Description
This part of ISO/IEC 17021 contains principles and requirements for the competence, consistency and impartiality of bodies providing audit and certification of all types of management systems.
Supersedes SZNS ISO/IEC 17021: 2006 Conformity assessment- Requirements for bodies providing audit and certificates of management systems
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Content | Page |
| Forewordiv | iv |
| Introductionv | v |
| 1 Scope | 1 |
| 2 Normative references | 1 |
| 3 Terms and definitions | 1 |
| 4 Principles | 2 |
| 4.1 General | 2 |
| 4.2 Impartiality | 3 |
| 4.3 Competence | 3 |
| 4.4 Responsibility | 3 |
| 4.5 Openness | 3 |
| 4.6 Confidentiality | 4 |
| 4.7 Responsiveness to complaints | 4 |
| 5 General requirements | 4 |
| 5.1 Legal and contractual matters | 4 |
| 5.2 Management of impartiality | 4 |
| 5.3 Liability and financing | 6 |
| 6 Structural requirements | 6 |
| 6.1 Organizational structure and top management | 6 |
| 6.2 Committee for safeguarding impartiality | 6 |
| 7 Resource requirements | 7 |
| 7.1 Competence of management and personnel | 7 |
| 7.2 Personnel involved in the certification activities | 7 |
| 7.3 Use of individual external auditors and external technical experts | 8 |
| 7.4 Personnel records | 9 |
| 7.5 Outsourcing | 9 |
| 8 Information requirements | 9 |
| 8.1 Publicly accessible information | 9 |
| 8.2 Certification documents | 10 |
| 8.3 Directory of certified clients | 10 |
| 8.4 Reference to certification and use of marks | 10 |
| 8.5 Confidentiality | 11 |
| 8.6 Information exchange between a certification body and its clients | 12 |
| 9 Process requirements | 13 |
| 9.1 General requirements | 13 |
| 9.2 Initial audit and certification | 15 |
| 9.3 Surveillance activities | 17 |
| 9.4 Recertification | 18 |
| 9.5 Special audits | 19 |
| 9.6 Suspending, withdrawing or reducing the scope of certification | 19 |
| 9.7 Appeals | 20 |
| 9.8 Complaints | 20 |
| 9.9 Records of applicants and clients | 21 |
| 10 Management system requirements for certification bodies | 22 |
| 10.1 Options | 22 |
| 10.2 Option 1: Management system requirements in accordance with ISO 9001 | 22 |
| 10.3 Option 2: General management system requirements | 23 |
| Bibliography | 26 |