How to Get ISO/IEC 17021-1 Accreditation for a Certification Body

Organizations that want to establish a management system certification body need more than a set of ISO procedures. They must demonstrate that they have the competence, impartiality, resources, and processes necessary to conduct reliable audits and certification activities.

ISO/IEC 17021-1 is the international standard that specifies requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems. It is designed to increase confidence in management system certification by addressing competence, consistency, and impartiality.

For organizations planning to establish a new certification body or expand an existing conformity assessment business, understanding the accreditation process is essential.

 

What Is ISO/IEC 17021-1 Accreditation?

ISO/IEC 17021-1 applies to organizations that audit and certify management systems.

A certification body may provide certification for standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 22000, ISO 13485, ISO 50001, and other applicable management system standards.

However, implementing ISO/IEC 17021-1 does not automatically make an organization an accredited certification body.

Accreditation involves an independent accreditation body assessing the certification organization’s competence and confirming that it meets applicable international requirements for the activities included in its accreditation scope.

This distinction is important because accreditation demonstrates that the certification body itself has been independently assessed for competence.

Step 1: Define Your Certification Services

The first step is deciding which management system standards and industry sectors the certification body intends to cover.

An organization may begin with ISO 9001 and later expand into ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO/IEC 27001, or other standards.

The proposed scope should reflect the organization’s available auditors, technical experts, industry knowledge, and operational resources.

Starting with a realistic scope is often more effective than applying for a very broad scope without sufficient competence and resources.

Step 2: Select the Right Accreditation Body

The certification body should identify an accreditation body that is competent to assess management system certification bodies against ISO/IEC 17021-1 and relevant additional requirements.

Organizations seeking international recognition should also consider the accreditation body’s recognition arrangements and relevant International Accreditation Forum requirements.

Before choosing an accreditation body, review its scope, assessment process, fees, geographical applicability, transition requirements, and recognition status.

The cheapest option is not necessarily the most suitable option. Recognition and credibility should be important selection criteria.

Step 3: Establish the Organizational Structure

A certification body needs a clearly defined organizational structure.

Responsibilities should be established for certification management, technical activities, auditor competence, certification decisions, impartiality, complaints and appeals, internal audits, management review, and document control.

The organization must also demonstrate that certification activities are protected from inappropriate commercial or personal influence.

A well-defined organizational structure helps ensure that decisions remain consistent and independent.

Step 4: Establish Impartiality Controls

Impartiality is one of the most important elements of ISO/IEC 17021-1.

The certification body should identify threats to impartiality and establish controls to manage them.

Potential risks may arise from financial interests, consulting relationships, commercial pressure, ownership arrangements, personal relationships, auditor conflicts, or other business relationships.

The organization should maintain an effective mechanism for monitoring and reviewing impartiality risks.

This is an area that accreditation assessors are likely to examine carefully.

Step 5: Develop the Management System

The certification body needs a functioning management system supporting its certification operations.

The system should address areas such as document control, records, internal audits, corrective actions, management review, risk management, competence, complaints, appeals, and operational controls.

The procedures should reflect the organization’s actual operations.

Simply creating a large collection of templates is not enough. The certification body must be able to show evidence that its processes are implemented consistently.

Step 6: Define Competence Requirements

Competence management is critical for an accredited certification body.

The organization needs appropriate competence criteria for auditors, lead auditors, technical experts, reviewers, certification decision-makers, and other personnel involved in certification activities.

Competence should be linked to the management system standard and relevant industry sectors.

For example, an auditor conducting an ISO 9001 audit in an engineering organization needs both management system auditing competence and appropriate knowledge of the relevant technical and industrial environment.

The certification body should have documented processes for selection, qualification, monitoring, evaluation, and ongoing development of personnel.

Step 7: Build a Qualified Auditor Network

An effective certification body requires access to competent auditors and technical experts.

The organization may use employees, contracted auditors, or external technical experts, provided that appropriate controls are established.

Auditor selection should consider education, professional experience, audit competence, sector knowledge, training, and demonstrated performance.

The certification body should also ensure that auditors are assigned only to audits for which they have appropriate competence.

Step 8: Establish the Certification Process

The certification process should cover the complete certification lifecycle.

This can include application review, contract review, audit planning, Stage 1 audit where applicable, Stage 2 audit, audit reporting, technical review, certification decision, certificate issuance, surveillance audits, recertification, and special audits when required.

Responsibilities for each stage must be clearly established.

The certification body must also ensure that certification decisions are based on adequate audit evidence and are made by competent personnel who are appropriately independent from the audit activity.

Step 9: Control Audit Planning and Audit Time

Audit planning must be technically justified.

Factors affecting audit effort can include organizational size, number of employees, operational complexity, number of locations, risk, industry sector, management system scope, and other applicable requirements.

The certification body should be able to demonstrate how audit time is determined.

Insufficient audit time can weaken the credibility of certification, while unnecessarily excessive audit time can create avoidable costs for clients.

