Rules of Registration

Accreditation

360 Advanced Compass Rose is an accredited certification body per the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). The certification body administers management system audits for service organizations within the healthcare, cloud and technology, and financial sectors.

Neutrality

While highly valuing our applicant and certified organization relationships, we are 100% independent. From the staff level to account level, we remain objective and without bias in our assessments. Further, we work with an independent third party that reviews our audits to ensure our decisions are without conflict of interest, so there is no impartiality or any factor that would affect objectivity.

Impartiality

Compass Rose is dedicated to maintaining objectivity and impartiality in all our evaluations. To safeguard the integrity of our ISO assessment services, we operate as an independent entity, distinct from advisory or consulting activities that could potentially generate conflicts of interest.  

We maintain neutrality at the organizational and individual auditor levels by implementing rigorous policies, overseeing operations, and conducting ongoing monitoring. To guarantee that each evaluation is impartial and free of self-interest, self-review, familiarity, or undue influence, our assessors are prohibited from offering advisory services to the clients they evaluate.  

The efficacy of our controls is reviewed by an external, independent committee, which has been established by Compass Rose to further safeguard impartiality. This committee has the power to enforce or recommend the actions that are required to prevent the compromise of impartiality, thereby reaffirming our dedication to providing assessments that can be trusted throughout the globe.

Certificate of Agreement

The certification body adheres to the protocols of ISO/IEC 17021-1 and other applicable documents governing the audit activities as needed to meet and implement the standards warranted by the certification. 
 
At the application phase, the organization communicates its obligations to the certificate agreement and vendor terms as outlined in the master services agreement provided by the certification body. 
 
Factors that support certificate decisions, such as granting, refusing, maintaining, renewing, suspending, restoring, or withdrawing certification, as well as expanding or reducing the certificate scopes, are detailed in the certificate agreement.

Decision Process

We understand that each of our clients operates differently. That’s why when selecting auditors for each client, our subject matter experts consider a client’s unique circumstances, such as the company’s nature of operations, location, business size, and complexity. This approach ensures that the audit services we provide are tailored to suit your specific needs. We meticulously review each audit file to make sure it aligns with both client needs and applicable industry accreditation standards. This enables us to provide high-quality audit services that are conducted using industry best practices. 
 
Certification Decision 
Compass Rose has a certification committee of SMEs to review the audit file and make the decision to issue a certificate. The Certification Committee Chairman will approve the certification. Major non-conformities have to be closed to be issued, maintain, and renew certification. 
  
Types of Certification Decisions: 

• Granting Initial Certification: Once the Certification Committee reviews Stage 1 and 2 audit reports and recommends the certification, the issuance of the certificate is approved by the Committee Chairman. 

• Refusing Certification: No certificate will be issued without the recommendation from the Certification Committee.  

• Maintaining Certification: Surveillance audits must be completed annually to maintain certification during each of the first two years after the initial certification. The Certification Committee reviews the audit report to determine a recommendation that a certification remain in place.   

• Renewing Certification: In year three a certification renewal audit occurs. The Certification Committee reviews the report and any complaints against the client. 

• Suspending Certification: 360 Advanced Compass Rose reserves the right to suspend certificates for multiple reasons including, but not limited to, non-compliance, results of investigations, and unpaid invoices.   

• Restoring Certification: 360 Advanced Compass Rose reserves the right to restore the suspended certificate once the corrections are made.   

Withdrawing Certification: 360 Advanced Compass Rose reserves the right to withdraw or cancel the certificate if suspension issues are not corrected. Issues during the audit can also warrant withdrawal. 

marks

The certification body seal and accreditation marks are not to be used outside of the scope of the permissions allowed and can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Further, organization proprietary license is not permitted, including the use of the seal of the certification body within email signatures, business cards, or print and digital materials that could misrepresent the issuer. 
 
Organizations may only adjust the size of the graphic if necessary but are otherwise prohibited from altering the certification body seal. Accreditation marks cannot be changed unless the mark owner is directly consulted and then can only be used in compliance with branding guidelines as laid out by the related oversight organization. 
 
Once the organization is certified, it is not allowed to use the International Organization for Standardization logo or “ISO,” even in light of the organization’s established relationship with 360 Advanced. 
 
If a certificate is suspended or revoked, the logo and seal are not to be used for the organization’s advertisement or digital media materials. 
 
The dissolution of the agreement between the certification body and the certified organization renders all permissions relating to the use of the certification body seal and accreditation marks withdrawn. The use of any identifiers to the logo and seal are to be amended immediately.