Accreditation - Accreditation Process - To Apply - Fees - Complaints & Appeals

1. Order an application package, which lists the requirements and documents needed to set up a SAAS-accredited certification system. The fee for this application package is $100 and can be ordered through the document purchase center.

2. Document and procedure preparation. The organization seeking to become a SAAS-accredited certification body must prepare documents and procedures to meet SAAS-specific requirements, detailed in SAAS Procedure 200 and the supplemental SAAS Advisories.
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CBs interested in accreditation by SAAS must meet the requirements set out in ISO/IEC 17021, detailing the requirements for bodies operating assessment and certification of quality systems. Please see the SAAS Notification related to implementation of ISO/IEC 17021:2011.

3. Document and records review. After the organization prepares its documents and procedures, it may submit an application and documents, along with the required application fee to SAAS. Once the package is received, SAAS staff will ensure that the materials submitted are complete and assign a SAAS lead auditor to conduct a review of the submitted materials to confirm that the applicant meets the requirements set forth by SAAS. This document review takes approximately two days of the auditor's time, which is billed to the applicant.

4. Office audit. If the documents received meet the criteria set out for accreditation, an office audit of the applicant can be scheduled. The purpose of the office audit is to assess the degree and effectiveness of the implementation of the applicant certification body’s system within its defined scope. During the office audit, the SAAS accreditation auditors will review the organization's procedures, documents and files, and conduct interviews with staff. The office audit may result in the issuance of nonconfomances. Such nonconformances must be addressed prior to moving forward in the accreditation process.

5. Witness audit. The purpose of the witness audit is to assess the degree and effectiveness of the implementation of the applicant certification body’s system and to determine the certification body auditors’ competence. Witness audits are scheduled pending satisfactory results of the document review and initial office audit. SAAS auditors witness the applicant auditing a facility against the SA8000, or other applicable standard, to ensure it is following its own certification procedures and that the procedures are effective. The witnessed audits must be initial certification audits, therefore it is necessary for the applicant CB to have a client willing to go through the process of certification with the intention of becoming certified once the accreditation process is complete. The witness audit may result in the issuance of nonconformances and such nonconformances must be addressed prior to moving forward in the accreditation process.

6. Final report and audit team recommendation. Once the office and witness audits have been completed and any nonconformances addressed, a final report and audit team recommendations for accreditation will be drafted. These recommendations are reviewed by the Accreditation Review Panel (ARP). The ARP has 30 days to recommend granting or refusal of accreditation. At that time, the Director of Accreditation makes a final decision on granting accreditation.

7. Maintenance of accreditation. When an organization becomes accredited, its accreditation is valid for a period of four years. During this time, SAAS carries out periodic surveillance office and witness audits of the accredited certification body, at a minimum of twice annually, to verify that the CB continues to comply with the accreditation criteria. The number of surveillance audits is determined by the number of certifications granted by the CB. At the end of the 4-year cycle, the CB must undergo reaccreditation, including steps 3-6 listed above.