Impartiality Policy
At MGCLLP, we seek to attain the highest degree of public confidence and trust in rendering unbiased services. We fully acknowledge the importance of impartiality in carrying out the inspection body activities that are governed by the requirements of the International Standard ISO/IEC 17020.
MGCLLP, and every member of its inspection body team, internal or external, employees, volunteers, and contractors commit to adhere to the following policies:
a) MGCLLP ensures impartiality, and its policies and procedures for inspection services shall be fair among all its customers.
b) MGCLLP does not restrict inspection engineers on the grounds of undue financial or other limiting conditions, such as membership of an association or group.
c) MGCLLP ensures impartiality in its inspection activities and shall not allow financial, commercial, or other pressures to compromise impartiality.
d) MGCLLP ensures through its internal procedures, the objectivity of the inspection activities and minimize potential conflict of interest based on the applicable codes and standards for the projects.
e) MGCLLP ensures that all its decisions on the objective evidence is obtained through an effective process based on objective evidence of conformity or nonconformity. Any Inspection decision taken is not influenced by other interests or by other parties. Inspection decisions are taken and approved by a competent and independent person who is free from the influence of other interests or parties, including those of its clients.
f) MGCLLP’s corporate policies and practices ensures that the highest standards of integrity and ethics are applied to all its inspection body activities.
g) MGCLLP’s personnel shall not be influenced by financial, commercial, or other pressures when conducting inspection activities, and will take action to address any situation that would affect impartiality. Personnel are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest through a written Declaration.
h) MGCLLP shall enter into legally enforceable agreements with its clients and retain all authority and responsibility for inspection activities, decisions, and statements.
i) MGCLLP’s management system has the necessary procedures, safeguards, and tools to ensure that these policies are strictly upheld and enforced.
j) To ensure that they remain impartial when conducting audits, all employees at MGCLLP shall be reviewed and monitored at least annually.
Threats to Impartiality
MGCLLP recognizes that threats to impartiality through impartiality risk assessment which includes the following:
- Self-interest threats - Threats that arise from a person or body acting in its own interest to benefit itself.
- Self-review threats – Threats arising from a person reviewing the work that they have conducted themselves.
- Familiarity threats – Threats that arise from a person being familiar with or trusting of another person, e.g., an examiner or inspection body personnel developing a relationship with a candidate that affects the ability to reach an objective judgment.
- Intimidation threats – Threats that prevent an inspection body or its personnel from acting objectively due to fear of a candidate or other interested party.
- Financial threats ‐ The source of revenue for an inspection body can be a threat to impartiality.
MGCLLP shall identify the threats to its impartiality on an ongoing basis. This shall also include the threats that arise from its activities, from its related bodies, from its relationships, or from the relationships of its personnel.
Conflict of interest and objectivity is further addressed through binding agreements to ensure that all activities undertaken throughout the inspection process are conducted in an independent and impartial manner.
How MGCLLP maintains Impartiality
MGCLLP has defined procedure to ensure that all its employees (internal or external) throughout the globe maintain impartiality and integrity. Upon entering employment or being contracted, all employees must sign an agreement that specifies that they have no conflict of interest, and that they will maintain absolute confidentiality. At the same time, they sign MGCLLP Code of Ethics, which describes the values, principles, and rules applicable to all its employees.
The Management at MGCLLP maintains impartiality and the Management shall:
- Assist in developing the policies pertaining to impartiality of its Inspection services.
- Suggest on subjects which could affect confidence in Inspection.
- Conduct management review, at least once a year for Impartiality, Inspection, and decision-making process at MGCLLP.
- Review and evaluate the finances and other sources of income for any threats to impartiality.
To ensure that this commitment is enforced, we maintain a Management System in accordance with ISO/IEC 17020 International Standard. The effectiveness of the system is reviewed and improved on continual basis.