Last Updated on October 31, 2025 by Melissa Lazaro

Why These Mandatory Procedures Define Your Credibility

Every accredited certification body I’ve worked with eventually realizes one thing: your procedures don’t just prove compliance — they prove control.
Without clear, consistent, and auditable procedures, your ISO/IEC 17024 system will collapse under its own uncertainty.

Over the years, I’ve helped dozens of certification bodies streamline their documentation before facing accreditation audits. The difference between those who pass easily and those who struggle? It’s always the same — the strength and clarity of their mandatory procedures.

In this guide, we’ll walk through every required procedure under ISO/IEC 17024, grouped by clause and purpose. You’ll see how each fits into your system, what auditors look for, and what mistakes to avoid.

Core Governance Procedures (Clause 5: Structural & Impartiality Requirements)

Governance is the backbone of your certification body. These procedures set the tone for impartiality, independence, and consistency.

Here’s what you need in place:

• Impartiality Committee Procedure – explains how impartiality risks are identified, reviewed, and controlled.
• Organizational Structure Procedure – outlines who does what, who reports to whom, and where decision-making authority sits.

Here’s what I’ve noticed: Accreditation bodies dig deep into how your impartiality committee actually operates — not just that it exists on paper. If your records show no risk reviews for a year, it raises eyebrows.

Pro Tip: Make impartiality review meetings quarterly and keep a clear record of decisions and actions.

Common Pitfall: Letting certification staff influence decisions. Even indirect involvement can be a nonconformity.

Example: One small certification body I advised had its Managing Director sit on the impartiality committee. It seemed harmless until the assessor flagged it for conflict of interest. It delayed their accreditation by three months.

Competence & Resource Procedures (Clause 6: Personnel and Outsourcing)

Now that governance is set, your next priority is competence — proving that your team and outsourced partners are skilled, qualified, and impartial.

You’ll need:

• Personnel Competence Evaluation Procedure – defines how you qualify, evaluate, and requalify assessors and examiners.
• Assessor Qualification & Monitoring Procedure – covers performance review, observation, and refresher training.
• Outsourced Activity Control Procedure – ensures consistency and control when external experts or vendors are used.

Pro Tip: Build a competence matrix mapping each function (examiner, reviewer, decision-maker) to required skills and evidence. It makes audits smooth and transparent.

Pitfall: Forgetting to re-evaluate competence after scheme revisions. Standards evolve; your assessors must evolve too.

Example: During a JAS-ANZ witness assessment, one certification body couldn’t show proof that assessors were updated on the latest scheme revision. It cost them a major nonconformity.

Certification Scheme & Assessment Procedures (Clause 7: Certification Process)

This is where most nonconformities appear — in the certification process itself. ISO/IEC 17024 demands detailed procedures for every stage from application to decision.

Here’s the essential list:

• Application & Eligibility Review Procedure
• Examination Development and Validation Procedure
• Examination Delivery & Security Procedure
• Certification Decision Procedure
• Appeals Procedure
• Complaints Procedure

This is important because each step protects fairness and consistency — both core principles of person certification.

Pro Tip: Keep your exam development and delivery processes separate to avoid confidentiality breaches.

Common Pitfall: Combining appeals and complaints into one process. They sound similar but must remain distinct for impartiality.

Example: A client once merged both under one heading “Dispute Resolution.” The accreditation assessor cited nonconformity immediately — they had to rewrite both and retrain staff before reassessment.

Management System & Record Control Procedures (Clauses 8 & 9)

Your management system ties everything together. Without structured controls, procedures become inconsistent and records get lost — a fast track to nonconformities.

Mandatory system procedures include:

• Document & Record Control Procedure
• Internal Audit Procedure
• Management Review Procedure
• Corrective and Preventive Action Procedure

Pro Tip: If you’re already ISO 9001-certified, integrate these instead of duplicating them. Auditors appreciate efficiency backed by clear cross-references.

Pitfall: Keeping incomplete management review minutes. Accreditation assessors will trace whether issues raised in audits or complaints are followed through — so document every action and outcome.

Example: One organization I supported lost valuable time during assessment because management review records mentioned “actions to be taken” but never noted completion.

Recordkeeping & Confidentiality Procedures (Supporting Clauses 7–9)

Every certification activity generates records — exams, results, assessor evaluations, complaints, and decisions. Without proper control, evidence disappears.

Essential procedures:

• Records Retention & Access Procedure
• Confidentiality and Data Protection Procedure

Pro Tip: Use a secure digital document-control system with automatic backups and access logs. It demonstrates traceability and confidentiality control.

Common Mistake: Storing everything manually in one shared folder. When auditors ask for a specific candidate’s exam-security log, it becomes a scramble.

Example: I recall a body that lost physical copies of old appeal records during an office move. They had to declare “records unavailable” — a painful minor nonconformity.

Optional but Highly Recommended Procedures

These aren’t explicitly listed in ISO/IEC 17024 but strongly support compliance and operational maturity.

• Risk Management Procedure – identifies and monitors potential threats to impartiality or process consistency.
• Communication and Public Information Procedure – defines how information about certification and withdrawal is made public.
• Continuous Improvement Tracking Procedure – ties audit results, complaints, and feedback to measurable improvements.

These add real strength to your system — and they’re often what differentiate a well-run certification body from one that’s just compliant.

FAQs — Clearing Up Common Doubts

Q1: Do I need to use a specific format for my procedures?
No, ISO/IEC 17024 doesn’t prescribe a format. You can use flowcharts, SOPs, or manuals — as long as they’re controlled and implemented consistently.

Q2: Can I merge some procedures to simplify documentation?
Yes, provided it’s crystal clear which clauses each section covers. For example, “Document & Record Control” can be combined. But don’t merge appeals and complaints.

Q3: How often should these procedures be reviewed?
At least once a year or whenever the certification scheme, organizational structure, or applicable standards change.

Build It Once, Build It Right

Strong procedures don’t just get you accredited — they make your certification body reliable and respected.
They reduce ambiguity, prevent errors, and create confidence in every decision you issue.

In my experience, once a certification body documents its procedures clearly and trains its staff properly, audits become smoother, findings drop drastically, and confidence skyrockets.

At QSE Academy, we help teams like yours implement and document every ISO/IEC 17024 requirement with ready-to-use templates, gap-analysis tools, and guided training.

If you’re serious about building a compliant, audit-ready system — start with our ISO/IEC 17024 Documentation Toolkit and save months of drafting and revisions.