Performance Appraisal Certification Scheme
                    ( PACS )

 

INTRODUCTION

The then Ministry of Urban Development,  Government of India set up in July 1990 the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) as an apex body to provide inter- disciplinary platform to various agencies under the Central and state Governments and the private sector to promote development and use of innovative building materials and technologies. During its decade of service BMTPC has promoted development, manufacture and use of such materials and technologies. Emphasis was laid on environmental protection through use of wastes, energy conservation, development of substitute materials for scarce materials like wood etc, disaster resistant construction technologies, and consequent social advantages of cost reduction, energy conservation and sustainable development strategies. 

In order to give greater impetus to the actual use of such materials and technologies to derive the envisaged social benefits a scheme called Performance Appraisal Certification Scheme (PACS) has been instituted by Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Government of India.

To make the scheme transparent and authentic, it is administered through Technical Assessment Committee (TAC) and the BMTPC board of Agreement in which scientific, technological, academic, professional  organisations and industry interests are represented.

BENEFITS

PACS benefits the society, user, designer, construction agencies, manufacturers/ suppliers / installers.

           Society

·  Promotes use of newly developed materials which may result in
  §         cost reduction
  §         speeding up construction
  §         improved quality
  §         environmental protection
·  Encourages R&D effort and promotes transfer of technology from lab to field
·  Generates pre standardisation data 

          User

Designer

Construction agencies

          Manufacturers / Suppliers/ Installers

 

BASIC OBLIGATIONS

 

Basic obligations of Performance Appraisal Certificate Holders (PACH)

  1. The responsibility for ensuring conformance of the product to the PAC is with PACH.
     

  2. PACH shall implement all the conditions under which the PAC was granted.
     

  3. PACH shall maintain and assure quality as per the requirements stated in the Certificate and relevant standards.
     

  4. PACH shall maintain records as per conditions of Grant and those required for collecting technical data on his  product for review of performance.
     

  5. PACH shall inform BMBA listing points of deviation if at any time he does not adhere to the requirements of the certificate and stop claiming to his customers that he holds PAC.  In that event, he should not resume claim unless cleared by BMBA.
     

  6. PACH shall make a request to BMBA if he wants PAC to be amended. Use standard form, obtainable from AU of BMBA.
     

  7. PACH shall maintain list of suppliers/licensees of his product and provide a list to BMBA and update it as required. 
     

  8. PACH shall preserve the original certificate carefully.
     

  9. If PACH stops operating PAC, he shall return the original certificate and the left over printed copies to BMBA.
     

  10. PACH shall pay all certificate dues to BMBA regularly.
     

  11. PACH is obliged to show the original PAC to the user on demand and inform the user of the current status of the PAC.
     

  12. PACH shall attend to genuine customer complaints promptly and to their satisfaction. He shall provide redressal even before user/ customer approaches BMBA.
     

  13. BMTPC and the Board of Agreement of BMTPC (BMBA) take no position relating to the holder of the Performance Appraisal Certificate (PACH) and the users of the Performance Appraisal Certificate (PAC) respecting the patent rights / copy rights asserted relating to the product / system / design / method of installation etc covered by this PAC. Considerations relating to patent / copy rights are beyond the scope of the Performance Appraisal Certification Scheme (PACS) under which this PAC has been issued.. PACH and users of this PAC are expressly advised that determination of the claim / validity of any such patent rights / copy rights and the risk of infringement of such rights are entirely the responsibility of PACH on the one hand and that of the users on the other.

Abbreviations:

PAC Performance Appraisal Certificate
AU Appraisal Unit of BMTPC
BMBA BMTPC Board of Agreement
BMTPC Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council
PACH Performance Appraisal Certificate Holder

   

 

 


 GENERAL CONDITIONS OF GRANT

 

This certificate is issued subject to the following conditions:

 

  1. The certificate holder shall continue to have the product reviewed by BMBA.
     

  2. The product shall be continued to be manufactured according to and in compliance with the manufacturing specifications and quality assurance measures which applied at the time of issue or revalidation of this certificate. The Scheme of Quality Assurance separately approved shall be followed.
     

  3. The quality of the product shall be maintained by the certificate holder.
     

  4. The product user should install, use and maintain the product in accordance with the provisions in the PAC.
     

  5. PAC does not cover uses of the product outside the scope of this appraisal.
     

  6. The product is appraised against performance provisions contained in the standards and information from sources listed in the PACS. Provisions of any subsequent revisions or provisions introduced after the date of the certificate do not apply.
     

