WHAT IS CONSULTANCY ? by AQD EXPERTISE

What is Consultancy? By Andalan Quality Dunia

ISO/IEC GUIDE 66:1999
4.1.2 Structure. [...] The certification/registration body shall [...]
o) ensure that activities of related bodies do not affect the confidentiality, objectivity or impartiality of its certifications/registrations and shall not
offer or provide
1) those services that it certifies/registers others to perform
2) consulting services to obtain or maintain certification/registration

ISO/IEC GUIDE 66:1999 = “General requirements for bodies operating assessment
and certification/registration of environmental management systems”



Interpretation by

International Accreditation Forum (IAF)
IAF GUIDANCE ON THE APPLICATION OF ISO/IEC GUIDE 66
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BODIES OPERATING
ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION/ REGISTRATION OF
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (EMS)

http://www.iaf.nu/default.asp


Consultancy is considered to be participation in an active creative manner in the development of the EMS to be assessed by, for example:

 preparing or producing manuals, handbooks or procedures;
 participating in the decision making process regarding management system matters;
 giving specific advice towards the development and implementation of management systems for eventual certification/registration.

Note: Management systems as referred to in guidance E21 (G.2.1.22.) include all aspects of such systems, including financial.



Certification/registration bodies can carry out the following duties without them being considered as consultancy or having a potential conflict of interest:

 certification/registration including information meetings, planning meetings, examination of documents, auditing (not internal auditing) and follow up of nonconformities;
 arranging and participating as a lecturer in training courses, provided that where these courses relate to environmental management, related management systems or auditing they should confine themselves to the provision of generic information and advice which is freely available in the public domain, i.e. they should not provide company specific advice which contravenes guidance E21 (G.2.1.22.c));
 making available or publishing on request information on the basis for the certification/registration body’s interpretation of the requirements of the assessment standards;


Certification/registration bodies can carry out the following duties...

 activities prior to audit aimed solely at determining readiness for assessment; since the EMS stage 1 audit includes an evaluation of readiness for further assessment activity, certification/registration bodies should exercise extra vigilance to assure that the any additional preassessment activities do not result in the provision of recommendations or advice that would contravene guidance E21(G.2.1.22.). The certification/registration body should be able to confirm that such activities do not contravene these provisions and that they are not used to justify a reduction in the eventual assessment duration;
 performing second and third party audits according to other standards or regulations than those being part of the scope of accreditation;
 adding value during assessments and surveillance visits, e.g., by identifying opportunities for improvement, as they become evident, during the audit without recommending specific solutions.