Step 10: Establish Complaint and Appeal Processes

A certification body must have effective processes for receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints and appeals.

These processes should define responsibilities, investigation methods, decision-making arrangements, communication requirements, and record retention.

Complaints and appeals should be handled impartially and should not be allowed to influence certification decisions improperly.

A strong complaint and appeal process also helps the certification body identify areas for improvement.

Step 11: Control External Resources

Many certification bodies rely on external auditors and technical experts.

The certification body remains responsible for controlling these activities.

It should therefore establish processes for selecting, evaluating, monitoring, and maintaining the competence of external personnel.

Confidentiality and impartiality requirements should also be addressed.

External resources should be managed with the same level of control expected for internal personnel.

Step 12: Conduct Internal Audit and Management Review

Before applying for accreditation, the certification body should conduct an internal audit of its management system and certification activities.

The internal audit should check whether documented requirements are actually implemented.

Management review should then evaluate areas such as performance, competence, impartiality, complaints, appeals, audit results, nonconformities, resources, and improvement opportunities.

This provides evidence that top management is actively controlling and improving the certification body.

Step 13: Submit the Accreditation Application

Once the system is implemented and sufficient evidence is available, the organization can apply to its chosen accreditation body.

The application generally includes information about the organization, proposed accreditation scope, management system, personnel, technical resources, certification processes, impartiality arrangements, and locations.

The accreditation body will review the application and determine the assessment arrangements.

Step 14: Undergo the Accreditation Assessment

The accreditation assessment may include document review, office assessment, interviews, competence evaluations, review of certification files, technical assessment, and witnessed audits.

The accreditation body will assess not only whether procedures exist but also whether they work effectively in practice.

Witnessed audits can be particularly important because they allow the accreditation body to evaluate auditors and certification processes during actual certification activities.

Step 15: Correct Nonconformities

Assessment findings may result in nonconformities.

The certification body must investigate the root cause, implement corrective actions, provide evidence, and demonstrate effectiveness within the timeframe established by the accreditation body.

An effective corrective action should address the underlying problem rather than simply correcting an individual record or document.

Step 16: Maintain Accreditation

Receiving accreditation is not the end of the process.

Accredited certification bodies are subject to ongoing surveillance and reassessment.

The organization must continue demonstrating competence, impartiality, consistent certification practices, qualified personnel, effective management system implementation, and appropriate handling of complaints and appeals.

Continual improvement should therefore become part of the certification body’s normal operations.

 

Common Challenges

Organizations often underestimate the complexity of establishing a certification body.

Common challenges include finding suitably competent auditors, defining an achievable accreditation scope, managing impartiality risks, establishing reliable certification decision processes, maintaining technical competence across sectors, and generating sufficient objective evidence before assessment.

Another common mistake is focusing heavily on documentation while giving insufficient attention to actual operational implementation.

 

Cost of ISO/IEC 17021-1 Accreditation

The total investment depends on the planned accreditation scope and the organization’s existing resources.

Costs may include consultancy, management system development, auditor recruitment, training, technical experts, internal audits, accreditation application and assessment fees, travel, software, and ongoing surveillance.

A narrow scope with experienced personnel may require significantly less investment than a broad certification program covering multiple standards and industries.

A gap assessment before implementation can provide a more realistic basis for budgeting.

 

How Qualitcert Consultants Can Help

Qualitcert Consultants can support organizations planning ISO/IEC 17021-1 accreditation by helping establish a practical certification body framework.

Support can include gap assessment, accreditation readiness review, scope development, ISO/IEC 17021-1 documentation, certification process design, competence criteria, auditor and technical expert management, impartiality controls, internal audit support, management review preparation, and accreditation assessment readiness.

The objective should be to build a certification system that is practical, operational, and capable of producing objective evidence during accreditation assessment.

 

Start Your ISO/IEC 17021-1 Accreditation Journey

Planning to become an accredited certification body requires careful preparation.

Qualitcert Consultants can help organizations understand the applicable requirements, define an appropriate accreditation scope, identify implementation gaps, and develop a structured roadmap toward accreditation.

Contact Qualitcert Consultants to discuss your ISO/IEC 17021-1 accreditation plans and determine the right approach for your organization.

 

Conclusion

Obtaining ISO/IEC 17021-1 accreditation requires much more than developing policies and procedures. A certification body must demonstrate competence, impartiality, consistent audit practices, effective certification decisions, qualified personnel, appropriate technical resources, and a functioning management system.

The journey normally starts with defining the intended certification scope and selecting an appropriate accreditation body. The organization then establishes its governance structure, impartiality controls, management system, competence framework, auditor network, certification processes, complaint and appeal mechanisms, and internal audit programme.

After sufficient implementation, the certification body submits its application, undergoes accreditation assessment, addresses any nonconformities, and continues to maintain its competence after accreditation.

For organizations entering the certification market, early planning and professional preparation can reduce delays, avoid unnecessary costs, and create a stronger foundation for credible certification services in domestic and international markets.