Privacy policy

QUALITY POLICY – MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND HALAL CERTIFICATION UNITS

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: QUALITY POLICY

Atyab Certifications is dedicated to providing a high-quality certification service to all of its clients, which is carried out in a fair and impartial manner Our management systems have been developed to ensure that out auditing, certification and associated procedures are carried out to the highest levels of quality and integrity. We aim to provide customers with the best possible service based on openness and impartiality. Our management system and procedures have been developed specifically to ensure we recognize any conflicts of interest and ensure the objectivity of the certification process. In order to achieve this objective a Quality System has been designed, developed and implemented across the whole range of certification services offered. This system will ensure that both the contractual requirements agreed with our clients and the controls laid down by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) including the international standard ISO/IEC 17021 are satisfied. The company’s quality system is laid down in controlled documentation, which covers all aspects of the company’s operation, has been approved by top management, understood by all associated staff and implemented at all levels. In order that its effectiveness is maintained the whole system is regularly monitored through internal audits and periodic reviews.

HALAL CERTIFICATION-QUALITY POLICY

The Halal Certification Services of Atyab Certifications is dedicated to providing a high quality Halal certification service to all of its clients, which is carried out in a fair and impartial manner. Our management systems have been developed to ensure that the Halal certification and associated services and procedures are undertaken to the highest levels of quality and integrity. We aim to provide customers with the best possible service based on openness and impartiality. Our management systems and procedures have been developed specifically to ensure that we recognize any conflicts of interest and ensure objectivity of the Halal certification process. In order to achieve this objective a quality system has been designed, developed and implemented across the whole range of Halal certification activities and services offered. This system will ensure that both the contractual requirements agreed with our clients and the controls given by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC), including the standards ISO/IEC 17065, are satisfied. The company’s Halal certification quality system is laid down in controlled documentation, which covers all aspects of the company’s operation, has been approved by top management, understood by all associated staff and implemented at all levels. In order that its effectiveness is maintained the whole system is regularly monitored through internal audits and periodic reviews.

A. Atyab Certification. is the legal entity responsible for certification activities; reference to Atyab Certification. in this Policy and Public Statement refers to these legal entities.

Atyab Certification. its Directors, Staff and Sub–contractors fully understands the importance of impartiality in undertaking its Certification Activities. Atyab Certification. will therefore ensure that in all its dealings with clients or potential clients all employees or other personnel are and will remain impartial.

To ensure that impartiality is both maintained and can be demonstrated the following principals have been established.

• Atyab Certification. Certificates are only issued following a review by an independent authorised and competent member of the management team (who has not been involved in the audit) to ensure that no interest shall predominate
• Atyab Certification. does not offer (and has never offered) management system consultancy or any other form of consultancy to companies or individuals.
• Atyab Certification. does not offer (and has never offered) an internal audit service to its certified clients.
• Atyab Certification. does not own or have any interest (financial or otherwise) in any other company that offers certification or management system consultancy services.
• Atyab Certification. does not have (and will not form) any relationships with companies who offer consultancy or other services that can be construed as having an impact on the certification services provided by Atyab Certification. Any proposed relationship between Atyab Certification. and any other company will undergo a risk assessment by the Committee for Impartiality prior to that relationship being formalised.
• Any current relationships with companies, organisations and individuals will be risk assessed on a regular basis to ensure that the relationship does not impact upon the impartiality of the certification process.
• Individuals employed by or otherwise contracted to Atyab Certification. are required to document and record their current and past relationships with all companies. Any situation past or present which may present a potential conflict of interest is required by Atyab Certification. to be declared. Atyab Certification. will use the information to identify any threats to impartiality and will not use that individual in any capacity unless they can demonstrate that there is no conflict of interest.
• Atyab Certification. will not allocate a member of staff or sub–contractor to a management system audit where any past relationship has existed. Exceptionally and at the discretion of the Technical Manager or Directors an individual or sub–contractor may be allocated to a management system audit where a past relationship has existed but there has been no relationship for a minimum of 2 years.
• Atyab Certification. does not and will not offer any commission, (‘finders fees’ or other inducements) to any individual or company in respect of referrals of clients unless:

B. The terms and conditions of any such referral are clearly established and can be demonstrated and it can also be demonstrated that the fee is for a referral and the fact that a commission has been paid will in no way effect the outcome of an audit.

