At GCAI Certification, we are committed to maintaining the highest level of impartiality, independence, and objectivity in all certification activities. We understand that confidence in our certificates depends on decisions being free from commercial, financial, or personal influence.
This policy explains how GCAI ensures impartiality, in compliance with ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 (Clause 5.2), ISO/IEC 27006:2024, and relevant IAF Mandatory Documents.
1. Purpose
To safeguard impartiality in all certification decisions by:
- Identifying and managing risks to impartiality.
- Ensuring independence from consultancy or conflicting services.
- Applying transparent and objective certification processes.
2. Scope
Applies to all:
- GCAI staff, contracted auditors, technical experts, committee members, and decision makers.
- All stages of certification, including application, audit, certification decision, surveillance, recertification, suspensions, appeals, and complaints.
3. Our Commitment to Impartiality
- Certification decisions are evidence-based only, using audit findings and objective criteria.
- All clients are treated equally, regardless of size, industry, ownership, or geographic location.
- Individuals involved in consulting or internal audits of a client cannot participate in certification activities for that client.
- Certification decisions are made by personnel independent of the audit process.
4. Managing Conflicts of Interest
- All GCAI personnel and external partners must declare potential conflicts of interest annually and prior to each engagement.
- Any identified risks are evaluated and mitigated before work proceeds.
- Examples of conflicts that are prohibited:
- Auditing or certifying organizations to which GCAI or its personnel have provided consultancy or internal audits.
- Auditing organizations where personal, financial, or family relationships exist.
- Certifying another certification body.
5. Independence from Consultancy
To maintain impartiality, GCAI:
- Does not provide consultancy related to management systems we certify.
- Does not perform internal audits for certification clients.
- Does not outsource audits to consultancy organizations.
- Does not offer marketing, training, or advisory services that could compromise impartiality.
6. Oversight and Governance
- GCAI maintains an Impartiality Committee, with representation from clients, industry experts, academia, regulators, and independent parties.
- This committee has the authority to:
- Review impartiality risks and controls.
- Challenge GCAI management if impartiality is compromised.
- Report impartiality risks directly to the Board if necessary.
- The committee meets at least annually and whenever significant impartiality risks are identified.
7. Risk-Based Approach
- GCAI uses a Risk & Impartiality Register to identify, evaluate, and control impartiality risks.
- Risks are reviewed during:
- Management Reviews.
- Impartiality Committee meetings.
- Accreditation body assessments.
- Corrective actions are implemented where risks are deemed unacceptable.
8. Transparency to Stakeholders
We publish our impartiality policy to ensure public trust. Stakeholders may request further information on how impartiality is managed, and concerns can be raised directly with the Impartiality Committee.
9. Continuous Improvement
- All impartiality practices are reviewed annually for compliance with ISO/IEC 17021-1.
- Feedback from audits, complaints, appeals, and accreditation reviews is used to strengthen impartiality controls.
10. Contact Us
If you have concerns regarding impartiality in our certification activities, please contact us directly:
📧 operations@gcaicert.com | ☎️ +91 9986877136
Your feedback is welcome and treated with full confidentiality.