII concerning standing committees.  The new structure will have the following elements:

  • TNI's Board of Directors will continue to be responsible for the overall management and direction of TNI's efforts.
  • TNI's Consensus Standards Development Program, NEFAP, NELAP, and Proficiency Testing Program will each be designated as a Core Program, with an Executive Committee with balanced representation of stakeholder interests managing the program.
  • The current NELAP Board will be redefined as a NELAP Accreditation Council, but will continue to be responsible for implementing the laboratory accreditation program.

A document was posted on the TNI website on March 11, 2010, The NELAC Institute: Governance and Operation, that provided more details about the roles of all TNI groups.  After receiving comments from TNI members, the public and TNI committees on this document, the Policy Committee used this document to draft a revision to the Bylaws of TNI, which were then adopted by the TNI Board of Directors on June 9, 2010.  Over the next few months, the website and TNI SOPs and Policies will be revised to reflect the changes to the Bylaws.

In addition to this major change, several minor corrections were adopted into the bylaws, as summarized below.

Article III, Membership
Added language to require members to agree to follow a Code of Ethics.
 
Article VII, Committees
Change composition of Executive Committee to be Officers
 
Article VIII, Business meeting
Removed section 5 related to quorum.

Click here for a copy of the revised Bylaws.