• A risk assessment (to establish the potential for an unacceptable threat to impartiality) has been carried out on the process through which any such payment is made to an individual or organisation (normally a consultant) requesting the commission for referrals.
• All such payments are documented, recorded, and traceable and accompanied by a purchase order and invoice.
• Atyab Certification. does not offer specific training to any company in respect of implementing a particular standard for that company. Any training offered by Atyab Certification. is general in nature and available to all companies or individuals who wish to attend.
• Atyab Certification. will ensure that it is not linked or marketed in any way which links it with the activities of a management system consultancy and will take appropriate action should any such link be identified.
• Auditors and others involved in the certification process are not and will not be put under any pressure and will not be influenced in any way to come to a particular conclusion regarding the result of an audit.

C. Atyab Certification’s Impartiality Norms:

• No outsourcing of Audits to Consultancy Organisation.
• No Referral Fees to be paid to Consultancy Organisation.
• Facts based communication to Clients/ Consultancy Organisation.
• Adherence to all Accreditation and other Atyab Certification. Policies.
• Atyab Certification. shall not carry out any other conflicting services other than its core business of Certification.
• Atyab Certification. shall not employ any professional conflicting its ethical policies.
• Atyab Certification. shall not allow any of its auditors to market the services and conduct the audits for the same client.
• Atyab Certification. shall not allow any of its auditors to carry out financial transactions with clients / consultants.
• Atyab Certification. shall not carry out business with any consultant inducing pressures to compromise impartiality.
• All employees of Atyab Certification. shall disclose any situation impairing the business ethics.
• Atyab Certification. shall not allow any of the auditors to carry out audits for the client at least for 2 years from the date of relinquishment from their services for the client.
• Atyab Certification. shall not allow any auditor to compromise on the audit timing as required as per the accreditation/ Atyab Certification. norms.
• Atyab Certification. shall not allow any auditor to conduct the audit for the client for which it has not been approved for.
• Atyab Certification. shall maintain transparency with regard to all information.
• No auditor shall divulge any confidential information of the client to any third party without written consent from the client and approval by MD
• No auditor shall carry any client information with them after the usage period. All client information shall be returned after usage.
• Utmost care / verification to be carried out for granting the right scope of certification.
• Any unethical practice observed should be notified to the management at the earliest.
• Atyab Certification. shall not allow any of its auditors to accept any gifts from client / consultant of value greater than OMR 50..
• Atyab Certification. shall not allow any auditor to conduct audit for the organization where any of its family members / close relatives are involved at a decision making position.
• Disciplinary actions for non–adhering to impartiality policies shall be taken by the Management in consultation with Impartiality Committee.
• To supplement in–house resource Atyab Certification employs Associate (sub–contract) auditors and sometimes has working relationships with overseas business managers. At no stage does Atyab Certification outsource its audits to management systems consultancy organisation, outsource its certification decisions, or link its marketing activities with management systems consultancy. Atyab Certification retains full control of all decision making processes regarding granting, maintaining, renewing, extending, reducing, suspending or withdrawing certification.
• Atyab Certification continues to evaluate the risks associated with its operations in the domestic and overseas to ensure it can meet liabilities associated with its certification activities. A comprehensive risk analysis is maintained and reviewed annually.
• Conflict of Interest and objectivity is further covered through annual training sessions and contractually binding agreements, to ensure all management system certification activities are conducted in an independent and impartial manner.
• Audit / certification staff are prohibited from participating in the Audit / certification of any organisation to which they have given assistance, by consultancy or training (other than professionally registered auditor training), or where they have any financial or commercial interest for a minimum period of 2 years prior to the date of application of the organisation for registration.
• When allocated to a particular contract, Audit / certification staff shall not disclose or discuss any detail; before or after the Audit / certification; to any member of staff other than their direct Management or other members of the team, as required by the Secrecy & Non–Disclosure agreement signed on commencement of employment.
• All subcontracted Audit / certification staff or sector specialists used to support permanent staff of Atyab Certification shall sign a Subcontractor Agreement and a Secrecy & Non Disclosure Agreement and shall be included on the Office Potential Conflict Listing.
• Atyab Certification direct employees are prohibited from engaging in consultancy activities, which involve the active design, generation or implementation of a Quality or Environmental Management System.
• All directly employed Management and Staff are required to declare all financial interests or business activities on commencement and during the period of employment.
• Atyab Certification staff or subcontractors shall not suggest or imply to imply that certification would be simpler, easier or less expensive if consultancy or training services were used. In addition subcontract staff cannot offer consultancy or training services to Atyab Certification’s clients that they have been assigned to audit, during or after the assigned task has been completed.
• Overall, the certification of companies who supply a service to Atyab Certification is not deemed to be an unacceptable threat to conflict of interest. However, certification of a company in partnership with whom Atyab Certification provides a direct service is deemed to be an unacceptable Impartiality Policy.
• Atyab Certification recognize that the source of revenue for a certification body is the client paying for certification, and that this is a potential threat to impartiality. Therefore Atyab Certification is a self financed independent organization, with a number of controls to ensure that impartiality is retained. To obtain and maintain confidence, it is essential that Atyab Certification's certification decisions are based on objective evidence of conformity or nonconformity, and that any decisions made are not influenced by other interests or by other parties. Certification decisions are made and signed for by a competent Certification Manager who was not responsible for the audit and was not a member of the audit team Atyab Certification recognizes that threats to impartiality include the following.
• Self–interest threats arising from a person or body acting in their own interest.
• Self–review threats arising from a person reviewing the work that they have conducted themselves.
• Familiarity (or trust) threats arising from a person becoming too familiar with or too trusting of another, instead of seeking audit evidence.
• Intimidation threats arising from a person having a perception of being coerced openly or secretively, such as a threat to be replaced or reported to a supervisor.

