Conformity Assessment

The discussion following will present an analytical overview of the role of conformity assessment data in trade and seeks to provide context to the growing importance to address the challenges of conformity assessment as a trade barrier.

1.1 Analytical overview of the role of Conformity Assessment data in trade

This analytical overview will provide an analysis of conformity assessment to provide a clearer understanding of the importance of conformity assessment data in trade. This section will, therefore, address the categories of conformity assessment data, the need for conformity assessment results, the use of conformity assessment as a protectionist measure and lastly conformity assessment results and trade problems.

1.1.1 Categorisation

Thornhill, C. (2006) quoting Lanrod, remarked that changes appeared in the nature of the activities of the public sector with the involvement of the state in economic matters as early as 1945, after the Second World War and later in the second part of the twentieth century government started to play a role even in business through regulating inter alia manufactured products (Thornhill, 2006). Tanazi, V. (1997) further quantify the State’s expanding role in the economy in the 20th century, which was evident in the growth of public spending a share of gross domestic product (GDP). He concluded from public spending data of newly industrialised countries that public spending share grew on average from 12 percent in 1913 to about 45 percent in1995. He further remarked that “the role of the state is changing from one that competes with the market to one that augment the market and improves its work” (Tanzi, 1997)? Before one can embark on a meaningful discussion on a given subject a clear and mutual understanding of what the subject matter is and its limitation would go a long way in dispelling any misunderstandings. It is, therefore, prudent to first delineate the discipline Public Administration and its

As a result of the borrowing of ideas from other disciplines, Public Administration has become a field of practice based on applied sciences (Akor, 2008). Science according to Thornhill and Van Dijk (2010) depends on theories to investigate, explain and predict the phenomena to be studied. The same scholar further elaborates that “A science has to be founded on justifiable laws or acceptable theories to develop new knowledge and influence practices (Thornhill & Van Dijk,