To support and promote impartiality, transparency, independence and confidentiality, the top management and other personnel are highly committed to the full respect of the principles of impartiality and confidentiality. They also have to constantly supervise and expand their activities in order to prevent any circumstances, which might lead to a breach of the entity’s activities impartiality and confidentiality in conduct the audit and certification processes.

AVA certification Ltd Pty policies and procedures are established and implemented to prevent any potential or actual conflict of interest. We are wholly in charge of our impartiality and do not admit any commercial and financial difficulties lead us to compromise the impartiality of our actions.

We do not engage in any activities whereby the impartiality, independence, or objectivity is threatened and committed that all client information is treated confidentially. We are also committed that do not disclose any client information without their permission.

We are established and implemented our policies and procedures to ensure fairness and neutrality are entirely addressed throughout the certification process.

AVA certification Ltd Pty aims to inspire confidence in its certification to its clients and public at large by:

• Remaining impartial
• Employing expert and competent personnel
• Being fully responsive to complaints and feedback from interested parties
• Complying with all required obligations and regulations
• Providing access to relevant gathered information
• Openness and fairness
• Transparency of processes
• maintaining confidentiality

AVA certification and its management are fully committed to ethically carrying out all of the operations and activities and in compliance with all applicable legal requirements. The AVA certification believes that compliance with this policy is one of the pillars of the company, which needs to be as paramount as the others. This policy entirely applies to all AVA certification staff and contractors; To rephrase it,  the outlined prohibitions and limitations can be valid to employees as well as individuals in the private sectors.

Commitments:

• Gift and hospitality are considered as a potential risk of corruption. In this situation, the employees and contractors shall not accept them if it violates this policy’s prohibition bribery. (Bribery: any offer or request to pay off anything value to or from any AVA certification clients, where it is intended to persuade the recipient to misuse his/her position to obtain an improper business advantage).
• No unrecorded or undisclosed financial information are established.
• The company’s internal accounting controls shall be fully transparent.
• It is essential that any business engaging as a third party to act for, or on behalf of AVA certification, takes appropriate steps to ensure their actions and behaviour will not expose the business to a regulatory liability.
• Employees and contractors are responsible for acting under legal requirements.
• Employees must report any circumstances that may lead to fraud, including money laundering, suspicious payment, and misusing of customer information.
• Employees and contractors must report actual or potential violations of this policy.
• AVA certification commits to recording and investigating any potential and actual breach of this policy.

Violations of this Policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Each business that receives a service from AVA certification will be entirely encouraged and supported as necessary to lodge a complaint or an appeal either about the type of quality of services provided to them (This can be including the personnel and auditor’s behaviour and professionalism) or for the reversal of a decision (This can be including the identified NCs or a certification decision).

Any received complaints will follow the below steps:

• Complaints are submitted and validated promptly;
• The causes will be determined and investigated;
• Evaluating the need for action to ensure that the same scenarios do not recur;
• Determine and implement action needed;
• The complainant must be notified about the actions taken and relevant corrections;
• Record the results of the action taken;
• Review the effectiveness of the corrective action taken. 

Any received appeals will follow the below steps:

• Appeals are submitted and evaluated promptly;
• The causes will be determined and investigated;
• Evaluating the need for action to ensure that the same scenarios do not recur;
• If any previous appeals are existing, they should be considered;
• Determine and implement action needed;
• The appellant must be notified about the actions taken and relevant corrections;
• Record the results of the action taken.

The finalization of an appeal or a complaint will be dependent on the response required. Requests or complaints that are unambiguous should aim to have an outcome within 30 days of the commencement of the investigation. A complex and sensitive nature appeals or complaints may take a longer period to finalize, dependent on the results of any investigation or inquiries made.