D. Public Statement

• Atyab Certification., its Directors, Managers, Staff and others involved in the Certification of Organisations fully understand the importance of impartiality in undertaking its Certification Activities.
• Atyab Certification. will therefore ensure that in its dealings with clients or potential clients, all employees or other personnel involved in Certification Activities are, and will remain, impartial.
• To ensure that impartiality is both maintained and can be demonstrated, Atyab Certification. has identified and risk assessed all relationships which may result in a conflict of interest or pose a threat to impartiality.

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CERTIFICATION AGREEMENT

HALAL CERTIFICATION AGREEMENT REFER FORM 27-a management system certification agreement form 27-B HALAL certification agreement

NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

Refer: F-12A MUTUAL NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

APPEALS REVIEW SUBMISSION FORM

Refer: F-24 A Appeal Review Form

COMPLAINTS AND APPEAL PROCEDURE

Refer: QP -7 Complaints and Appeal Procedure

Refer QP -9 Audit – Planning, Conducting And Reporting For Management System Standards

QP -9a Audit – Planning, Conducting And Reporting For Halal Certification of Slaughter House and Meat Processing Plants

QP -9b Audit – Planning, Conducting And Reporting For Halal Certifications of Food Chain Products

Use of Certificate and Marks

Refer QP 11 Procedure of control the use of Atyab Certificate and mark of conformity & scheme owner’s certificates and mark of conformity

FINANCIAL STATUS OF AICS

AICS Finances are based on long-term investments made by shareholders, and it operates according to the operating agreement between Company members. All Financial liabilities and assets, Cash equivalents, Debt securities, are organized by the operating agreement.

Furthermore, an annual budget is designated for the Certification procedures to cover all the financial liabilities. This budget is provided after the fiscal year is over and profit/loss report is issued and reviewed by the Management board annual meeting. AICS Quality is covered under professional indemnity insurance to handle its liabilities which is restricted to the liabilities against the scheme owner and AICS Clients only and not including clients of Scheme owner's clients or the clients of AICS clients to with gross negligence compensation restricted only to the fees paid to Certification Body under this Contract, the commitment to this liability responsibility is valid for one year after the date of Certification Body completing performing the service.

Furthermore, AICS possesses a gross amount as reserved capital deposit securing its operations and assuring its financial stability