Policies for the quality of certification services

ACSQ is a certification body that provides audit and certification services for management systems.

The certification of a management system—such as an environmental management system, a quality management system, or an information security management system of an organization, as well as any other management system whose certification process must be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17021 standard—is a means of providing assurance that the certified organization has implemented a system to manage the aspects related to its activities, products, and services in line with its policy and the requirements of the respective international management system standards.

ACSQ adheres to these requirements in order to ensure that the certification of a client’s management system is carried out competently, consistently, and impartially, thereby facilitating the recognition of such certifications and their acceptance on both a national and international basis.

ACSQ provides management system certification services by delivering independent evidence that the organization’s management system is: a) compliant with the specified requirements; b) capable of consistently achieving the defined policy and objectives; c) implemented effectively.

ACSQ, in turn, implements a management system in accordance with clause 10, option A of ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 so that its services provide a credible conformity assessment that adds value to the organization, its clients, and its stakeholders. The overall objective of the certification provided by ACSQ is to instill confidence in all parties that a management system meets the specified requirements, ensuring an impartial and competent evaluation.

ACSQ recognizes that the value of certification lies in the publicly acknowledged level of trust and credibility that results from an impartial and competent evaluation conducted by a third party.

The parties with an interest in certification include, but are not limited to:

1. the clients of certification bodies;
2. the clients of organizations whose management systems are certified;
3. government authorities;
4. non-governmental organizations;
5. consumers and other members of society.

The principles that inspire ACSQ and are necessary to instill trust include:

• impartiality;
• competence;
• accountability;
• transparency;
• confidentiality;
• swift and effective response to complaints;
• a risk-based approach.

ACSQ and all its internal and external personnel are consistently committed to maintaining both actual and perceived impartiality in order to issue a certification that inspires confidence. In this regard, ACSQ’s decisions are based on objective evidence of conformity (or non-conformity) obtained during audits and are not influenced by other interests or parties. To issue a certification that inspires confidence, ACSQ ensures the competence of its personnel in all functions involved in certification activities. This competence is measured and maintained through the procedures of its management system.

The certified client, and not the certification body, is responsible for the ongoing achievement of the expected results related to the implementation of the management system standard and compliance with certification requirements.

ACSQ assumes the responsibility of evaluating sufficient objective evidence on which to base the certification decision.

ACSQ ensures public access to and/or the disclosure of appropriate and timely information regarding its audit and certification processes, as well as the status of certification (that is, issuance, maintenance, expansion or reduction of scope, renewal, suspension or reinstatement following suspension, or revocation of certification) for all organizations, in order to foster trust in the integrity and credibility of the certification itself. To gain privileged access to the information necessary for adequately assessing compliance with the requirements, ACSQ ensures that confidential information obtained throughout the client’s certification process is not disclosed.

ACSQ ensures a swift and effective response to complaints through their review and, if it is determined that they are substantiated, addresses them appropriately, making every reasonable effort to resolve them.

ACSQ has considered the risks that threaten the competence, consistency, and impartiality of its certification services by analyzing every potential risk associated with:

• the audit objectives;
• the sampling used in the audit process;
• both actual and perceived impartiality;
• issues related to legal liability and mandatory regulations;
• the audited client organization and its operating environment;
• the impact of the audit on the client and its activities;
• the health and safety of the audit teams;
• the perception of stakeholders;
• misleading statements by the certified client;
• the use of trademarks.

ACSQ is a legal entity and, as such, assumes legal responsibility for all its certification activities, protecting itself against potential economic and financial risks with an insurance policy adequate to cover any damages for which it might be held liable.

ACSQ is responsible for and retains authority over certification decisions, including the issuance, refusal, maintenance of certification, expansion or reduction of certification scope, renewal, suspension or reinstatement following suspension, or revocation of certification. Conformity assessment activities are conducted impartially, with safeguards in place to prevent them from being compromised by commercial, financial, or other pressures.

ACSQ recognizes the importance of impartiality in conducting its management system certification activities, manages conflicts of interest, and ensures the objectivity of its management system certification activities.

In light of the above, ACSQ has established a process to identify, analyze, assess, address, monitor, and document risks related to conflicts of interest arising from its certification activities, including conflicts that may continuously arise from its relationships. This process is documented within its management system, demonstrating how ACSQ intends to eliminate or minimize such threats while documenting any residual risks. Each residual risk is analyzed to determine whether it remains within an acceptable risk level.

The risk assessment process includes the identification and consultation of all appropriate stakeholders in order to inform them about issues that affect impartiality, including transparency and public perception.

Among the measures adopted by ACSQ to safeguard against any potential conflict of interest are:

1. not to certify the quality management system of another certification body;
2. not to offer or provide consulting services related to the management system;
3. not to offer or provide internal audit services to its certified clients;
4. not to certify, for a minimum of two years following the conclusion of consulting services, the management system of a client that has received consulting from another organization with which ACSQ maintains a relationship;
5. not to outsource audit activities to a consulting organization specializing in management systems;
6. not to advertise or offer its services in connection with the activities of an organization that provides consulting services related to management systems;
7. to correct any inappropriate links or statements by any consulting organization that declares or implies that certification would be simpler, easier, faster, or less expensive if it were requested from the certification body itself;
8. to ensure that, to avoid conflicts of interest, personnel who have provided consulting services related to the management system—including those in managerial roles—are not employed by the certification body for audits or other certification activities if they were involved in providing consulting services related to management systems for the same client within the previous two years;
9. to ensure that ACSQ personnel, whether internal or external, or any committees that might influence certification activities, act impartially and do not allow commercial, financial, or other pressures to compromise their impartiality;
10. to require its internal and external personnel to report any situation they are aware of that could constitute a conflict of interest for themselves or for the certification body;
11. to have assessed the risks arising from its certification activities and taken out appropriate insurance to cover the liabilities resulting from its operations in each of the fields of activity and geographic areas in which it operates;
12. to have evaluated its financial situation and sources of income to ensure that, both initially and on an ongoing basis, commercial, financial, or other pressures do not compromise its impartiality;

ACSQ has appointed a Technical Committee that directs the certification activities, establishing its mandate and operating procedures.

ACSQ has deemed appropriate the levels and methods of control for the activities undertaken, including its processes, the technical areas in which certification bodies operate, personnel competence, management control lines, reporting, and remote access to activities, including records.

THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
Alessio Aliani