6. Evaluating Inspection Plans

6.1 Upon submitting an application for accreditation or for renewal of its accreditation, the certifying body agrees to submit its program to a meticulous on-site evaluation covering its certification activities, including its inspection plans. The purpose of this evaluation is to make sure the certifying body shall manage the program in the manner described in its documentation.

6.2 The evaluation shall include a visit to the certifying body's main office, as well as any other office wherein activities related to the body's certification program are occurring with regard to the certification scope requested in the application. This initial evaluation visit is intended to determine whether the certification activities carried out by the certifying body correspond to those procedures included in its quality manual.

6.3 When the applicant carries out tasks linked to product certification in more than three offices, including its main office, the Accreditation Committee shall use a sampling process to determine which offices will be visited, based on the following criteria:

1. A mandatory visit to the main office, then
2. The two offices handling most of the applicant's clients, or
3. The two offices carrying out the most important tasks concerning the certification process.

6.4 The Accreditation Committee shall hire one or more evaluators to carry out an on-site evaluation covering the certifying body's monitoring procedures. In order to carry out this evaluation, the Accreditation Committee may assign one or more members of the CARTV’s personnel and may also retain the services of external evaluators, who are recognized for their professional expertise.

6.5 The one or more appointed evaluators shall not have been employed by a certifying body in a position or within a period of time that might compromise their objectivity. Moreover, they must promise not to work for any other certifying body having certification activities within Québec, for a two-year period from the date of the evaluation.

6.6 The criteria regarding an evaluator's expertise may include, among others:

1. Knowledge and understanding of the CARTV’s accreditation program (accreditation criteria and procedures);
2. Knowledge of reference standards and generally accepted practices (practical experience in production, processing, inspection or certification management would be a major asset) regarding the designation for which the certifying body has made an application for accreditation;
3. Professional training (or equivalent work experience) in setting up or certifying a quality control system;
4. Knowledge of evaluation methods including, among others, interviewing techniques and an ability to draft reports;
5. No current involvement in certification management in Canada;
6. Hold an ISO auditor-training certificate (in accordance with requirements in Guide ISO/IEC 19011:2002), for those appraisers serving as lead auditor.

6.7 During their visits to each selected office, evaluators must work in an objective manner as they gather any evidence that would allow them evaluate how the certifying body meets requirements related to accreditation.