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Commitment to Impartiality and Actions of JQA
— Conformity to International Standards for Operations of Management System Certification Bodies —

For the operation of management system certification bodies (hereinafter referred to as "certification bodies"), there were two international standards, ISO/IEC Guide 62 (General requirements for bodies operating assessment and certification/registration of quality systems) and ISO/IEC Guide 66 (General requirements for bodies operating assessment and certification/registration of environmental management systems). A new standard, ISO/IEC 17021 (Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems), integrating the two is now issued as of September 2006. With worldwide spread of certification/registration of management systems, the new standard requires the certification bodies to operate certification/registration in a competent and impartial manner.

We JQA have introduced a system for being in conformance to the new standard, ISO/IEC 17021 this October. Key points of ISO/IEC 17021 and the actions taken by JQA for meeting the intents of the standard are here below introduced.

The aim of third party certification system is to give confidence to all interested parties that "the client's management system fulfils specified requirements". For making this come true, impartial and objective assessments by certification bodies are required. Principles shown in ISO/IEC 17021 for certification bodies giving that confidence are 1) Impartiality, 2) Competence, 3) Responsibility, 4) Openness, 5) Confidentiality and 6) Responsiveness to complaints.

[Impartiality] Must be perceived to be impartial for the appropriateness of certification/registration

For provision of confident assessment, being impartial is most necessary. It is recognized that the source of revenue for a certification body is its client paying for certification, and that this is a potential threat to impartiality. An impartial assessment standing on a neutral position not influenced by interests or other pressures is what most concerned.

It is the most important for JQA to be trusted by our clients' customers or by market and society that our assessment and certification/registration is impartial and neutral. This is achieved by ensuring impartiality through constant monitoring of conflict of interests, structure to address those conflicts and organizing a committee for impartiality consisted by external members. These enable auditors to perform appropriately without conflict of interests.

[Competence] Maintain auditor education and training system

For development of auditor competence, there is a need to improve auditor capability or technical skills by holding an organizational system for auditor education and training.

JQA identifies auditor competence and for its maintenance and improvement, we formulate a structure for auditor education, training and evaluation.

[Responsibility] Responsibility for objective assessment

Certification bodies have the responsibility to "assess the conformity to requirements".

JQA lays a system determining definite responsibility and authority of the respective audit team throughout the certification/registration process.

[Transparency] Promote appropriate disclosure of information

Transparency is realized by disclosure of appropriate information and their availability. It is required to open appropriate information to interested parties on the registration status of all registered organizations in addition to assessment process and registration process.

JQA now makes public "organizations in suspension", "organizations withdrawn" and "procedures for handling complaints and appeals" for ensuring transparency of our certification/registration scheme.

[Confidentiality] System maintenance and continuing education for strengthening confidentiality

Any information obtained through assessments must be kept confidential.

Development of a data security system for keeping information confidential obtained during assessment activities and on-going personnel education are continued in JQA.

[Responsiveness to complaints] Publicize procedures for handling complaints, etc

Complaints from registered organizations and from those who are using products or services of the registered organizations should be appropriately and effectively responded.

By making public procedures for handling complaints or appeals, JQA improved its system in responding to such complaints from the registered organizations or their customers.

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