Statement of Impartiality

One of the fundamental principles of certification, so that it can provide confidence, is that it is impartial.

In order to provide this confidence it is essential that certification decisions are based solely on objective evidence of conformity and are not influenced by other interests.

NQA ensures that the certification it provides is impartial by managing any potential conflicts of interest so that its impartiality is not compromised.

In particular NQA has established processes which ensure that, irrespective of which management system consultancy organisation may have been employed to develop or maintain a client's management system; no advantage will be gained, certification will not be easier or cheaper, and that certification decisions will be based solely on the objective evidence gathered during assessment activities.