This cooperative agreement is to conduct an annual peer review of the national organic program's (NOP) adherence to accreditation procedures as required by 7 CFR §205.509

The peer review will: 1) evaluate the NOP's policies and procedures for conformance to the organic regulations and ISO/IEC 17011:2017 - requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies; and 2) review certification body accreditation decisions made by the NOP through file reviews. The cooperator will conduct the document reviews prior to conducting a virtual onsite assessment with NOP personnel. The cooperator's peer review panel will generate a report of the assessment including opportunities for improvement and observations. The NOP will present the 2023 peer review final report at the next scheduled national organic standards board meeting (a federal advisory committee that provides recommendations to the federal agency). Additionally, this cooperative agreement will provide technical assistance on developing the NOP's accreditation policies and procedures.