Forensics: ICITAP Partners with Iberoamerican Academy of Criminalistics and Forensic Studies to Advance Quality Management for Forensic Institutions

On April 26, ICITAP partnered with the Iberoamerican Academy of Criminalistics and Forensic Studies (AICEF) to present the first webinar in a series on Basic Elements of Quality Management Systems of Forensic Institutions delivered in Spanish. The topic of this webinar was Document Control systems and ICITAP hosted content delivered by speakers from the National Institute of Forensic Sciences of Guatemala, Department of Forensic Sciences of Costa Rica, and Civil Guard of Spain. The series addresses common issues faced by laboratories that have achieved accreditation and by those that are just beginning to pursue accreditation and establish their quality management systems. Many laboratories with new or developing quality management systems have not received adequate training on the development of quality systems and processes and may be unsure of how to approach them. Ultimately, the implementation of effective quality management systems is a critical part of forensic analyses supporting evidence-based prosecutions. The webinar had 194 attendees from countries across Latin America, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, and Belize, as well as Spain.