Conformity assessment policy

The policy has three sections, equally important: Quality, impartiality and confidentiality. These policies are applicable to SGIS and the t/a body ASMS.

Quality Policy

We understand that the aim of certification is to give confidence to all parties that a certified management system is capable of fulfilling requirements. The value of certification is the degree of confidence and trust on the certified client and the certification body.

We commit to the principles that inspire such confidence and trust: — impartiality; — competence; — responsibility; — openness; — confidentiality; — responsiveness to complaints; — risk-based approach.

• We ensure that the internal and external personnel are aware of the need for impartiality and act accordingly. We shall have procedures to ensure threats arising from self-interest, self-review, familiarity, intimidation and other threats;
• We manage competence of our personnel to ensure that intent, process and delivery of certification process within the principles that inspire confidence in certification;
• We understand our responsibility for consistently ensuring that the certification decisions are fully based on objective evidences that are obtained knowing and considering the risk of sampling;
• We shall remain transparent to the interested parties, limited to non-confidential information and information not controlled by a non-disclosure agreement and
  • by giving access to information about the audit and certification process,
  • by providing information about the certification status of an organization;
  • any information that are not restricted;
  • by allowing governance authorities access to information as mandated by law;
  • by allowing disclosure with permission from the certified client.
• We shall treat confidentially information gained during the process of audit and certification, and shall not disclose such information unless permission is granted by the certified client or mandated by the local laws and regulations;
• We shall make available public or other interested parties access to our appeals and complaints mechanism and the appeals and complaints shall be addressed with commitment and within reasonable time;
• We shall follow a risk-based approach by managing risks associated with providing competent, consistent and impartial certification.

Adequate management system shall be established, documented, implemented, maintained, operated, monitored and continually improved to ensure that the principles that inspire confidence in our certification is fully met.

Impartiality Policy

We are committed to impartiality by:

• Ensuring Independence in the audit process within the certification scheme;
• Ensuring conflict of interest of the personnel and our interests during the conduct of the audit and certification process;
• Ensuring freedom from bias and prejudices originating from the conflicts of interest;
• Ensuring the effective use of established procedures to meet the requirements of the management system standard;
• Ensuring professional approach to deliver the audit and certification processes;
• Implementing monitoring and governance approach Internally;
• Empowering the Impartiality Committee to review the highest standards of our certification Integrity;
• Implementing Internally and empowering the Impartiality committee to address complaints and appeals received by Interested parties.

Adequate management system shall be established, documented, implemented, maintained, operated, monitored and continually improved to demonstrate our commitment to the impartiality of the certification process.

Confidentiality Policy

We understand that the aim of certification is to give confidence to all parties that a certified management system is capable of fulfilling requirements. The value of certification is the degree of confidence and trust on the certified client and the certification body. The degree of confidence may require access to confidential information and the need for privileged access.

Privileged access may be related to confidential information that is needed for the certification body to assess conformity to requirements for certification or meet audit objectives.

In the course of your audit and interaction process, you may create, receive, know of or gain access to information that is confidential and/or proprietary. It is essential that a certification body does not disclose any confidential information.

We are committed to confidentiality by:

• Confidential information may be communicated only to those persons who need to know it for a legitimate audit and /or certification purpose;
• Confidential information relating to third parties is often governed by legal requirements or a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement when an applicable confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement is requested by the parties concerned within the certification and/or audit process;
• Confidential information shall not be communicated to third parties if it would give rise to a conflict between the interests of the recipient and the clients, or if it is reasonably foreseeable that the recipient would misuse the information;
• Parties to the audit and/or certification process shall not leave documents containing confidential information where they may be seen by persons who do not have a need to know the content of the documents;
• Parties to the audit and/or certification process shall avoid unnecessary copying and/or distribution of documents containing confidential information;
• SGIS shall cooperate fully with conflicts generated through compromise of confidentiality within the audit and/or certification process;
• SGIS shall ensure commitment and compliance of the personnel during the conduct of the audit and certification process.
• Adequate management system shall be established, documented, implemented, maintained, operated, monitored and continually improved to demonstrate our commitment to the confidentiality policy in the audit and /or certification process.Endorsed by the Board of directors and signed on behalf of them:

 

Signed on behalf of the Board and the t/a body

 

Date: 1 January 2022