ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System Certification is critical for organisations in the public, private and non-profit sectors. After all, consider the benefits: Certification adds a distinct level of credibility to the organisation’s management systems, and ensures that the organisation is implementing a viable anti-bribery management program utilising widely accepted controls and systems.
It provides assurance to management, investors, business associates, personnel and other stakeholders that the organisation is actively pursuing internationally recognised and accepted processes to prevent bribery and corruption. ISO 37001:2016 certification also protects the organisation, its assets, shareholders and directors from the effects of bribery.
But what, exactly, is the process for getting ISO 37001:2016 certified by CRI Group? Once your organisation has submitted questionnaire information and completed the approval and contract stage, the certification cycle is ready to begin.
Step 1: Audit confirmation
An audit agenda will be developed with your organisation and confirmed to the Certification’s Body Assessment Team at least 3 months prior to the organisation’s first audit.
Step 2: Pre-assessment audit (optional)
The organisation can opt to perform a pre-assessment audit to identify any possible gaps between its current management system and the requirements of the standard. This audit is optional and helps the organisation to check its preparedness of the stage 1 and 2 assessments by identifying any major non-conformities which have not been addressed.
Step 3: Stage 1 audit
Review the results of the audit, including:
- General observations
- Non-conformities (major or minor, see below)
Minor non-conformities: These are not seen as serious. The organisation must complete internal Corrective Action Plan (CAP) before Stage 2. CAP is not required to be sent to the Assessment Team at Stage 1.
Major non-conformities: These are more serious and the organisation will need to submit a CAP, within 10 days of receiving audit report, with all actions scheduled to be completed before Stage 2. The CAP should be sent to the Assessment Team. The major non-conformities raised during Stage 1 will be re-assessed during Stage 2 Audit.
Step 4: Stage 2 audit
This is an on-site audit and takes place after the organisation has successfully completed Stage 1 and corrected any major non-conformities identified during Stage 1 audit. Stage 2 confirms that the organisation’s management system is fully aligned to the standard. The evaluation is of management system implementation and its effectiveness.
Outcome: The audit report will detail the following:
- Any positive observations
- Opportunities for improvement – suggestions for improvement, as well as any findings that could lead to potential non-conformities.
- Non-conformities (Major or Minor)
- Recommendation for Certification
Minor non-conformities: The organisation must complete internal Corrective Action Plan (CAP) and submit this to the Assessment Team within 45 working days of receiving the audit report. The CAP will be reviewed by the Assessment Team and must detail the nonconformity, the cause, the proposed corrective action, who is responsible and the date the action will be implemented. Based on the evaluation of CAP, the recommendation for certification will be made.
For minor non-conformities, if an organisation has a corrective action procedure in place, this will not delay the certificate.
Major non-conformities: The organisation must complete internal Corrective Action Plan (CAP) and submit within 90 days (or 180 days depending on the number and risk of major non-conformities) of receiving the audit report and must be sent to the auditor.
What comes next? Stay tuned for the second installment in our two-part series about the ISO 37001:2016 certification process.
ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System certification is offered under CRI Group’s ABAC® Centre of Excellence, an independent certification body established for Anti-Bribery Management System training and certification, Compliance Management System and Risk Management System certification. The program will be tailored to your organisation’s needs and requirements. For assistance in developing and implementing a fraud prevention strategy, contact ABAC today or get a FREE QUOTE now!
Have you read?
- Brexit poses new bribery challenges, ISO 37001 provides solutions
- Bribery and corruption plague Middle East, how can ISO 37001 help?
- As South Asia Grapples with anti-bribery compliance, ISO 37001 provides solutions
- Whitepaper: Organised catastrophe of international Pakistan airlines
- Rolls-Royce Case study: Ethics & Compliance
- ISO 37001 FAQ
- Are you ready for ISO 37001?
- Don’t have an ethical code of conduct? Your organisation needs one
Who is CRI Group?
Based in London, CRI Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, Business Intelligence, Due Diligence and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider. We have the largest proprietary network of background-screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.
In 2016, CRI Group launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 19600:2014 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.
Omoye Osebor is the Business Development Executive and Investigative Analyst for CRI Group and its subsidiary ABAC®. Working with a range of industries and organisations, she is focused on providing an unparalleled high service level, developing quality solutions, driving service improvement, innovation and value in order to continuously exceed client expectations. Day to day she supports fundamental operations encompassing client service and client relationship building. She is knowledgeable in risk, compliance, anti-bribery and corruption solutions to clients and industry professionals.
Ashelea is the head of the Investigations team in Dubai, leading the due diligence, background screening and corporate investigations for multinational clients across a variety of key industry sectors: public relations and advertising agencies of global brands, international law firms, aerospace and defense, nuclear and energy companies.
Raheel is Assistant Manager of the Investigations team in Islamabad, specifically leading the due diligence sector of investigation department, he is also working in background screening, corporate and individual investigations for multinational and national clients across a variety of key industry sectors: Oil and energy, Media, NGO’s, Engineering, Construction, Aerospace and Services providing companies.
Corporate Research and Investigations Limited is an approved supplier to the Oman Oil and Gas Industry’s Joint Supplier Registration System.
Certification for ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management (ISMS) helps to manage and protect the information assets so that they remain safe and secure
Certification for ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management (ISMS) helps to manage and protect the information assets so that they remain safe and secure.
CRI Group has been granted accreditation by the Dubai Accreditation Department (DAC) for the scope of ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System Conformity Assessment Body.