Glossary

Third-party attestation related to an assurance provider, conveying formal demonstration of its competence, impartiality and consistent operation in performing specific assessment activities.

Note: Refers specifically to accreditation carried out in conformity to ISO/IEC 17011.

Request by the client to the assurance provider, or by the assurance provider to the oversight body, for the reconsideration of an assessment decision.

Review of compliance or performance of a product, process, system, person or entity against specified requirements.

The steps and techniques that comprise an assessment.

Person with the competence to conduct an assessment.

Demonstration that specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or entity are fulfilled.

The sufficiency of different assurance processes to provide the same level of assurance with regard to the same specified requirements.

The approach that results from decisions made by the scheme owner about the type of assurance activities the scheme will carry out, the structures in place for coordinating and overseeing these activities, and the roles and responsibilities for implementing the assurance system.

Body responsible for the assurance of clients, excluding accreditation.

Note: In the context of this Code, an accreditation body is considered an oversight body rather than an assurance provider.

A systematic approach to carrying out assurance in which a set of requirements, rules and procedures are consistently applied. 

Note: In the context of this Code, ‘assurance system’ in assessment methodology requirements (7.3) applies to the assessment of clients. Oversight requirements for assessing the performance of assurance providers are included in the oversight mechanism (7.18) 

The logical and causal relationships between activities/strategies, outputs, outcomes, and impacts.

A means by which inputs, outputs, and associated attributes are transferred, monitored and controlled as they move forward through each step in the supply chain. 

Promotional communications about the sustainability attributes of a product, process, service, or organisation. This includes communications about the assurance status of a client and/or the client’s association with the scheme.

Note: These communications can be business-to-business or business-to-consumer and can be made by the scheme owner or by its clients. Claims can be made via a range of media including text, logos, labels, trust marks, etc.

A systematic approach to managing claims use by clients and other stakeholders, in which a set of rules and procedures is consistently applied.

The person, organisation, or enterprise that is applying the standard or performance requirements and being assessed against it.

A defined set of rules, standards, acceptable and unacceptable practices outlining what is expected of staff, suppliers, partners, or others.

The quality of having sufficient knowledge, judgement, and skill for a particular duty. 

Expression of dissatisfaction, other than an appeal, by any person or organisation to a scheme owner, assurance provider or oversight body relating to their respective activities, where a response is expected.

Any circumstance in which the impartiality and professional responsibilities of an individual or organisation are, could be, or may appear to be compromised. Thus, conflict of interest can be actual, potential, or perceived.

Demonstration that requirements of a standard or performance measure are fulfilled.

General agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important stakeholder group.

Note: Consensus should be the result of a process seeking to take into account the views of interested stakeholders, particularly those directly affected, and to reconcile any conflicting arguments. It need not imply unanimity.

An action to eliminate the cause of a non-conformity or another undesirable situation and to prevent recurrence.

Reinterpretable representation of information in a formalised manner suitable for communication, interpretation or processing.

Note: Data can be qualitative or quantitative.

Procedures, processes, and structures for gathering, storing, organising, analysing, and distributing information and data.

The framework used to maintain, control, monitor and protect the use of data by individuals and applications.

The degree to which data is valid (i.e., the data is an accurate representation of what it is intended to represent) and is fit for its intended use.

The possession, authority over, and responsibility for data assets. Data rights determine the scope and approach to governance and accountability for data management.  

A tool for data categorisation and classification based upon relationships and common characteristics.

Any disagreement between parties (e.g., a complaint, grievance).

A mechanism that allows individuals, communities, or organisations to raise and resolve complaints and grievances with scheme owners, assurance providers, or oversight bodies.

The creation of opportunities and reduction of disparities in opportunities and outcomes for diverse communities; fair and respectful treatment of all people; the creation of an environment where everyone feels welcome and respected and able to fully participate.

The ongoing process enterprises carry out to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address actual and potential negative impacts in their own operations, their supply chain and other business relationships.

Findable and available in an effortless way, such as through an organisation’s website.

Intended or unintended change due directly or indirectly to an intervention.

An instance when a requirement in a standard or policy is excluded from an assessment for being not applicable or is adapted for suitability to a particular circumstance.

The roles, responsibilities and relationships of the decision-making bodies that have the responsibility and accountability for the scheme and its components.

Formal, legal or non-legal (or ‘judicial/non-judicial’) complaint from affected stakeholders about the negative impacts they incur that are generated by the scheme owner, implementing partners, or its clients.

An organised body of people or enterprises that share similar characteristics, are part of a shared internal management system and, for assessment purposes, are considered as a single client (e.g., groups of farmers, of retail stores, of distributors).

The individual enterprise (e.g., farmer, retail store owner, distributor) that is enrolled in a group.

Sets out the objectives, scope and operational approach for an area of work. For example, see the MEL Guiding framework in 5.1.

Long-term, higher-level changes resulting from the scheme. Intended impacts are the long-term, higher-level changes the scheme owner intends for its scheme to produce.

Presence of objectivity within the scheme, its implementation, and its decision-making bodies, where objectivity is the freedom from bias or freedom from conflicts of interest.

An individual, group, enterprise, or organisation to which the scheme owner has delegated responsibility for the implementation of the scheme or scheme component, such as assurance or oversight. For example, assurance providers or oversight bodies.

Quantitative or qualitative factor or variable of interest that provides a means to track and understand changes and performance. Indicators may be related to the scheme, its clients, scheme or client performance or results, or the context in which the scheme or client operates.

