A CAB deals with both activities: inspection and certification of persons. According to national law, for certain inspections inspector shall have certificate of competency issued by an accredited certification bodies of persons.
In our country this CAB is the only certification body of persons who certify this kind of inspectors. This is situation when certification body certifies the persons of its own organization.
In our case also some of the examiners are the personnel of the inspection department. Furthermore, also external observer, who is not member of the examination committee, is involved in the process. His/her task is to monitor impartiality and fulfilment of procedures.
Is impartiality guaranteed when own colleagues are examined even when external observer is involved?
March 2021
Persons CBs may exceptionally certify its own personnel (ISO 17024 cl. 6.1.8) but this immediately set up a major conflict of interest (see CASCO clarifications). Specially as mentioned, when the examiners are personnel of the department providing the candidates. In this case the evaluation process can not be maintained as “normal business” and various robust impartiality measures have to be implemented (use a different set of evaluation test and keep it secret, select and train external examiners, etc. An external observer (when represents the scheme owner) may even contribute to ensure an impartial behavior of the examiner
External observers not necessarily pose a threat to impartiality if they sign a confidentiality agreement and acts impartially (do not disclose the content of evaluations, etc.).