The responsibilities of SWGDAM are: (1) to recommend revisions, as necessary, to the Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories and the Quality Assurance Standards for DNA Databasing Laboratories; (2) to serve as a forum to discuss, share, and evaluate forensic biology methods, protocols, training, and research to enhance forensic biology services; and (3) to recommend and conduct research to develop and/or validate forensic biology methods. We hold semi-annual meetings in January and July and our Committees meet more frequently as issues arise.
 

TWGDAM continued to provide a level of direction to the forensic DNA community by issuing guidelines for a DNA proficiency testing program and later for the newer DNA technology of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). See Guidelines for a Proficiency Testing Program for DNA Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis, Crime Laboratory Digest, Vol. 17, No. 3, pages 59-64, (July 1990); Guidelines for a Quality Assurance Program for DNA Analysis, Crime Laboratory Digest, Vol. 18, No. 2, (April 1991).  Additional revisions were adopted in 1995; see Guidelines for a Quality Assurance Program for DNA Analysis, Crime Laboratory Digest, Vol. 22, No. 2 (April 1995).

The forensic DNA community followed these guidelines when implementing their DNA programs.  As a result, the guidelines became de facto standards and were recognized by courts as minimum requirements for a quality forensic DNA analysis program.  See, for example, State v. Schwartz, 447 N.W. 2d 422 (Minn. 1989) (recognizing the TWGDAM Guidelines as standards for the reliability of the RFLP DNA testing). 

Federal legislation authorizing the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to establish a National DNA Index System also authorized the creation of the Federal DNA Advisory Board.  This same legislation recognized the TWGDAM Guidelines and required that they be followed as the national standards until the FBI Director approved quality assurance standards for forensic DNA analysis.  See 42 U.S.C. ' 14131.  The Federal DNA Advisory Board was responsible for recommending quality assurance standards, and revisions as necessary, to the FBI Director and when their statutory time period expired, they charged SWGDAM with this responsibility.  
 

The group meets each January and July to address issues of importance to the DNA community (ranging from familial searches, partial matches, recent court cases, audit issues, kits and reagents, etc.).  When possible, SWGDAM also holds a public meeting for the DNA community each year to provide updates on the work of the Committees, quality assurance standards, audit documents, etc.  For many years, these public meetings were held prior to the International Symposia on Human Identification sponsored by the Promega Corporation.  Beginning in 2006, the SWGDAM public meetings have been held in conjunction with the FBI sponsored Annual CODIS Conferences.

SWGDAM has had several standing Committees in the past for the subject areas of CODIS, Missing Persons, MtDNA and Quality Assurance. As issues arise within the DNA community, Committees are formed and assigned specific objectives.  Their final work products are shared with the public and DNA community at the public meetings and through published articles. 

SWGDAM and the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards

One of SWGDAM’s most important responsibilities is the recommendation of revisions to the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) for DNA Analysis.  Adherence to these QAS is required by Federal law as a condition of a laboratory’s participation in the National DNA Index System.

The Federal DNA Identification Act provides, in pertinent part, “the index described in subsection (a) shall include only information on DNA identification records and DNA analyses that are--  (1) based on analyses performed by or on behalf of a criminal justice agency in accordance with publicly available standards that satisfy or exceed the guidelines for a quality assurance program for DNA analysis, issued by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under section 210303;” see 42 U.S.C. ' 14132(b)(1). 

The SWGDAM Quality Assurance Committee is the principle group tasked with drafting revisions to the original QAS.  Since issuance of the original QAS, advancements in science and the introduction of additional technologies (such as mtDNA and Y-STRs) necessitated changes in the original standards.  Many of these past revisions have clarified or strengthened existing Standards in the area of education, training and continuing education of the DNA personnel.  As new revisions are proposed by SWGDAM they are discussed at SWGDAM public meetings and laboratories performing forensic DNA analysis are given the opportunity to comment.  Accrediting agencies and their constituencies are also provided the opportunity to comment on any proposed revisions.  Proposed revisions for the QAS have been approved by SWGDAM in 2007, 2008, and 2011 and forwarded to the FBI Director for his consideration.  The FBI Director approved the current Forensic and DNA Databasing QAS and issued them with an effective date of September 1, 2011 and they are available at the FBI’s web site at http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/html/codis1.htm.  To ensure the consistency of application of the QAS, the Committee also revised the FBI QAS Audit Document for use in conducting audits for compliance with these Standards.  The Forensic and Databasing QAS Audit Documents approved by SWGDAM and issued by the FBI are also available at the FBI’s web site at http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/html/codis1.htm.