A detailed explanation of how an indicator is constructed and is to be measured. It includes the metrics needed for an indicator, units of measure, definitions for key terms, data source(s), and approach used for data collection.

The accuracy and consistency of the scheme, scheme component, or attribute that contributes to the reliability of the scheme.

An assessment carried out by an organisation on itself in order to determine the extent to which specified requirements are fulfilled.

The documented set of procedures and processes that a group implements to ensure it can achieve specified requirements. The existence of an internal management system allows the assurance provider to delegate inspection of individual group members to an identified body within the group.

An ongoing set of interconnected functions, processes and activities that involve the systematic collection or collation and analysis of data and information to provide management and other stakeholders with an indication of the extent of progress and improvement, achievement of intended results, the occurrence of unintended effects or implementation problems, answers to specific learning questions, and lessons to support continual improvement.

A requirement identified as non-fulfilled during an assessment.

Short-term and medium-term results or changes resulting from the outputs of a scheme or part of a scheme.

The products, capital goods, or services that result directly from the activities of a scheme or part of a scheme.

The contractual obtaining of goods or services from a third party.

Responsibility for ensuring that assurance providers are competent, impartial and consistent when performing specific assurance activities.

Body that assesses the performance of assurance providers.

Note: Can be an accreditation body.

The requirements, rules and procedures that enable the evaluation of assurance providers.

A legally enforceable policy that defines unacceptable positions, practices, or activities by stakeholders that are associated with the scheme owner, and the means of disassociation with those stakeholders.

Information for which the rights of ownership are restricted so that the ability to freely distribute the data is limited.

A type of oversight employed by a scheme owner, whereby recognition of another scheme’s oversight mechanism is deemed partially sufficient to demonstrate quality of assurance.

Obtainable by any person, without unreasonable barriers of access.

Effectively redress negative impacts or effects (including cumulative or historic negative impacts).

A need or expectation that is stated in normative documents such as standards or technical specifications.

The outputs, outcomes, and impacts (intended or unintended, positive or negative) resulting from the implementation of a scheme.

An assessment of an element of the scheme that determines if a revision of that element is necessary.

Note: A review can assess qualities such as continued relevance, effectiveness, validity, or suitability.

The process of updating a scheme component or element.

The chance of something happening that will have an impact on objectives. It is measured in terms of a combination of the probability of an event and the severity of its consequences.

A documented process that allows individual and overall threats to be understood and managed proactively, reducing or minimising risks to an acceptable level.

A documented process or procedure that defines the protection needed for vulnerable groups, individuals, communities, and stakeholders from discrimination or any form of harm.

The policy or procedure that defines the scale and nature of a sample needed to confidently ascertain performance or compliance against a standard or system requirement. The protocol will define all of the factors used or considered to determine an adequate sample size for assessment.

The collective set of decisions and strategies carried out by an organisation or group of organisations to:

• establish standards or similar tools focused on one or more sustainability issues;
• measure, monitor, or verify performance or progress against these tools;
• allow for claims.

Note: A scheme can also undertake additional strategies that contribute to its sustainability outcomes and impacts, such as capacity-building or advocacy work.

See ISEAL’s resources on sustainability systems for more information.

A subset of activities (often representing a system, process, or department), that contribute to or result in the scheme’s defined sustainability outcomes or that back up the scheme’s controlled claims and communications about the results. Core scheme components include: standard-setting; monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL); assurance; and claims.

The legally constituted organisation that is responsible for the standards or performance requirements and accountable for the effectiveness of the assurance and claims management systems. The scheme owner determines the objectives and scope of the scheme, as well as the rules for how the scheme will operate.

Note: The scheme owner can be the standards owner, assurance provider, a governmental authority, trade association, group of assurance providers, or other body.

The contribution of the scheme towards its intended sustainability outcomes and impacts.

Individuals or groups who are interested in or who will be affected by the decisions or activities of the scheme.

A document that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for products or services, or related processes and production methods, with which compliance is not mandatory.

Note: It may also include or deal exclusively with terminology, symbols, packaging, marking, or labelling requirements as they apply to a product, service, process or production method.

Note: in the context of the Code, the term standard is inclusive of similar tools that define sustainability performance levels or improvement pathways.

The sufficiency of other standards to provide the same level of sustainability performance in a similar context that is relevant and applicable to the scheme.

The approaches and activities implemented by a sustainability system in pursuit of its sustainability objectives.

Involving matters of major or practical importance to those concerned. In the context of sustainability standards or performance requirements a substantive revision changes the practices or performance levels required of the client.

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability has three main interdependent dimensions: social, environmental, and economic.

A planning and management tool that defines all building blocks required to bring about a defined long-term goal or impact. This set of connected building blocks, made up of outputs and short and medium term expected outcomes, is often depicted graphically as a causal pathway that maps the expected steps and links in the change process. A theory of change also identifies assumptions underlying the logic and steps in the causal pathway.

Any event, action, potential action, or inaction that could prevent an organisation from achieving its objectives. Quantifying the likelihood and severity of a threat in a specific context creates the risk categorisation.

The ability to to track and verify the history and location of a material’s movement through defined stages of production, processing and distribution.

Individuals or groups who are interested in or who will be affected by the decisions or activities of the scheme but are either not included or only partially included, notified, or aware of the decisions or activities of the scheme.

A document that outlines how those who report wrongdoings are to be protected from retribution, retaliation, or any other possible negative outcome that may be directly linked to their whistleblowing actions.