  7. Where reference is made in the PAC to any Act of Parliament of India, Rules and Regulations made there under, statutes, specifications, codes of practice, standards etc. of the Bureau of Indian Standards or any other national standards body and the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO), manufacturer’s company standards, instruction/manual etc., it shall be construed as reference to such publications in the form in which they were in force on the date of grant of PAC.
     

  8. The certificate holder agrees to inform BMBA of their distributors / licensees whenever appointed by him and agrees to provide to BMBA a six monthly updated list there of. 
     

  9. The certificate holder agrees to provide to BMBA feed back on the complaints received, the redressal provided, and the time taken to provide redressal on complaint to complaint basis as soon as redressal is provided. BMBA agrees to provide the certificate holder the user feed back received by it, if any.
     

  10. If  at any time during the validity period, PACH is unable to fulfill the conditions in the PAC, he should on his own initiative suspend using the PAC and notify Chairman, TAC the date from which he has suspended its use, the reason for suspension and the period by which he will be able to resume. He shall not resume without the prior permission of BMBA. He shall also inform, simultaneously, his agents, licensees, distributors, institutional, government, public sector buyers, other buyers and all those whom he has informed about his holding the PAC. He shall also inform all those who buy his product(s) during the period of suspension. He shall provide to BMBA at the earliest the list of who have been so informed by him.
     

  11. In granting the PAC, BMBA takes no position as to:

    (a)    The presence or absence of patent or similar rights relating to the product;

    (b)    The legal right of the Certificate holder to market, install or maintain the product;

    (c)    The nature of individual installations of the product, including methods of workmanship.

  12. BMTPC and the Board of Agreement of BMTPC (BMBA) take no position relating to the holder of the Performance Appraisal Certificate (PACH) and the users of the Performance Appraisal Certificate (PAC) respecting the patent rights / copy rights asserted relating to the product / system / design / method of installation etc covered by this PAC. Considerations relating to patent / copy rights are beyond the scope of the Performance Appraisal Certification Scheme (PACS) under which this PAC has been issued.. PACH and users of this PAC are expressly advised that determination of the claim / validity of any such patent rights / copy rights and the risk of infringement of such rights are entirely the responsibility of PACH on the one hand and that of the users on the other.
     

  13. It should be noted that any recommendations relating to the safe use of the product which are contained or referred to in the PAC are the minimum standards required to be met with when the product is installed, used and maintained.  They do not purport in any way to restate or cover all the requirements of related Acts such as the Factory Act, or of any other statutory or Common Law duties of care, or of any duty of care which exist at the date of this Certificate or in the future, nor is conformity with the provisions of the PAC to be taken as satisfying the requirements of related Acts.
     

  14. In granting this Certificate, BMTPC and BMBA does not accept responsibility  to any person or body for any loss or damage, including personal injury, arising as a direct or indirect result of the use of this product.
     

  15. The PAC holder indemnifies BMBA, its officers and officials involved in this assessment against any consequences of actions taken in good faith including contents of this certificate.  The responsibility fully rests with the certificate holder and user of the product.
     

  16. The responsibility for conformity to conditions specified in this PAC lies with the manufacturer who is granted this PAC. The Board (BMBA) will only consider requests for modification or withdrawal of the PAC.
     

  17. The PAC holder shall not use this certificate for legal defense in cases against him  or for legal claims he may make from others.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF USER

Responsibilities of User of Performance Appraisal Certificate (PAC)

  1. The main  stay of the PAC is the claim of the manufacturer/supplier and verified by BMBA as a third party by tests, study of documents supplied by the PAC holder, laboratory and field tests / field trials, as necessary, using independent laboratories, and studied opinions expressed by experts involved in evaluation. Therefore the responsibility of ensuring conformance of the product to the PAC rests with the supplier and you-the user in their respective areas of responsibility. 
     

  2. You have the right to see the Original PAC with the Certificate Holder (PACH) who is supplying you the product claiming that he holds PAC. 
     

  3. Ensure that the PAC is valid; check the validity date of the PAC. Check the status of PAC given on the back of the cover page of the original PAC referred at 2 above.
     

  4. Either you or your consultant should be fully aware of the contents of the PAC.
     

  5. Ensure that you/your consultant uses the design data provided in the Certificate
     

  6. Ensure that  the workmen, if involved, in installing the product, are properly trained as stipulated in the Certificate.
     

  7. Ensure that the product is installed and used under the limitations including the other conditions stipulated in the PAC.
     

  8. Ensure the product is maintained/repaired/replaced as stipulated in the PAC.
     

  9. If the product fails to perform as stipulated in PAC, after ensuring 1 to 8 above, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the supplier (PAC holder) and BMBA. You have the right to redressal from the supplier for your genuine complaint. In relation to genuineness of complaints the decision of TAC of BMBA is final.
     

