1. Application and scope review
ICEQC records the applicant's legal identity, proposed certification object, included operations, jurisdictions, delivery modes and material dependencies. The applicable scheme, requirements and assessment route are identified before a proposal is issued.
2. Agreement and assessment planning
The written proposal states the proposed scope, assessment basis, fees, scheduling assumptions and applicant responsibilities. Following acceptance, ICEQC confirms the evidence request, sampling plan, interview roles, system demonstrations and any specialist evidence required.
3. Evidence assessment
Assessors verify submitted records and operating evidence through document review, data reconciliation, interviews, live demonstrations, witnessed activity and independent confirmation. Each applicable requirement is determined as conforming or nonconforming; non-applicability requires an objective recorded basis accepted by ICEQC.
4. Findings and corrective action
The applicant may correct factual errors in the assessment record and submit corrections and corrective action for each nonconformity. A positive certification decision cannot be made until ICEQC has verified effective closure of every applicable nonconformity.
5. Technical review and decision
A competent reviewer checks the completeness, consistency and sufficiency of the assessment record. An authorized decision-maker, independent of the assessment, determines whether certification is granted, refused, reduced or otherwise acted upon under the applicable procedure.
6. Certificate and public registration
Following a positive decision, ICEQC issues the controlled certificate record and publishes the legal holder, certified scope, applicable edition, validity dates and current status in the Public Certificate Register. Certification then enters surveillance and change control.