OSAC Registry Implementation Open Enrollment

What is OSAC's Registry Implementation Open Enrollment?

Many employers allow staff to update their health insurance or benefit information during an open enrollment period, which typically occurs at the same time each year and operates in a predictable fashion. This provides employees with a consistent approach to an important annual activity.

OSAC is taking a similar approach and providing a focused “open enrollment” period where forensic science service providers (FSSPs) are encouraged to update or initiate their standards implementation activities. The OSAC Registry Implementation Open Enrollment period occurs during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year on an annual basis (typically early July to early September). While OSAC will continue to accept implementation information throughout the year, this period is designated as an opportunity for FSSPs to establish a regular cadence to standardize their annual voluntary implementation submissions or updates. 

The timing of this period has been strategically selected to align with National Forensic Science Week, which runs from September 14 - 20 this year. This is an excellent opportunity for forensic science service providers to celebrate and share this accomplishment with the public! 

During the 2024 Open Enrollment period, 46 FSSPs submitted new surveys and 89 FSSPs updated their information. With your help, we can surely exceed this benchmark and make the 2025 campaign an even greater success!

How can your organization participate? 

To facilitate the implementation process and improve reporting metrics, OSAC has established an electronic submission survey! You can access this survey through the OSAC Registry Implementation Survey link or the QR code seen here. 

• Is your organization an existing OSAC Registry Implementer? Update your information to note any changes in your implementation activities. For your convenience, your previous implementation data has already been entered into the new data collection system and will prepopulate when you log in. All you need to do is review the information since your last submission, make any necessary updates, and hit submit!
• Is your organization new to implementation? Whether your organization has just started to implement standards on the OSAC Registry or has been implementing them for years, this is a perfect time to begin filling out the implementation survey and get familiar with the process. Even if you are a FSSP that has only implemented one standard (either fully or partially) in one discipline, you are eligible and encouraged to complete the survey. The key is just to get started! 

To date, over 245 FSSPs have acknowledged their implementation status, helping to grow our standards implementation database. This is a solid foundation to work from; however, this represents only a small fraction of the FSSPs for which these standards are applicable. 

We are requesting that one implementation survey be submitted per FSSP location. For example, a state laboratory with multiple regional laboratories should submit one implementation survey for each of its locations. If your organization has multiple locations, please contact us at forensics [at] nist.gov (forensics[at]nist[dot]gov) for guidance on the best way to proceed.

View additional instructions and tips on how to complete the survey. 

What will OSAC do with this information? 

After the open enrollment period closes, OSAC will compile the data and compare it against previously submitted implementation results. OSAC will then use this information to prepare reports covering the number of new and updated implementation surveys received, general implementation trends, and which standards are being implemented. No identifiable information will be used when the survey results are published, presented to the forensic science community, or discussed at conferences.

Why is OSAC doing this?

OSAC is collecting this implementation information to demonstrate the impact that standards are having on the forensic science community. When all participants in the standards development process are considered, over 1,000 individuals dedicate their time and efforts to improving the national forensic science standards landscape. This critical implementation data collection process helps to demonstrate the value of these efforts by documenting the extent to which these standards are used and how they are being implemented in actual forensic practice. 

Have questions?

Please email OSAC (forensics [at] nist.gov (forensics[at]nist[dot]gov)) with any questions or if you need assistance. 

For more information, see:

• 2025 OSAC Registry Implementation Open Enrollment Information Sheet and Consent Sheet
• List of standards on the OSAC Registry (Excel version)
• OSAC Registry Implementation webpage