Impartiality: The Foundation of Our Credibility

At the Australian Certification and Assessment Group (ACAG), impartiality is not merely a regulatory requirement or a policy statement—it is the fundamental principle upon which our entire organization is built. Our credibility, and the value of every certificate and report we issue, rests on the assurance that our conformity assessment activities are conducted without bias and that our decisions are based solely on objective evidence.

We understand that even the perception of bias can undermine confidence in our services. Therefore, ACAG has established a comprehensive corporate governance framework designed to safeguard our impartiality, identify and manage potential conflicts of interest, and ensure that our activities are conducted with the highest level of integrity and ethical conduct.

This commitment to impartiality is embedded in our organizational culture, championed by our leadership, and subject to regular verification through internal monitoring and external accreditation body surveillance.

Understanding Threats to Impartiality

Impartiality can be threatened by various factors, including:

Financial Interests
Dependence on revenue from a single client or group of related clients could create pressure to make favorable certification decisions.

Commercial Relationships
Relationships with consultancy firms, training providers, or other organizations could create conflicts between our certification activities and other commercial interests.

Personal Relationships
Personal or professional relationships between our personnel and client organizations could influence objectivity.

Competitive Pressures
Market pressures to attract or retain clients could influence certification decisions if not properly managed.

ACAG’s governance framework is specifically designed to identify, analyze, and mitigate these and other potential threats to our impartiality.

Our Governance Framework

ACAG’s governance structure includes multiple layers of oversight and control to ensure impartiality is maintained:

Independent Governance Board

ACAG’s Governance Board provides strategic oversight and ensures accountability in our operations. The Board includes:

Balanced Representation
The Board comprises individuals representing diverse stakeholder interests, including industry, government, consumer groups, and conformity assessment expertise. No single interest group predominates, ensuring balanced decision-making.

Independence
Board members are selected for their expertise and integrity, and are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest. The Board operates independently from ACAG’s commercial management.

Key Responsibilities - Oversight of ACAG’s strategic direction and performance - Review of policies and procedures affecting impartiality - Monitoring of financial sustainability without compromising impartiality - Approval of significant changes to certification schemes or service offerings

Impartiality Committee

The Impartiality Committee is a specialized body with specific responsibility for safeguarding ACAG’s impartiality:

Independent Composition
The Committee comprises independent members representing key stakeholder groups, including certified clients, industry associations, regulatory bodies, and conformity assessment experts. Committee members have no commercial relationship with ACAG beyond their Committee role.

Authority and Responsibilities - Regular review of ACAG’s activities to identify potential threats to impartiality - Investigation of complaints or concerns related to impartiality - Authority to require corrective actions if impartiality is at risk - Direct reporting to the Governance Board, bypassing operational management - Annual reporting on impartiality matters

Meeting Frequency
The Committee meets at least quarterly, with additional meetings convened as needed to address specific concerns.

Conflict of Interest Management

ACAG maintains rigorous processes to identify and manage conflicts of interest:

Personnel Declarations
All ACAG personnel, including auditors, inspectors, technical experts, and management, are required to: - Declare any relationships or interests that could constitute a conflict - Update declarations whenever circumstances change - Recuse themselves from activities where conflicts exist

Client Relationship Analysis
We regularly analyze our client portfolio to identify: - Excessive revenue dependence on single clients or related groups - Relationships between clients and ACAG personnel - Potential conflicts arising from service combinations

Activity Separation
We maintain clear separation between: - Certification activities and consultancy services - Audit/inspection activities and training services - Commercial management and certification decision-making

Organizational Safeguards

Financial Independence
ACAG maintains diverse revenue sources to avoid dependence on any single client or client group. We set thresholds for maximum revenue from individual clients and monitor compliance continuously.

Decision-Making Independence
Certification decisions are made by qualified personnel who are independent from the audit/inspection team and from commercial management. Decision-makers have no financial incentive to make favorable decisions.

Internal Auditing
Regular internal audits assess compliance with impartiality requirements, effectiveness of governance structures, and identification of emerging risks.

Whistleblower Protection
ACAG maintains confidential channels for personnel to report concerns about impartiality or integrity without fear of retaliation.

Code of Conduct and Ethics

All ACAG personnel are required to adhere to a comprehensive Code of Conduct that includes:

Professional Integrity - Honesty and truthfulness in all professional activities - Objective evaluation based solely on evidence - Resistance to pressures that could compromise impartiality

Confidentiality - Protection of client information - Non-disclosure of sensitive business information - Appropriate handling of proprietary data

Competence - Acceptance only of work within areas of competence - Commitment to continuous professional development - Recognition of the limits of one’s expertise

Respect and Fairness - Respectful treatment of all individuals - Fair and consistent application of requirements - Non-discrimination in all activities

Violations of the Code of Conduct are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or contract.

Transparency and Accountability

ACAG is committed to transparency in our governance and operations:

Public Information
We make publicly available: - Our governance structure and policies - Composition of our Governance Board and Impartiality Committee - Our Code of Conduct and ethics policies - Procedures for complaints and appeals

Regular Reporting
We provide regular reports to: - Our Governance Board on operational performance and impartiality matters - Our accreditation bodies on compliance with accreditation requirements - Stakeholders through annual reports and public communications

External Verification
Our governance framework and impartiality safeguards are regularly assessed by: - Accreditation body auditors during surveillance and reassessment - Internal audit programs - External stakeholder feedback mechanisms

Your Assurance of Integrity

When you choose ACAG as your conformity assessment partner, you can be confident that:

• Our certification decisions are based solely on objective evidence

• Our auditors and inspectors operate with complete independence

• Our governance structures ensure impartiality is never compromised

• Your sensitive information is protected with strict confidentiality

• Our services are delivered with the highest ethical standards

This commitment to governance and integrity is non-negotiable. It is our promise to our clients, our stakeholders, and the global marketplace that the ACAG name is synonymous with trust, independence, and credibility.