ISO PAS 17004:2005 pdf download Conformity assessment — Disclosure of information — Principles and requirements
Scope
This Publicly Available Specification (PAS) contains principles and requirements for the element of disclosureof information as it relates to standards for conformity assessment.
it is an internal tool for use in the ISO/EC standards development process by lSO/CASCO working groupswhen considering the element of disclosure of information in preparation of their documents.
This Publicly Available Specification is not a standalone normative document to be used directly in conformityassessment activities.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For datedreferences, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies
SO/IEC 17000:2004, Conformity assessment- Vocabulary and general principles
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 17000 applyNOTEThe use of the term “body” in this Publicly Available Specification means either an accreditation body or aconformity assessment body as defined in ISO/IEC 17000
Background to information disclosure4
Managing the balance between confidentiality and disclosure of information related to fulfilment of4.1requirements affects stakeholders’ trust and their perception of value in the conformity assessment activitybeing performed.
4.2Legal requirements may provide the basis for what, how and to whom, information associated withconformity assessment activities may be disclosed. The content of this Publicly Available Specification, andthe application of any subsequent requirements in CASCO documents, are subservient to the provisionsfound in those legal requirements.
5 Principles of disclosure of information
The following principles included in the common element of disclosure of information apply to bodies and theiractivities.
aOpenness:
A body needs to disclose information about its conformity assessment activities to any user.
Subject to relevant egal requirements, the current status of an attestation for any object of conformity thatthe body has made an assessment of, may be publicly disclosed with the permission of the customer, orin response to a query about the authenticity of a claim by a user.
A body needs to provide access or disclosure to specific interested parties of non-confidential andnon-proprietary information about the attestations it has made for specific objects of conformity, in orderto gain or maintain confidence in its contormity assessment activities
6Access to information:
Any information held by the body on an object of conformity that is the subject of an assessment shouldupon request, be made accessible to the person or organization which contracted the conformityassessment body to undertake the conformity assessment activity.
Challenging confidentiality and disclosure of information:c1
An individual or organization should be able to submit a challenge to the body concerning that body’sconformity with requirements related to confidentiality and disclosure of information.
6Requirements for disclosure of information
6.1 General
In developing this Publicly Available Specification, it was recognized that there are varying degrees ofspecificity that ISO/CASCO working groups should consider, Consequently, the requirements in this clauseare categorized into three levels of specificity as follows:
a) Obligatory
These are specific drafted requirements that shall be used by lSO/CASCO working groups where theelement has to be addressed, without modification,except for substitution of more specific terms. Forexample, the phrase“Conformity assessment activities shall be undertaken impartially”, may besubstituted more specifically with “Management system certification activities shall be undertakenimpartially’. Justification is required from lSO/CASCO working groups that do not use these requirementswhen dealing with the relevant common element.
b) Recommended:
These are drafted requirements that working groups should use if they wished to have a greater degreeof specification Modification is permissible
oSuggested:
These are considerations that could be taken into account in the drafting of requirements by theISO/CASCO working group.