  10. BMTPC and the Board of Agreement of BMTPC (BMBA) take no position relating to the holder of the Performance Appraisal Certificate (PACH) and the users of the Performance Appraisal Certificate (PAC) respecting the patent rights / copy rights asserted relating to the product / system / design / method of installation etc covered by this PAC. Considerations relating to patent / copy rights are beyond the scope of the Performance Appraisal System (PACS) under which this PAC has been issued. PACH and users of this PAC are expressly advised that determination of the claim / validity of any such patent rights / copy rights and the risk of infringement of such rights are entirely the responsibility of PACH on the one hand and that of the users on the other

               Procedure for Obtaining PAC


The steps in the procedure broadly are:

  1. Receipt of preliminary application (PA)

  2. Evaluation against application acceptance criteria, primarily, to decide whether the product is certifiable within the scope of PACS

  3. If it is decided that the product is certifiable a product/process/ manufacture specific Detailed Application Form (DAF) is prepared and sent to applicant. The purpose is to collect information/data documentation to study the claims of the applicant, define the scope of appraisal and work out details of assessment and prepare assessment documentation.

  4. Detailed Application received from applicant is evaluated and a decision is taken about certifiability under PACS. The applicant is required to annex several documents which are listed in the DAF. If it is found that the product is not certifiable under PACS, the applicant is informed with suggestions if any to be implemented by him before submitting a fresh application

  5. It found certifiable the scope of assessment is agreed to between BMTPC and the applicant, fees to be paid is worked out and an agreement is signed.

  6. Detailed assessment documents are prepared which include:                                                                                              

    List of applicable standards – Indian, International, BMTPC Applicant, company standards etc, including performance parameters to be assessed. If standards are not available they are prepared by the Applicant

    Assessment procedures – including inspections of factory, installations etc.

    Samples to be taken and test to be done, tests on prototype where required.

    Aspects relating to environment/energy conservation, waste material utilization, statutory regulations to be addressed/considered/assessed, as applicable.

    Draft contents of PAC
     

  7. Factory and site inspections by experts to assess adequacy of manufacturing and test equipment and facilities, testing of samples in the factory, taking samples.

  8. Inspection of installation/field tests, if and where required

  9. Inspection of already installed product, if applicable.

  10. Getting samples tested in an independent laboratory.

  11. Compilation of reports and test results from previous steps, study and assessment by experts

  12. It acceptable for grant of PAC, preparation of draft PAC and Scheme of Quality Assurance in discussion with applicant

  13. Limited circulation of PAC to selected building regulatory authorities, major users, members of the Technical Assessment Committee (TAC) of BMTPC for comments.

  14. Consideration of PAC and related documents by TAC and its approval, a validity period for the PAC is fixed at this stage. The applicant may be invited for the meeting of TAC when the draft PAC is considered

  15. Issue of PAC to the applicant.

  16. Printing, distribution, sale of PAC

  17. Publicity through publication in “PACS Newsletter”, press note, circulars to major users and building regulating authorities

          After issue of PAC

  1. Periodic Surveillance inspections are carried out and the performance reviewed if non-conformities are found appropriate action is taken including suspension/ cancellation of PAC.

  2. During the validity period data on performance is collected and along with complaints data, if any are used for review during validity period and renewal.

                CONTACT INFORMATION

For any other information, please contact :

Sh. J.K. Prasad
 Chief (Building Materials)
Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council
Core 5A, 1st Floor, India Habitat Centre,
Lodi Road, New Delhi - 110 003

Phones: 24652416, 24638096,24638097
Fax:     24642849
E-Mail:    info@bmtpc.org


 

 

 

 

                DOWNLOADS

Note :

  1. The above forms are in PDF format. Get Acrobat Reader 
     

  2. Preliminary Application form can be downloaded and used and is to be submitted along with a non refundable fees of Rs 500/- (Rupees Five Hundred only) and should be sent to Executive Director, BMTPC, Core 5A, 1st Floor, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110003
     

  3. All payments are to be made by a crossed Demand Draft in favour of 'Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council', payable at New Delhi only.
     

  4. MDAF is only for information of prospective applicants and not for use. It gives an an indication of the type of items that would be normally included in a Detailed Application Form (DAF). DAF is cusotmized for each applicant after receipt of Preliminary Application. The Detailed Application is to be submitted with a fee of Rs. 5,000/- for medium and large scale units and Rs. 4,000/- for small scale units. Other payable fees and charges for documentation, assessment, annual renewal fees etc  will be intimated with the DAF.