Comprehensive pre-assessment in advance of any full assessment or accreditation process, aimed at preparing certifiers for scheme readiness and successful accreditation
Certification bodies can benefit from a pre-assessment to ensure readiness for accreditation from IOAS, another accreditation body (including National Accreditation Bodies), in anticipation of regulatory changes or when scheme owners opt to retain authority for issuing the accreditation decision and certificate themselves. IOAS’s extensive experience, ISO/IEC 17011 compliance, and Global ACI & APAC signatory status means it is well positioned to deliver these pre-assessments with rigor and integrity.
We offer various levels of pre-assessment, including full assessment, remote documentation review or tailored assessments. Through this proactive approach, certification bodies can lower the risk of application termination, speed up and reduce the cost of accreditation reviews, streamline the assessment process, and improve the chances of a successful accreditation outcome.
– Full accreditation-level assessment
A full accreditation-level assessment produces a detailed written report but does not result in a public accreditation decision or the issuance of an IOAS certificate. This approach can be used as an internal process to verify compliance, or by scheme owners who opt to issue accreditation certificates themselves.
– Remote pre-assessment – documentation review
A remote documentation review enables certification bodies to gain an independent assessment of their documentation, records and procedures without the time or cost of a full on-site review. An IOAS assessor with deep sector expertise reviews documentation and produces a report outlining any gaps, issues, or areas for improvement. A meeting is held to discuss the findings, with recommended next steps.
– Tailored assessments
See our oversight & monitoring services for our full range of tailored assessments.
Benefits of the Pre-Assessment
Opting for a pre-assessment offers significant advantages when your organization formally applies for accreditation. By fully addressing the issues identified during the pre-assessment, you can expect:
- A far lower risk of application termination due to insufficient readiness.
- A faster and less costly formal accreditation document review after the application, as this review is offered at a reduced fee to CBs that have chosen the pre-assessment provided the scope of the application does not change and the full application is received within 12 months following the issue of the Pre-Assessment Report.
- A smoother assessment process for your organization, potentially resulting in fewer formal non-conformities identified.
- This proactive approach can save time, reduce costs, and improve your chances of a successful accreditation outcome.
We are available to answer any questions you may have regarding this option.
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