The decision to terminate a NIST calibration service requires a careful assessment of the role the service plays for NIST’s customers and of the potential impact of the termination.  The following policy documents the procedures and roles and responsibilities in reaching such a decision.  This policy applies to Regular Calibration Tests [as listed in Special Publication (SP) 250 NIST Calibration Services User Guide], Special Tests, and Measurement Assurance Programs.  In this policy, the phrase “calibration service” refers to all three types of service.

The responsibility for terminating calibration services belongs to the individual Laboratories.  It is recognized, however, that the customers of the terminated service might include other NIST Laboratories.  Therefore, when a Laboratory has decided to begin the process of terminating a service, the Laboratory Director should inform the Measurement Services Advisory Group (MSAG) of that decision along with an identification of known NIST customers of that service so that arrangements can be made to meet the needs of these customers.  The Chair of the MSAG will then notify the Measurement Services Division (MSD) of Technology Services about the decision to terminate the calibration service.  Upon notification and the effective termination, MSD staff will remove the service from the Calibration Services website, ensure removal from all future printed material such as the SP 250 and the Fee Schedule appendix, and deactivate the service in the Information System to Support Calibrations (ISSC).

The NIST Laboratories have the responsibility of assessing the impact of a proposed termination.  Accordingly, they should notify customers of the last five years to inform them of the proposed service termination and proposed alternatives for the customers.  The notification should include a request for comments.  When appropriate, the letter should be sent to standards writing and similar organizations potentially affected by the service termination.

Service termination should not take effect until at least one year after the Laboratory has notified the affected parties.