1. Purpose 

This policy outlines CUALIS’s commitment to maintaining impartiality in all management system certification activities, in compliance with ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015. Impartiality is essential to delivering credible and trustworthy certification services to our clients and stakeholders. 

This Impartiality Policy is publicly available on the CUALIS website and is communicated to all levels of the organization. 

2. Policy Statement 

CUALIS is committed to operating in an impartial and transparent manner, free from any conflict of interest, undue influence, or bias. All certification decisions made by CUALIS shall be based solely on objective evidence of conformity and shall not be influenced by any financial, commercial, or personal interests. 

3. Guiding Principles 

Objectivity: All audit and certification activities will be conducted based on factual evidence and documented procedures. 

Independence: CUALIS shall remain independent of all parties involved in the certification process, including consultancy bodies. 

Conflict of Interest Prevention: Any actual or perceived conflict of interest will be identified, documented, evaluated, and effectively managed or eliminated. 

Non-Discrimination: Certification services are available to all applicants whose operations fall within CUALIS’s defined scope, and are not conditional upon the size, affiliation, or membership of any group or association. 

No Consultancy: CUALIS and its personnel do not offer or provide consultancy services related to management systems being certified. 

Two-Year Rule: Auditors or decision-makers who have provided consultancy services to a client shall not be involved in certification activities for that client for at least two years following the end of the consultancy. 

4. Responsibilities 

The Top Management of CUALIS is responsible for ensuring impartiality is embedded in the organization’s culture, processes, and decision-making. An Independent Impartiality Committee is established to review and monitor impartiality risks and advise on their mitigation. All employees, auditors, and external contractors must sign an impartiality declaration and disclose any potential conflicts of interest. 

The Impartiality Committee has the authority to review any certification decision and has the right to take independent action (e.g., informing the Accreditation Body) if CUALIS Top Management does not follow their advice regarding impartiality risks. 

5. Risk Assessment 

CUALIS conducts ongoing risk assessments to identify and manage threats to impartiality. These include: 

Self-interest 

Self-review 

Familiarity or trust 

Intimidation 

Financial or organizational pressure 

When risks are identified, they are documented and appropriate controls are implemented and reviewed by the Impartiality Committee. 

6. Reporting Concerns 

Anyone, internal or external to CUALIS, may report concerns about impartiality or conflicts of interest to: 
📧 diego.bueno@cualis.net 

Such concerns are treated confidentially and are investigated promptly and thoroughly. 

7. Policy Review 

This policy is reviewed annually or in response to any significant changes in operations or external requirements.