Impartiality Policy

​

Raffles International Certification (RIC) is committed to conducting all certification activities with the highest levels of impartiality, independence and integrity. To safeguard confidence in our certification decisions, RIC has established policies and procedures to identify, evaluate and manage any risks to impartiality.

All RIC personnel — including employees, contracted auditors, technical experts and committee members — are required to uphold the following principles:

​

1. No Guarantees or Improper Influence

RIC personnel shall not advertise, guarantee, commit to, or imply the outcome of any audit or certification decision. No financial, commercial, or other incentives may influence audit conclusions or certification outcomes.

​

2. Independence from Commercial or External Pressures

RIC shall conduct all audits and certification decisions objectively. Auditors and staff shall not allow commercial pressures, personal interests, or relationships to compromise impartiality or create the perception of bias.

​

3. No Conflict of Interest with Audited Organisations

RIC personnel shall remain independent of organisations being audited. They shall not engage in activities that could create a conflict of interest, including financial, professional, or competitive relationships with clients or related bodies. Any known situation that may present a conflict of interest must be reported immediately.

​

4. No Consultancy or Internal Audit Activities

RIC shall not offer, provide, or promote consultancy services, including internal audits, to any current or prospective certified client.

RIC will not certify a management system on which an internal audit or consultancy service has been provided by its personnel or contracted auditors within the last two years, in accordance with international norms.

​

5. Separation from Consultancy Organisations

RIC shall not market its services or imply certification advantages through any consultancy organisation.
RIC will take corrective action against any consultant who claims or implies that using their services will make certification “easier, faster, cheaper” or otherwise influence RIC’s certification outcome.

​

6. No Impartiality Risk from Client Consultancy

RIC shall not certify a management system or product where the client has received consultancy or internal audit services from an associated organisation that could create an unacceptable risk to impartiality.

​

7. Transparent and Defensible Certification Decisions

All certification decisions are made independently and based solely on objective audit evidence and the evaluation of conformity against the relevant standard.

​

8. Ongoing Monitoring of Impartiality

RIC conducts continual assessment of risks to impartiality, together with oversight from its impartiality committee, to ensure that all threats — whether actual, potential, or perceived — are effectively identified and controlled.

​