Impartiality Policy

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Averum, LLC prioritizes maintaining impartiality during the performance and delivery of its certification services to clients. Although scenarios which could threaten impartiality may occur, Averum has practices in place to manage these circumstances as appropriate. In such cases, Averum will take action to document and address the scenario to promptly eliminate the threat. All conformity assessment activities are performed impartially, without compromise due to commercial, financial, or other pressures.

Prior to engaging with a new client, Averum considers whether the relationship would threaten its ability to protect impartiality. Additionally, Averum reviews existing relationships on an ongoing basis to maintain an awareness of any relevant changes. In cases where an identified threat may result in an unfavorable residual risk and exceed Averum’s risk appetite, Averum will (a) decline to perform or discontinue the professional services or (b) terminate the relevant relationships or dispose of the relevant interests to eliminate the threat or reduce it to an acceptable level. 

Averum has implemented a risk assessment process to identify, analyze, treat, monitor, and document the risks related to conflict of interests. On at least an annual basis, Averum leadership assesses potential conflicts of interest, considers threats to impartiality, defines acceptable levels of risk, and reviews the applicable existing policy to determine whether Averum’s practices require enhancement. 

On at least an annual basis, Averum reviews the adequacy of arrangements to cover liabilities associated with risks evaluated for certification activities. Additionally, Averum performs an evaluation of the organization’s finances and sources of income to ensure impartiality is not compromised, both initially and on an ongoing basis, due to commercial, financial, or other pressures.  

 All personnel are aware of the importance associated with maintaining Averum’s impartiality. “All personnel” includes individuals who are contracted to perform audit activities on behalf of Averum. All external subcontractors are required to have a current written agreement in place with Averum. 

• On at least an annual basis, Averum employees review and attest to the contents within the impartiality policy. 
• All personnel will act impartially without compromise due to commercial, financial, or other pressures. 
• In the event of Averum’s parent company providing management system consultancy or internal audit services to a potential client, Averum will not engage in certification services for a minimum of two years following the occurrence of the consultancy or internal audit. 
• Parent company personnel who may have provided management system consultancy will not partake in Averum’s certification activities to the same client unless a minimum of two years has passed following the end of the consultancy. 

Averum safeguards impartiality in at least one of the following ways:

• Subcontractors are required to acknowledge Averum's Impartiality Policy on an annual basis.
• Averum's Subcontractor Agreement maintains a clause that requires subcontractors to disclose any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest.
• Averum does not provide management systems consultancy.
• Averum does not outsource. 
• If circumstances arise where there may be a potential impact to impartiality of an employee or Averum, personnel are required to disclose the potential conflict of interests.

If circumstances arise where there may be a potential impact to impartiality of an employee or Averum, personnel are required disclose the potential conflict of interests.

• Averum will document the potential threat to impartiality and perform an assessment of the information provided to determine whether affected personnel may be used for applicable certification activities. 
• Averum will not use the personnel impacted by these scenarios for the relevant certifications unless the assessment performed demonstrates there is no conflict of interest.

To protect impartiality, Averum will not perform the following services:

• Management system consulting or internal audits to its certified clients
• Certification services for another certification body
• Outsource management system consulting
• Joint marketing with an organization that provides management system consultancy
• Averum will take action to correct inappropriate links or statements by any consultancy organization stating or implying that a certification would be simpler, easier, faster, or less expensive if Averum were used. Similarly, Averum will not state or imply that a certification would be simpler, easier, faster, or less expensive if a specified consultancy were used.