General Terms and Conditions of Certification
Article 1. I-Cube.
I-Cube is accredited for certification, N° SCESe079, by the Swiss Accreditation Services (SAS). I-Cube is an internationally recognised certification body.
I-Cube is a limited liability company totally independent of all other consulting and management system certification. I-Cube guarantees objectivity and total independence together with a pragmatic, value adding approach and a very high level of competence.
Each certification scheme is developed and regularly maintained by a commitee of multi-disciplinary experts (see Table 1).
Article 2. Certification process
2.1 Certification procedure
The certification procedures are described in detail for each scheme on the I-Cube website as www.i3academia.com. The scheme descriptions are an integral part of this regulation.
2.2 Certification contract
A certification contract is established for each candidate. The General Terms and Conditions of Certification defined below are an integral part of that contract.
The contract is in force and certifies Lead Auditors for 3 years and Building Assessors for 5 years. The contract is tacitly renewed unless rescinded in writing three months before its due date. The prices shown are fixed for the contract's period of validity. Changes to the tarif based on the cost of living are possible for further validations.
2.3 Evaluation
Only candidates who satisfy the pre-requisites defined in each certification scheme will be invited to take an examination. Candidates are free to choose the date of their exam from that which I-Cube offers, but they must lie within the deadlines defined in each certification scheme. The exams are based upon the criteria set out in each certification scheme.
On the agreed date the candidate will receive all the necessary documentation and will have access to the questions and formulas relevant to the exam. The candidate must complete the exam in the allowed time.
Examinations are undertaken online. They can either be on I-Cube premises or in places where I-Cube can be reached via computer. If the examination is not held online on I-Cube premises, I-Cube reserves the right to ask candidates to organise in advance supervision by an unbiased and independent person or to have Skype and a web camera available.
In any case where cheating is suspected ( e.g. a third person helping the candidate, previous knowledge of the questions, etc.) I-Cube may ask candidates either to sit a complementary examination (written and/or oral) or to resit the examination. This will be at the candidate's own expense and the cost of the first examinaiton will not be refunded.
2.4 Examination commission
An examination commission is designated for each certification scheme or specific area of competence. Depending on the actual scheme, the examination commission has one or more examiners, recruited from the corresponding commission who must have the following :
- at least five years experience in the relevant area of competence;
- experience of managing human resources at a management level;
- experience as a training tutor and examiner in the relevant domain;
- competence in the exam's language.
To pass the examination, a candidate must score at least 4 (out of a possible 6). An additional examination (document review, case study, and/or client/candidate interview) may allow a mark of 3.5 to be raised to a 4, the lowest pass mark.
Once the I-Cube procedures have been followed, the I-Cube certification manager will either:
- if the candidate has passed, send the candidate's exam and file to the certification commission for certification approval.
- if the candidate's score is too low, inform the candidate of this and remind him of the procedure for repeating the exam.
If the candidate does not pass, they can resit within a three month period. By applying to resit, they accept the additional examination fees, in addition to those for the certification contract.
If the candidate does not pass again, the contractual procedure must be re-started from the beginning.
2.8 Referenced Standards
The certification of candidates offered by I-Cube is based upon internationally recognised standards. The certificate mentions the relevant standard. All new certification or re-certification can only be with respect to the relevant standards which are then in force. Those who hold certificates are informed of any changes in standards which concerns them.
Article 3. Certificate validity
The certificate is valid for 3 years (Lead Auditor) or 5 years (Building Assessors) under the following conditions:
- the certificate holder must respect the surveillance conditions contained in the relevant schemes,
- I-Cube can observe the aptitude and competence of the certificate holder in the field at any time during the period of validity of the certificate,
- when certified persons receive recommendations for improving their competence they must put these into practice within the stipulated time delay,
- the certified person must allow the I-Cube examiners access to all his files and clients which they use as references,
- the certified person respect the ethical code which is an integral part of his certification file,
The certificate is I-Cube's exclusive property and I-Cube may require its return if necessary.
Article 4. Confidentiality
I-Cube promises to treat any information about its certified people in complete confidence.
Article 5. Impartiality
So as to guarantee its being impartial, I-Cube gives no consultancy advice or training relative to the certification schemes it offers or the competence required in any of its certification schemes.
Since I-Cube does not give courses or define the content of any of courses on I-Cube Academia, this platform does not invalidate its impartiality. (see www.i3academia.com).
Article 6. Appeals
Written appeals must be addressed to I-Cube within 30 days of a decision being received by the candidate. The I-Cube Director will examine the appeal, consult with the appropriate parties and inform the candidate of I-Cube's decision within 60 days. If there is continued disagreement over the decision the candidate can appeal to the I-Cube Surveillance Committee who have the final word.
Article 7. Publication
A list of persons certified by I-Cube maybe published on its website at www.I3academia.com. Any certified person will automatically be listed there.
Article 8. Certificate holders / candidates commitments
When the certification contract is signed, of which the present rules are an integral part, the future contract holder must:
- accept the specific requirements for their particular certification scheme,
- sit the relevant examinations individually without help from others and not attempt to obtain copies of the I-Cube examination prior to this sitting
- only use the certification for the purpose for which it is intended
- not to use their certification in a way that may damage I-Cube's reputation and not make any declaration that I-Cube may judge to be inaccurate or unauthorised,
- once the certificate has been rescinded or suspended, to stop making reference to the certificating body or to the certification itself and to return the certificate to I-Cube, and
- not to use the certificate in a dishonest fashion.
Any inaccurate reference to the certification or any incorrect use of certificates or trademarks in publications, catalogues, etc. will entail the suspension or removal of the certification, a published note concerning its misuse and, if necessary, recourse to legal measures.
Article 9. I-Cube Certificate and logo usage
The certification holder is authorised to use the I-Cube trademark on his work or on advertising documentation, as long as :
- the logo is only used within the framework of the certification,
- the logo itself is not altered.
If these conditions are not met or if any incorrect use is made of the certification, it may be rescinded. The right to use the logo is forfeited as soon as the certification is removed or not renewed (a maximum of three months is allowed for documentation which is already printed).
Article 10. Complaints
The certificate holder must keep a copy of any complaint or appeal which applies to their certification. I-Cube must have access to these documents for its surveillance role.
Article 11. Document archiving
Documents related to a candidate's certification are archived for a minimum of 3 years after the expiraration of their contract.
Article 12. Fees
I-Cube fees are fixed for the certification period and are identical for all candidates who are certified during the same period.
Article 13. Applicable law and forum selection
The General Conditions of Certification and its associated legal provisions are subject to Swiss law. All disputes, claims, controversies, and disagreements relating to or arising out of the the General Terms and Conditions, or the subject matter of this General Terms and Conditions, shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Sierre (Switzerland), and no others.
Techno-pôle- Sierre, le 23 août 2007
Table 1
| Scheme(s) | Scheme Committee |
| ISO 9001 Lead Auditor ISO 14001 Lead Auditor Town Centre Management Lead Auditor |
The scheme committee unites representatives from the following interested parties and competences: :
|
| FSMS - ISO 22000 Lead Auditeur (selon ISO 22003) | The scheme committee unites representatives from the following interested parties and competences:
|
| Building Assessors | The scheme committee unites representatives from the following interested parties and competences:
|
