Accreditation & Certification Documentation

Firstwave maintains the following documents to ensure stakeholders, clients, and prospective clients understand our accreditation, the scope of our certification services, and our firm commitment to impartiality and confidentiality.

Impartiality Policy

Purpose and Scope

  • Objective: To uphold the highest standards of fairness, objectivity, and independence in Firstwave’s audit and certification activities.
  • Applicability: Applies to all personnel involved in the audit, certification, and decision-making processes, including external experts or committee members.

Key Commitments

Conflict of Interest Management

  • Firstwave identifies and mitigates any conflicts of interest that may jeopardize the impartiality of certification decisions.
  • Individuals with potential conflicts (e.g., prior consultancy to a client) are excluded from relevant audits or decision-making.

Independence of Functions

  • Certification decisions are made by a separate team, independent of those conducting audits, to ensure unbiased outcomes.

Impartiality Committee Oversight

  • An Impartiality Committee (including external stakeholders) periodically reviews Firstwave’s processes for threats to impartiality, proposing corrective actions as necessary.

Policy Accessibility

  • The full Impartiality Policy is available upon request and is published on our website for transparency.
  • All Firstwave employees undergo annual training on impartiality requirements and conflict-of-interest protocols.

Confidentiality and Data Security Policy

Purpose and Scope

  • Objective: To protect the confidential information of clients, audit findings, and other sensitive data processed by Firstwave.
  • Applicability: Encompasses all digital and physical records generated or handled during audit and certification activities.

Data Protection Measures

Access Control

  • Strict user access levels ensure only authorized staff handle client records, audit reports, and personal data.

Secure Storage

  • Physical documents are stored in locked cabinets within secure office premises; digital data resides on encrypted servers with regular backups.

Data Retention and Disposal

  • Retention periods comply with ISO/IEC 17021-1, NABCB rules, and relevant Indian data protection regulations.
  • Secure disposal processes (e.g., shredding, permanent deletion) are followed upon document expiry or contract termination.

Non-Disclosure Obligations

  • All Firstwave auditors, staff, and contractors sign a Confidentiality Agreement prior to handling client data.
  • Confidential information is not disclosed to third parties without explicit client consent (except when required by law or accreditation bodies).

Scope of Accreditation

Overview

Firstwave is accredited by NABCB under ISO/IEC 17021-1, enabling us to certify organizations to various management system standards recognized by the IAF (International Accreditation Forum).

Standards & Industries Covered

  • ISO 27001: Information Security Management Systems (ISMS)
  • ISO 27701: Privacy Information Management Systems (PIMS)
  • ISO 20000-1: IT Service Management (ITSM)
    (Additional standards may be included as Firstwave expands its accreditation scope.)

Industry Sectors

  • IT & Software Services
  • Financial Services
  • Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
  • Manufacturing & Supply Chain
  • Any sector where ISO compliance is relevant to organizational objectives

Public Access

  • A detailed Schedule of Accreditation specifying the standards, scopes, and limitations is published on our website.
  • Clients and stakeholders can verify our accreditation validity via NABCB’s official portal or by contacting our support team.

NABCB & IAF Accreditation Certificates

Official Documentation

Firstwave’s NABCB accreditation certificate and related IAF recognition documents are available for download on our website. These documents provide proof of our compliance with:

  • ISO/IEC 17021-1: Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems.
  • NABCB policies under the Quality Council of India (QCI).
  • IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA), ensuring global acceptance of FICPL-issued certificates.

Certificate Authenticity

  • Our certificate verification procedure ensures clients and regulatory bodies can confirm any FICPL-issued ISO certificate.
  • Firstwave actively reports any misuse or misrepresentation of our accreditation or recognition marks to NABCB and IAF for corrective action.

Accreditation Usage and Maintenance

Compliance with Accreditation Rules

  • Firstwave abides by NABCB and IAF guidelines regarding the use of marks, impartial auditing, and conflict-of-interest handling.
  • We conduct internal audits and management reviews to continuously monitor and improve compliance.

Reporting Obligations

  • Annual Reports: Submitted to Firstwave (and other relevant bodies) detailing our auditing activities, competence management, and impartiality measures.
  • Notifiable Events: Firstwave promptly notifies NABCB of any significant changes (e.g., legal status, scope expansions, or major internal changes).

Suspension or Withdrawal of Accreditation

  • In the event of noncompliance, NABCB reserves the right to suspend or withdraw FICPL’s accreditation. We have internal corrective action protocols to address such issues swiftly and effectively.

Reference to Related Policies

  • Section 1: Legal & Compliance Documents (Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, Cookie Policy, Disclaimer)
  • Use of Certification Marks (for guidelines on displaying FICPL, NABCB, and IAF logos)
  • Certificate Verification (to confirm authenticity and status of FICPL-issued ISO certificates)

Contact Information for Accreditation & Certification Queries

For queries related to our accreditation scope, certification processes, or documentation requests:

Accreditation & Compliance Department

  • Firstwave International Certifications Pvt. Ltd.
    The Opel, Near Cochin International Airport.
    Cochin, Kerala - 683572
  • Phone: +91 62820 07077
  • accreditation@firstwavecert.com
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