Resource
Certification glossary
Plain definitions of the terms used in certification and auditing.
| Accreditation | Third-party attestation that a conformity-assessment body, such as a certification body, is competent to carry out specific tasks. In Pakistan, granted by PNAC. |
| Audit programme | The plan of audits for a full three-year certification cycle. |
| Certification body | An independent organisation that audits and certifies management systems. |
| Certification decision | The decision to grant, maintain, renew, suspend or withdraw certification, taken by someone not involved in the audit. |
| Corrective action | Action to eliminate the cause of a nonconformity and prevent recurrence. |
| Correction | Action to eliminate a detected nonconformity itself. |
| IAF MD 5 | International Accreditation Forum mandatory document for determining audit time for quality, environmental and OH&S management systems. |
| Impartiality | Presence of objectivity: decisions based on evidence and not influenced by other interests. |
| ISO/IEC 17021-1 | The international standard for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems. |
| Major nonconformity | A nonconformity that affects the capability of the management system to achieve its intended results. |
| Minor nonconformity | A nonconformity that does not affect that capability. |
| Recertification | The audit and decision that renew certification for a new three-year cycle. |
| Scope of certification | The activities, products, services and sites covered by a certificate. |
| Stage 1 / Stage 2 | The two parts of an initial certification audit: readiness review, then full evaluation. |
| Surveillance audit | A periodic audit, at least once a calendar year, confirming the system is maintained. |
| Technical review | Independent review of the complete certification file before the decision. |