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Conformity FAQs

Companion page to Certification FAQs — this page explains the general assessment fields; Certification FAQs is the reference lookup for specific certifications.

"Understanding Conformity Fields" explains what each field on the form means — Scope, Assessor Level, Assessment Level, Authority Endorsement, Conformity Topic — as general concepts, using amfori as one worked example. Optional fields can be left blank rather than filled with a guess: an honest, incomplete record is more useful than an inaccurate complete one.

Why does this form ask so many questions about one certification?

Certifications are usually reduced to a name and a logo, but a genuine assessment involves several distinct facts: who assessed it, how independent they were, what external authority backs the scheme, and what was specifically checked.

Scope

Determines whether the credential evaluates a product, a facility, or an entire organisation.

Assessor Level (required)

Measures independence of the assessing party: Self, Commercial/Buyer, 3rd Party, or an industry-body/hybrid option.

Assessment Level (optional)

Source of assurance backing the assessment: Scheme CAB, or an authority-derived option.

Authority Endorsement (optional)

Records formal external authority endorsement of the scheme itself.

Conformity Assessment (optional)

A plain description of what was actually checked.

Conformity Topic (optional)

Broad area: environment, circularity, social, or governance.

Reference Standard/Regulation/Criteria (optional)

The external standards or regulations the credential references.