LLoyd’s Register QA (LRQA) has responded to an official complaint filed against it by Oxebridge which alleged the UKAS-accredited certification body (CB) had violated accreditation rules prohibiting it from providing consulting services to current or potential certification clients.
Denis Ives, LRQA’s Technical and Quality Director, wrote the following:
The Pathway self-assessment tools only provide ‘generic information’ by informing users what requirements of the standard they need to address. This is in compliance with ISO 17021-1:2015 which specifically excludes the provision of such generic information from the definition of consultancy.
Oxebridge has responded by contesting the denial, noting that the literal language that appears on the LRQA website for Pathway indicates that LRQA would not merely identify gaps, but assist in closing them by providing client-specific advice. Oxebridge VP Operations Christopher Paris has written to LRQA as follows:
In your response you claim that “The Pathway self-assessment tools only provide ‘generic information’ by informing users what requirements of the standard they need to address.” Yet on the website, LRQA says, “Answer the questions honestly and you will be presented with a report outlining any potential weaknesses in your management system. LRQA will provide tips to help you rectify the gaps found and provide you with relevant support options to enable you to successfully gain certification.”
These two statements are in contradiction. The website clearly indicates that LRQA will provide the client (“you“) with “tips” derived from the client’s specific answers to the Pathway tool aimed at “rectifying” the gaps, and then “relevant support options” towards certification. Because no two clients would answer your survey the same way, any response you give would be, therefore, client-specific, and thus prohibited.
In your response, however, you claim LRQA is only pointing to the gaps, and on the LRQA website it is clear you are assisting clients in closing (“rectifying”) those gaps. One of the two statements is, therefore, dishonest.
You may read the entirety of LRQA’s response here.
Oxebridge previously completed the Pathway tool survey on behalf of a client, but did not receive any results, presumably because LRQA saw it was intended to be sent to Oxebridge. Oxebridge is therefore asking anyone who has undergone the Pathway survey to send copies of LRQA’s responses, and the “tips” provided, to Oxebridge for review (send via this link).
Oxebridge is considering escalating the complaint to UKAS.
