How do I get certification?
Initial Enquiry
You can speak to a qualified assessor or any of our helpful staff by contacting one of our many offices listed under Contact Us in our home page. We can quickly provide you with certification advice and a cost estimate for certification over the phone. Or simply click on a Home Page Industry Sector icon to obtain a quotation via our website. From here it is a 5-step process. Step 1 – Advisory/Introductory Visit
If your organisation is located near one of NCS International’s offices, we can arrange an advisory visit to discuss your certification needs. Otherwise, we can discuss your organisation’s specific needs via phone or email to make sure we understand the profile of your business and its activities. Step 2 - Application for Certification
When you are ready to proceed contact NCS International, and we can process the application from there. We recommend you read the NCSI Recognition Booklet, as both the Application Form and the Booklet are important documents and form the contract between your organisation and NCS International.
Forward the Application Form to your NCSI contact, NCSI’s Sydney office, or simply submit through the NCS International web site (www.ncsi.com.au). The form gives us all the information we need to process your application. Naturally, we keep this information private.
The Application Form requires the nomination of an Authorised Representative. The Authorised Representative is the person nominated to represent your organisation in all matters relevant to its certification by NCS International. On receipt of your organisation’s Application Form, along with payment or invoicing instructions, your application will be processed and a Client Manager appointed to look after your certification requirements. The Client Manager will be your primary point of contact with NCS International and is responsible for ensuring that our certification services are delivered to your organisation in the most effective manner possible. Step 3 - Documentation Review / Preliminary Assessment.
Prior to the certification assessment, we will undertake a comprehensive review of your organisation’s management system documentation, including policy manuals, procedures and other relevant supporting documentation. This step gives the organisation the opportunity to demonstrate that all documentation required by the relevant certification standard has been prepared. We’ll give you a report outlining any deficiencies in the documentation, as well as any opportunities for improvement. Deficiencies raised in this report must be addressed before conduct of the certification assessment.
From the documentation, a checklist and plan for the certification assessment is prepared, based on the organisation’s system and documented procedures. This ensures that the assessment team is focused on the way your organisation operates when the certification assessment is performed. We recommend that we undertake a Preliminary assessment prior to the certification assessment (it is mandatory for some programs e.g. ISO 14001, AS 4801).The purpose of this assessment is to determine the status of management system implementation and to identify areas of concern for rectification prior to the initial assessment. Step 4 - Certification Assessment
The purpose of the certification assessment is to establish whether your organisation’s management system has been implemented and complies with the relevant certification standard. This will be done by examining actual practices, documentation and records and comparing them against the organisations policies and procedures and the relevant certification standard. The assessment process is, effectively, an undertaking to establish that your documented policies and practices are understood by your personnel and have been implemented. Assessment teams are led by Certified Lead Assessor, often supported by appropriately qualified and experienced team members and, where required, technical specialists acting as advisers to the assessment team. Technical specialists bring current specialised knowledge of the activities being assessed and ensure that the process provides your organisation with a relevant and practical review of aspects and risks critical to the business. When technical specialists are used, care is taken to ensure that your commercial confidentiality is not jeopardised. Assessment Report
At the conclusion of the assessment, the NCSI team prepares a detailed written report and the team leader presents these findings in summary form to your organisation’s senior management at the exit meeting. The assessment findings include a statement of the overall compliance of your management system with the requirements of the relevant standard(s). Specific assessment findings are categorised as follows: - Conditions for certification are major non-conformances arising from the absence or total breakdown of part of the management system and must be rectified before certification is granted.
- Minor non-conformances are incidental lapses in compliance of the management system. Agreed proposed corrective action including an implementation time frame is required for each discrepancy prior to certification being granted.
- Observations are comments on aspects of the management system and may include praise, opportunities for improvement, or comments that may be relevant for the next assessment.
Step 5 - Certification Decision
After confirmation that any necessary corrective actions have been taken, which may involve a follow up visit by the NCS International, the findings and recommendations made in the assessment report are subject to an internal review process prior to certification being granted. This ensures that all the JAS-ANZ requirements have been met by NCS International. Your organisation will be issued with the appropriate certificates and scopes of certification. Details of the certification will be made publicly available through NCS International and the JAS-ANZ Register (only for those certifications covered by the JAS-ANZ accreditation of NCS International). A plan of 6-monthly or annual reviews (surveillance audits) will be established going forward to ensure that your organisation continues to comply with the Standard, and to provide your management with confidence that continuous improvement and risk minimization is implemented effectively.
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