Title: Guidelines for preparation to obtain accreditation of microbiological methods at the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) quality control laboratory.

Fish processing establishments in Liberia are faced with the challenge of complying with ever-changing regulations requiring them to provide evidence that they are producing safe foods. Food testing laboratories aid in mitigating food safety issues by providing evidence that a manufacturer’s food safety system is acceptable. To perform these activities, laboratories must adhere to certain standards such as ISO/IEC 17025 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. However, implementing ISO/IEC 17025 practices in Liberia is challenging due to the lack of available guidance. The goal of NaFAA has been to prepare for ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation and provide accredited testing services to fish industries. This report presents a guideline for implementing a quality management system, including organizational structure, policies, laboratory layout, monitoring program, and standard operating procedures for the NaFAA laboratory to be fully established and prepared to obtain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. This report includes 3 SOPs and 18 forms. Media qualification verification procedures were developed to evaluate growth and quality parameters over the shelf life of the media packaged in the quality control department of NaFAA. This report provides the NaFAA laboratory with methods and procedures that can guide the implementation of a quality management system to become ISO/IEC 17025 accredited.