Accreditation
Impartiality Policy
Our policy commitment
Embedding impartiality throughout accreditation
Impartiality underpins every accreditation activity and decision at Quality Accreditation Commission (QAC). We are committed to an accreditation process characterized by independence, objectivity, transparency and integrity.
All personnel involved in QAC accreditation—including senior management, committee members, assessors, technical experts and external personnel—are expected to recognize the importance of impartiality, identify and manage potential conflicts, and carry out their duties without bias or undue influence.
Financial, commercial, organizational, personal and other relationships can threaten impartiality. QAC therefore undertakes continuing identification, analysis, evaluation, treatment, monitoring and documentation of impartiality risks.
The following principles define QAC’s commitment to safeguarding impartiality throughout its work:
Putting impartiality safeguards into practice
- 1 Identify impartiality risks
- 2 Analyse and record risks
- 3 Implement safeguards
- 4 Make independent decisions
- 5 Review and strengthen controls
Principles of impartiality
Seven commitments governing accreditation
Independence and Objectivity
Conduct accreditation activities and make decisions independently and objectively, free from improper influence.
Conflict of Interest Management
Identify, disclose, evaluate and manage actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest.
Fair and Non-Discriminatory Treatment
Apply fair, consistent treatment to every eligible conformity assessment body seeking accreditation.
Impartial Accreditation Decisions
Base accreditation decisions on objective evidence, demonstrated competence and the relevant requirements.
Freedom from Undue Influence
Shield accreditation personnel and activities from commercial, financial, political and other pressures that could impair impartiality.
Personnel Accountability
Require everyone involved in accreditation to act impartially, disclose relevant relationships and follow QAC’s impartiality policies and procedures.
Continuous Monitoring and Improvement
Review impartiality risks regularly and evaluate whether safeguards effectively protect the integrity and credibility of accreditation.
Impartiality, integrity and professional excellence are central to QAC’s accreditation work. Fair treatment, transparent processes and independent judgment support credible, consistent accreditation and confidence among conformity assessment bodies, regulators, industry stakeholders and the public.
Personnel safeguards
Protecting independent judgment
All personnel participating in QAC accreditation, including management, assessors, technical experts, committee members and decision-makers, must sign binding agreements covering confidentiality, impartiality and conflicts of interest.
Our policy commitment
The agreements require disclosure of actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest. Personnel must remain free from commercial, financial, personal and other undue influences that could undermine independent, objective and ethical accreditation work.
QAC identifies, evaluates, manages and monitors impartiality risks so that assessments and accreditation decisions are fair, independent and supported by objective evidence.
Confidence through impartial assessment
Objective evidence and independent judgment form the basis of QAC’s accreditation decisions.