Management Systems Certification d.o.o. is committed to respecting the fundamental principles that ensure and improve the quality of its services. These principles are embedded in the basic procedures of the certification body, but also serve as a guideline for decision-making in cases where there are no adequate procedures for responding and making a decision. No situation or specific case is allowed to jeopardize respect for the following principles.
Through its own management system, the certification body seeks to secure the trust of all stakeholders by consistently respecting the following principles:
A) Impartiality
All decisions of the certification body are impartial and the principle of impartiality is built in through the relevant procedures and guidelines. In order to gain and maintain confidence, all decisions of the certification body are based on the objective evidence of conformance (or nonconformance) reached by the certification body during its auditing process. These decisions of the certification body shall not be influenced by other interests or parties, except by objective evidence and clear criteria. In order to ensure the principle of impartiality, the certification body has formed a Committee for securing impartiality which checks for possible violations of the given principle. Any stakeholder can address the Committee for securing impartiality, which has the authority to make independent decisions and recommendations on these issues without being influenced by representatives of the certification body.
B) Competence
All activities concerned with certification are carried out by competent individuals in accordance with the approved job classification. The certification body carries out regular and special training of auditors and technical experts in line with changes in the related documents and rules, as well as recommendations.
C) Responsibility
The organization of the client, not the certification body, is responsible for compliance with the requirements of the certification. Auditors from the certification body (with any necessary involvement of technical experts) are responsible for collecting a sufficient amount of objective evidence on which to base the conclusions of the audit. Based on the conclusions of the audit, decision is made on whether to grant the certification if there is sufficient evidence of compliance, or refuse the certification if there is insufficient evidence of compliance. Each assessment is based on sampling the management system of the organization, and therefore does not represent a 100% guarantee of compliance with the requirements. More detailed actions and responsibilities in connection with the certification process are given in the Certification procedure.
D) Openness
With the purpose of gaining trust in the integrity and reliability of the certification, the certification body has provided public access to relevant and up-to-date information about auditing and certification processes and on the status of the certification (i.e. granting, extension, maintenance, renewal, suspension, reduction in the scope or withdrawal of the certification) of each organization. Openness is the principle of securing access to or the presentation of relevant information. In order to gain or maintain confidence in the certification, the certification body provides appropriate access to information on the conclusions of particular audits which are not confidential (e.g. assessments related to an appeal) to stakeholders.
E) Confidentiality
The certification body treats all client information as confidential. It is not permitted for any of the participants in the certification process to pass on any information of significance to third parties without the client's approval.
F) Responding to complaints
