IFA has developed partnerships with international inspection and certification agencies to provide third-party assessments of compliance to the IFA product stewardship standard. These partners have been trained to provide desk reviews of company self-evaluations as well as to conduct on-site audits in order to issue certificates of conformance.
Please email the below company contacts concerning the desk review of a completed self-assessment or to receive proposal for a full certification site visit.
IFA-accredited P&S certification agencies:
SGS is the world's largest independent inspection, testing, certification and verification body with offices in 140 countries, with a long experience working with the fertilizer industry. SGE representatives were instrumental in assisting IFA to develop its product stewardship assessment framework and evaluation process and thus are ideally placed to help you show your commitment to this scheme and to provide added value during the auditing process.
Employing in excess of 65,000 people, SGS is a clear market leader, working closely with its customers and industry bodies, to assist businesses grow and prosper, and maintain a high brand image. Our certification business has issued in excess of 110,000 management system certifications globally, and through working with governments, industry bodies and blue chip clients are the foremost supplier of auditing services against a wide variety bespoke standards. When you need to be sure – choose SGS.
Contact: Mr. Jeff Dowson, Jeff.Dowson@sgs.com
http://www.sgs.com/
DNV Business Assurance is a leading global certification body, which works with its customers to assure the performance of their products, processes and organisations through certification, assessment and training services
DNV services help customers build stakeholder trust and create a platform for sustainable business performance. With more than 70,000 certificates issued worldwide, the DNV name evokes a strong commitment to safety, quality, and concern for the environment. For years, we have been the preferred certification partner for many Fortune 500 companies, as well as for medium and smaller businesses.
DNV provides a global footprint of 1,600 employees working to ensure its customers’ continued success locally and in an ever-changing global environment. DNV Business Assurance is an entity within and fully-owned by DNV (Det Norske Veritas) , an independent foundation established in 1864. As part of the DNV family, this division belongs to a network of 8,600 employees working from 300 offices around the world. With our extensive local presence, consolidated global experience and acknowledged competence in the field of risk management, DNV is an ideal partner for companies in all industrial sectors.
Contact: Mr. Stephane de Coninck, Stephane.De.Coninck@dnv.com
www.dnvba.com
Self-assessment
A completed self-assessment should be submitted to and reviewed by the third-party auditor via a desk review. During this phase, the auditor will contact the participant to discuss the findings and to determine the next steps in the certification process. Feedback from the auditor should be provided to the participant within 15 business days of receipt of the completed assessment form.
Audit scope
The scope of the entity to receive certification under the IFA product stewardship programme shall be determined upfront. If the entity is a producer, a site visit to the manufacturing facilities would be necessary. However, if the entity’s activities include solely sales and distribution (no high-volume production), then an appropriate number of units to be audited should be determined in order to ensure representative coverage of the entity’s operations. It is suggested that the multi-site sampling should be determined according to accepted international audit practices such as are found in the IAF Mandatory Document for the Certification of Multiple Sites Based on Sampling[1].
Audit reporting
Following the site audits, the certification agency will provide an audit report and suggested corrective actions to the participant within a period of 15 business days following the last day of the site visit. The timeframe for corrective action should be determined according to the nature of the actions to be taken and based upon a reasonable implementation time. Once the certification agency has received adequate proof of corrective action, and has deemed that all minimum requirements have been met, it will issue a certificate of conformance, which will be valid for a period of three years, including a mid-term desk review (at the 18-month point). The project manager for the independent assessment agency will contact the participant at least one month prior to this deadline to encourage submission of the mid-term self-assessment.
To validate your self-assessment or to apply for a Product Steward certificate, please contact the IFA Secretariat: bmuirheid@fertilizer.org
