SITMA maintains the following Impartiality Policy:
SITMA, as an independent entity, operates its certification scheme with impartiality, recognising the significance of such an approach. The scheme is managed by a Scheme Manager, who is a full-time employee and a voting member of the scheme committee, also known as the Board of Directors. This committee, characterised by its impartiality and diversity, comprises a balanced representation of stakeholders, including some with no direct involvement in the testing process.
All employees, whether directly employed or subcontracted, are bound by contracts or forms that ensure impartiality and confidentiality. They are obligated to disclose any actual or perceived conflicts of interest. When agreeing to serve as a director, members of the scheme committee consent to the terms of reference outlined in ‘QMS014 – Board of Directors Terms of Reference’.
SITMA maintains a risk register, reviewed annually, to identify potential threats to its impartiality. SITMA retains full responsibility for all decisions related to the certification of individuals. This includes granting, maintaining, recertifying, expanding, or reducing the scope of certification, and suspending or withdrawing certification. These decisions are not delegated to any third party.
This statement of impartiality aligns with Section 4.3.1 of ISO/IEC 17024:2012 and underscores SITMA’s commitment to impartiality in its operations.
To support the above statement and SITMA’s commitment to impartiality across the entirety of its operations the following policies and procedures are maintained:
1. QMS002 – Confidentiality & Code of Conduct for Scheme Management’: a written agreement that outlines the rules and responsibilities expected from SITMA personnel. This serves as a behavioural guide that promotes integrity, accountability, and impartiality.
2. FOS001 – Management of Impartiality & Conflicts: Used by SITMA personnel on an ongoing basis to declare any potential conflicts of interest that they might have when involved in decision-making roles.
3. QMS010 – Business Impartiality Risk Register: is used to document the risks related specifically to the operation of SITMA and to provide preventive measures to reduce these risks.
4. QMS014 – Board of Directors Terms of Reference: a written agreement the outlines the rules and responsibilities expected from the SITMA Board of Directors and ensures that the operations of SITMA are overseen by an impartial and mixed Board.
QMS001 – Issue 3.8
SITMA are committed to running impartial schemes. Our impartiality statement, GDPR data management, data, whistleblowing policies can be accessed using the links above. This also include SITMA’s full complaints procedure if you are not happy with SITMA’s service.
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