Impartiality

Treating all clients the same.

As a JAS-ANZ accredited certification body, impartiality is one of the most important core values that we uphold throughout all aspects of QSERC. We recognise the importance of ensuring impartiality, as it is required for us to deliver ISO Certification that inspires confidence. All of QSERC’s internal and external personnel are aware of our impartiality requirements and the importance of treating everyone equally.

QSERC upholds a culture and community that expects that staff and assessors will act in a way that promotes and encourages quality practices and culture. We have identified possible conflicts of interests arising from the provision of ISO Certification services - they are as follows:

Financial self-interest.

We have recognised that the source of revenue for QSERC is its clients paying for certification, this brings up a range of potential threats to impartiality. To obtain and maintain confidence that the approval of certification is based purely upon conformity with relevant criteria and objective evidence. At least yearly, our entire certification process is carried out by QSERC, under close supervision of senior management.

QSERC is dedicated to upholding a quality culture within our organisation as well as encouraging and implementing this culture among our clients and the construction industry. Our entire organisation is well-aware of our impartiality policy and is closely supervised to ensure conformity with this policy.

Self-review.

Threats to impartiality arise from a person or body reviewing their own work. Auditing the management systems of a client to whom the certification body provided those systems consultancy would be a self-review threat. Our system and processes ensure that the decision for approval will be taken by an individual that is not associated with the related certification.

All assessment staff are prohibited from assessing any organisation to which they have given assistance to regarding the management system - this includes: document preparation, internal assessment, in-house training or where they have any financial/commercial interest in that organisation.

All QSERC employees are prohibited from engaging in management system assessments - this includes: preparing or producing procedures, manuals, handbooks, participating in management system decision making process and giving advice towards the development and operation of management systems for certification/registration.

All assessors associated with QSERC are not allowed to conduct internal assessments to its certified clients. We also will not undertake third-party certification of the management system of an organisation, where it has provided internal assessment services in the past two years. Subcontracted assessors will not be involved in the certification stage (including assessments) with any clients of the subcontracted assessor or their employer.

Assessor self-interest.

QSERC does an in-depth review of our assessors' and their current connections, we ensure that assessors have no interest in the company; whether that be financial, personal etc. Assessors also sign agreements that make it mandatory to reveal all situations of conflict. In those situations, we ensured said assessor is not involved in the assessment team or certification decision process.

Intimidation.

Intimidation and disagreements have been flagged as a possible threat to impartiality, when there are contradicting views on findings identified during the assessment, the auditor is encouraged to raise the issue in the assessment report, and request the auditee to complain or appeal to us against the assessors findings.

We will not be intimidated and coerced by any auditees or interested with the threat of replacement. We are committed to ensuring a quality culture among clients - and those who are willing to intimidate to acquire certification, is not a client we would like to work with.

Relationships.

QSERC ensures that assessors are selected after careful analysis of potential conflicts of interest, to eliminate the competitive threat between auditee and assessor. This is to uphold and ensure impartiality, and keep decision making on an objective basis.

We have identified that there are potential areas of conflict of interest due to relationships, if any relationship poses a threat to impartiality, QSERC will not undertake said certification.

Familiarity.

Through careful analysis of assessors, if we determine that they have a personal familiarity with a client, we will change assessments after completion of one certification cycle to reduce familiarity between auditor and auditee.

Do you have any other questions or concerns regarding QSERCS impartiality? Contact us now.