Impartiality Policy

GMSQuest Certifications Pvt. Ltd. is fully committed to conducting all certification activities in an impartial, independent, and transparent manner, free from conflicts of interest or undue influence.

We recognize that impartiality is the foundation of credible certification. To safeguard this principle, GMSQuest has established policies, procedures, and oversight mechanisms to identify, analyze, evaluate, minimize, and monitor risks to impartiality on a continuous basis.

Our commitments under ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015

1. 01Independence in decision-making — All certification decisions are made objectively, free from external pressures, commercial interests, or personal bias.
2. 02Non-certification of other CBs — GMSQuest does not certify other certification bodies for management system certification.
3. 03No consultancy or internal audits — GMSQuest does not provide consultancy services, internal audits, or training that could compromise impartiality, nor does it perform internal audits for any of its certified or prospective clients.
4. 04Separation from consultancy in marketing — Marketing and communication activities are strictly controlled to ensure certification services are not presented as linked with consultancy or other non-certification services.
5. 05Risk management — All potential sources of impartiality risk, including financial, organizational, marketing, and auditor relationships, are systematically identified, reviewed, and mitigated.
6. 06Conflict of Interest control — All staff, auditors, subcontractors, and technical experts are required to declare actual or potential conflicts of interest through signed Declarations of Impartiality and COI.
7. 07Independent oversight — An Impartiality Review Mechanism (IRM), comprising balanced stakeholder representation, independently reviews impartiality risks, complaints, and appeals, and provides recommendations to top management.
8. 08Top management accountability — Top management demonstrates its commitment to impartiality by reviewing impartiality risks, acting on IRM recommendations, and allocating resources to safeguard impartiality.
9. 09Transparency — Clients, stakeholders, and the public are assured that certification activities are conducted fairly, consistently, and in compliance with statutory, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.

This policy is publicly available on the GMSQuest website and is communicated to all employees, auditors, subcontractors, and stakeholders.