Company Policies
Company Policies - Sönmez Certification (English Translation)
OUR VISION
To share our knowledge, experience, and expertise with our clients, thereby developing both our clients and our organization; to contribute to the employment of qualified personnel, and to become a leading and permanent institution in our sector.
OUR MISSION
To evaluate the corporate structures, reliability, and performance suitability of the individuals being served within the framework of a confidentiality policy, ensure their certification, and maintain and develop the sustainability of this certification.
PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION POLICIES
1. Personnel Certification Policy
Sönmez Certification provides services that comply with local and international legislation, operate with the principle of equal opportunity, and feature a system open to appeals and complaints. We offer services with guaranteed quality, internal validation, and a commitment to reliability, prioritizing occupational health and safety (OHS), continuous improvement, preventing misuse, and emphasizing customer satisfaction and contribution to employment.
2. Policy on Preventing Misuse of Certificates
Sönmez Certification identifies and minimizes the risk of misuse of certificates by personnel or candidates. The policy ensures that every allegation of misuse is responded to quickly and impartially, that every misuse investigation is standardized and recorded to ensure clarity and fairness, and that sanctions are applied in accordance with legislation and contracts in proven cases (or attempts) of misuse.
3. Equal Opportunity Policy
Our institution has taken all necessary measures to prevent discrimination. We ensure access to assessment opportunities for everyone, considering the needs of candidates with special requirements. It is essential that the assessment of national qualifications is valid and reliable, and that no person or group is rendered more advantageous or disadvantageous than others.
4. Internal Verification Policy
Sönmez Certification ensures the execution of internal verification activities, guaranteeing that only deserving individuals can obtain certificates and ensuring consistency among assessors. The internal verification must be valid, reliable, and cover all assessors and all national qualification activities. Our procedure is transparent, fair, and unbiased; all verification decisions are accurately and thoroughly recorded.
5. Occupational Health and Safety and Risk Management Policy
Sufficient attention is paid to OHS matters in all activities. It is ensured that personnel, candidates, visitors, auditors, contractors, and other individuals have legal OHS obligations both to themselves and to each other. We conduct annual audits to ensure OHS control measures and emergency procedures are in place and effective. Annual OHS risk assessments are performed to identify and minimize potential hazards, and information, instruction, training, and supervision are provided to ensure all individuals are aware of relevant risks and carry out necessary actions. We provide adequate and suitable buildings, equipment, and facilities in compliance with OHS legislation and the institution's additional requirements. Consultation with personnel and candidates regarding OHS matters, implementation of safe work systems, control of hazardous situations, and application of current OHS best practices and relevant administrative guidance are ensured.
6. Policy on Evaluation of Appeals and Complaints
The policy allows a candidate to question or appeal the assessment decisions of national qualifications and ensures that complaints regarding the certification body's services are considered. All candidates are informed about the appeal/complaint policy and procedure. The process prioritizes reaching a resolution between the appealing candidate and the relevant assessor, employs a staged appeal procedure, standardizes and records every appeal/complaint for transparency and fairness, and ensures every appeal/complaint record is retained for investigation when required by the institution.
7. Policy on Ensuring Quality Assurance
Sönmez Certification aims to provide high-quality, effective, and sustainable services within the framework of accreditation and authorization rules. We ensure institutional-level controls to maintain the quality standard in the assessment of national qualifications and qualification units within the scope of authorization.
8. Policy on Measurement and Assessment
The core principle is that the measurement and assessment procedures for national qualifications are transparent, fair, and unbiased. Assessment records are accurately and thoroughly kept. Assessment decisions must be impartial, valid, and reliable. Procedures are developed to minimize the possibility of misconduct or malpractices. All necessary resources are secured to ensure that measurement and assessment are carried out accurately and appropriately according to the legislation.
9. Personnel Training and Development Policy
The policy ensures that all personnel possess the knowledge, skills, and expertise necessary to perform at a high standard, consistent with their job descriptions, thus achieving their full potential. The training and development needs of all personnel are evaluated and met in line with this policy. All new personnel receive appropriate induction training upon joining the team, which includes identifying suitable training and development needs. All employees receive appropriate OHS training before starting work, which also covers emergency procedures. Equal opportunities are provided to all personnel for training and development, and equal access to these opportunities is ensured based on individual needs.
10. Policy on Ensuring Impartiality and Preventing All Conflicts of Interest
Measures are taken and procedures are implemented to address any potential conflict of interest (CoI) between shareholders, managers, employees, external service providers, and service recipients. In the event of unforeseen CoI situations, action is taken to safeguard impartiality, and the situations are transparently recorded. Actions are taken to minimize time conflicts arising from excessive workload preventing employees from devoting sufficient time to their primary duties. Measures are taken to eliminate family or close relationship conflicts in cases where examination personnel assess individuals they are related to. Precautions are taken to ensure that employee discipline and conduct do not affect assessment activities or certification decisions, and that financial interests, revenue, or profit expectations do not influence any certification decision.
11. Policy on Non-Conforming Activities
The policy ensures that audit and control activities are conducted to identify activities that do not conform to documented procedures, policies, and objectives. Corrective and preventive actions are implemented to address identified non-conforming activities and prevent their recurrence.