Page 357 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

5.5 Critical Review 341

The task of the reviewers is unambiguously described in ISO 14044/6.1:

The critical review process shall ensure that:
• the methods used to carry out the LCA are consistent with this International
Standard,
• the methods used to carry out the LCA are scientifically and technically valid,
• the data used are appropriate and reasonable in relation to the goal of the study,
• the interpretations reflect the limitations identified and the goal of the study,
• the study report is transparent and consistent.
These criteria apply equally to a critical review by either internal or external
experts or by a panel of interested parties. This requires a precise inspection of the
LCA by the reviewers and emerging queries shall be discussed with the practitioner
of the study. At least one face-to-face meeting is desirable and additional telephone
conferences are recommended. The reviewers should also stay in contact with the
commissioner. The ‘triangle’ formed by the representative of the commissioner,
the practitioner (leader of the project team) and the expert (chair of the panel in
case of a critical review by interested parties) should work properly. 34)
If a critical review is accomplished by a panel of interested parties (variant 2),
further contacts between the panel members and the practitioner of the study
are not excluded but even desired. Thus experts for a central technology (or
application, etc. depending on G&S of the study) dealt within the LCA study,
who are not necessarily LCA experts, can be members of the panel and may have
questions for the practitioner of the study. Mutual communication and the open
exchange of information between the members of the review panel is of course a
prerequisite.
A critical review by a panel of interested parties is mandatory if comparative
assertions (notably for competing product systems on the market) are included in
the study (ISO 14044, 4.2.3.7):
If the study is intended to be used for a comparative assertion intended to be
disclosed to the public, interested parties shall conduct this evaluation as a critical
review.
This paragraph could give the impression that every critical review according to
ISO 14044 6.3 and ISO 14040 7.3.3 shall involve interested parties beyond scientists
and experts. According to ISO 14040, 7.3.3, these interested parties are, however,
optional, probably for financial reasons or out of the awareness that competitors
in such a panel would hardly get confidential data from the commissioner. Here
competent representatives of professional associations could fill in and they often
do this skilfully. ISO 14040 Section 7.3.3 reads as follows:
An external independent expert should be selected by the original study commis-
sioner to act as chairperson of a review panel of at least three members. Based on

34) Kl¨ opffer (2005, 2012).