Statement of Impartiality

QMSAI Statement of Impartiality

At QMSAI, we recognize the critical importance of impartiality in our certification activities. We are committed to maintaining objectivity, independence, and fairness in all certification decisions.

To uphold this, we:
Implement policies and procedures to identify, assess, and mitigate risks to impartiality.
Maintain an impartial committee to oversee and review impartiality risks.
Ensure our certification personnel are independent of assessment and training activities
Prohibit involvement in consultancy services to avoid conflicts of interest.
Continuously review and improve our impartiality framework through audits and stakeholder feedback.
Through these measures, we inspire trust and confidence in our certification services

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish and maintain impartiality in all certification activities conducted by QMSAI, an ISO certification body for ISO auditors. This policy ensures that decisions related to certification are based solely on objective evidence of conformity and are free from any conflicts of interest or external influence, in compliance with ISO/IEC 17024:2012 Clause 4.3.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all personnel, committees, contractors, and related parties involved in the certification process, including the development of certification schemes, examination processes, certification decisions, and ongoing surveillance.

3. Policy Statement

QMSAI is committed to impartiality in all its certification activities. QMSAI ensures that all decisions related to the certification of auditors are made impartially, based on objective evidence obtained through assessments and evaluations. Any conflicts of interest that may influence impartiality must be identified, disclosed, and managed.

4. Responsibilities

Board of Directors: The board is responsible for overseeing and ensuring that the impartiality policy is implemented and maintained.
Impartiality Committee: An independent committee that oversees QMSAI’s certification processes to ensure impartiality is upheld and to review potential risks.
Impartiality Committee: An independent committee that oversees QMSAI’s certification processes to ensure impartiality is upheld and to review potential risks.
All Employees and Contractors: Are responsible for declaring any conflicts of interest and acting in accordance with QMSAI’s impartiality guidelines.

5. Impartiality Safeguards

5.1 Risk Identification and Management (Clause 4.3.1)

Identifying Risks: QMSAI will regularly conduct a risk analysis to identify and assess any potential risks to impartiality. This includes assessing relationships, financial interests, or biases that may affect the objectivity of the certification process.
Risk Mitigation: When risks are identified, QMSAI will take appropriate measures to mitigate or eliminate these risks. If complete impartiality cannot be assured, QMSAI will not proceed with the certification activity

5.2 Independence of Certification Decisions (Clause 4.3.5)

Certification decisions must be made by individuals who are independent of the assessment process. Personnel involved in training or consulting activities related to the audit or certification process must not participate in certification decisions.
Individuals involved in the development, training, or consulting for the candidate or organization seeking certification will not be allowed to make or influence certification decisions.

5.3 Avoiding Conflicts of Interest (Clause 4.3.4)

Conflict of Interest Declarations: All personnel and committee members involved in certification activities must declare any personal, professional, or financial relationships that could create a conflict of interest.
Contractor Impartiality: Contractors involved in the certification process must be free of conflicts of interest and must declare any existing or potential conflicts before engaging in any certification-related activities.
Independence from Financial Influence: Financial relationships or pressures will not influence certification decisions or assessments.

6. Reporting and Reviewing Impartiality

Regular Review: The impartiality committee will regularly review QMSAI’s certification activities to ensure that impartiality is upheld, and will review risk assessments as part of this process.
Monitoring: Regular audits and monitoring will be conducted to ensure that QMSAI’s impartiality is maintained.
Corrective Actions: If any breaches of impartiality are identified, QMSAI will implement corrective actions promptly and review the circumstances to prevent recurrence.