Expertise, defined as “a set of activities designed to provide an opinion, recommendation or interpretation in response to a question posed by an applicant” (source AFNOR), is one of INRAE’s public policy support activities.

Based on high-level research, it aims to inform public debate and public policy. Expert appraisal activities in support of public policy respond to major challenges in the fields of sustainable development of agricultural, food, aquatic and forestry systems and local areas. The quality of this work must be assured by the experts who carry it out.

The Institute’s commitment to this has been expressed in a “quality policy for expertise in support of public policies in the fields of natural risks due to mountain gravity and hydraulic structures”, signed by the Director General in charge of expertise and support for public policies.

Initial work has been carried out to obtain ISO9001 certification for intuitu personae expertise in these areas, where the stakes are particularly high, both in terms of public safety and the liability of the Institute and its experts. Subsequently, the conditions and procedures for extending the standard to other thematic fields and to the various forms of expertise carried out by the Institute will gradually be examined.

Participation in the revision of the
“Quality in expertise

Afnor has undertaken a review of the 2003 NF X50-110 standard on expertise.

INRAE has expressed an interest in both undertaking this revision work and contributing to it. It therefore proposed that the “quality, processes, expertise” project manager from the Public Policy Support Department join the standardisation committee set up for this purpose (CN AFNOR XD50) in tandem with the Director of the Collective Scientific Expertise, Forecasting and Studies Department (DEPE). It was also decided to set up a small “group of experts” to prepare the work of the committee in plenary session more effectively. The “quality, processes and expertise” project manager from the Public Policy Support Directorate was invited to join this small group.

The new version of the standard was published in January 2024.