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London, N1 7EU
United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0)20 3246 0066
info@isealalliance.org
www.isealalliance.org
07 February 2016
Associate Member Application Form
Version 2 – September, 2013
A. General Information and Program Scope
Name of Your Organisation:
Name of Contact Person:
Position:
Postal Address (Head Office):
Telephone (Include International Access):
Email:
Skype:
Website:
Legal Status of Organisation (where applicable):
In addition to head office, name all other locations.
Number of Staff (total for all offices, and breakdown
per office):
List of Activities that your organisation undertakes
(e.g., Standard-Setting, Certification, Accreditation):
List of Sectors in which your organisation is involved
(e.g. Forestry, Agriculture, mining, carbon credits,
etc.):
Geographical scope of your program:
Does your standard focus on social and/or
environmental issues?
Standard-setting (Note: This section does not apply to accreditation bodies.)

Applicants shall complete a Standard-Setting Compliance Scorecard & Checklist to demonstrate
compliance with baseline criteria, and attach or provide links to any supporting documentation as
required

Applicants shall also prepare a Standard-setting Public System Report against selected baseline criteria
(determined in the System Report Outline) to be published within Online Community1

Applicants shall provide a copy of their standard-setting procedures and shall indicate the status of the
procedures.
Assurance

Applicants shall complete an Assurance Code Compliance Scorecard & Checklist to demonstrate
compliance with baseline criteria, and attach or provide links to any supporting documentation as
required

Applicants shall also prepare an Assurance Code Public System Report against selected baseline criteria
(determined in the System Report Outline) to be published within Online Community2

Applicants shall provide a copy of their assurance structure and procedures or information about the
status of their assurance procedures.

Applicants shall report on the status of compliance of their assurance procedures with relevant ISO
standards (e.g. ISO/IEC 17011, 17021, or 17065).
Impacts (Note: This section does not apply to accreditation bodies.)

Applicants shall complete an Impacts Compliance Scorecard & Checklist to demonstrate compliance
with baseline criteria, and attach or provide links to any supporting documentation as required
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Visible to ISEAL members only
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Visible to ISEAL members only
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
Applicants shall also prepare an Impacts Code Public System Report against selected baseline criteria
(determined in the System Report Outline) to be published within Online Community3
E. Governance
Please provide the following documentation (direct attachment or website link):

Mission statement, vision or equivalent guiding document that aligns with the ISEAL Alliance Credibility
Principles (no explanation required)

An overview of your governance structure, such as terms of reference and organisational structure;

Your mission statement, vision or equivalent guiding document;

Evidence of commitment to your program by key civil society stakeholders; and

Proof that your organisation is registered as a legal entity.
F. Terms and Agreement
I/we hereby understand and agree to the following terms, which will come into effect upon our approval as an
Associate Member:
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1.
Our organisation agrees to be guided by the ISEAL Credibility Principles in our approach to creating and
maintaining a credible and robust standards system. Furthermore, we affirm that none of the activities
of our organisation or the activities of subsidiaries or parent companies may be construed as running
counter to the ISEAL Credibility Principles
2.
Our organisation commits to abide by the ISEAL Code of Ethics, particularly in our interactions with
ISEAL and with ISEAL members
3.
Our organisation will strive to meet the requirements for Full Member status within one year from the
date of approval as an Associate Member of the ISEAL Alliance, and to fully comply with the ISEAL Codes
within three years.
4.
Our organisation is not entitled to make any claims about our practices or compliance with Codes of
Good Practice as a result of our membership in ISEAL. We are entitled to state that we are an ISEAL
Associate Member and can make aspirational statements about seeking to be compliant with applicable
ISEAL Codes, with language approved by the ISEAL Secretariat prior to use. We are not entitled to use
the ISEAL logo.
5.
Our organisation will make annual reports, operating procedures including decision-making structures,
and standards (including drafts), where applicable, publicly available at least through our organisation’s
website.
Visible to ISEAL members only
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6.
Our organisation will participate regularly in the ISEAL community, to improve accessibility and
effectiveness of our program and of the voluntary standards movement, and to reduce overlaps and
duplications among programs. This could include participation in the online community, and delivery or
participation in webinars, workshops and conferences.
7.
Our organisation is willing and able to provide advice and support to other ISEAL members, as
appropriate, on challenges that they face.
8.
Our organisation will submit timely and complete responses (within 1 month) to requests for
information solicited by the ISEAL Secretariat, such as in the form of annual surveys that are aimed at
furthering ISEAL’s Strategic Plan.
9.
Our organisation will forward to the ISEAL Secretariat on an annual basis all new and revised procedures
pertaining to the operation of our organisation and, specifically, our standard-setting or accreditation
activities. Included with this information shall be a summary of changes related to compliance with the
current normative reference documents.
10. When we are a Full Member, representatives to ISEAL from our organisation will inform our staff of
developments within ISEAL, and we shall consult actively with our staff on issues raised at the ISEAL
Board level, bringing the results of these consultations forward to the ISEAL Board.
11. Our organisation will make timely payment of annual member fees.
12. Our organisation will notify ISEAL of any criminal or civil proceedings made against us.
I further confirm that the information provided in and with this Form is accurate and truthful.
Signed:
On Behalf of (Name of Individual or Organisation):
Date:
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Annex 1: ISEAL Credibility Principles
1. Sustainability
Standards scheme owners clearly define and communicate their sustainability
objectives and approach to achieving them. They make decisions that best advance
these objectives.
2. Improvement
Standards scheme owners seek to understand their impacts and measure and
demonstrate progress towards their intended outcomes. They regularly integrate
learning and encourage innovation to increase benefits to people and the
environment.
3. Relevance
Standards are fi t for purpose. They address the most significant sustainability impacts
of a product, process, business or service; only include requirements that contribute
to their objectives; reflect best scientific understanding and relevant international
norms; and are adapted where necessary to local conditions.
4. Rigour
All components of a standards system are structured to deliver quality outcomes. In
particular, standards are set at a performance level that results in measurable progress
towards the scheme’s sustainability objectives, while assessments of compliance
provide an accurate picture of whether an entity meets the standard’s requirements.
5. Engagement
Standards-setters engage a balanced and representative group of stakeholders in
standards development. Standards systems provide meaningful and accessible
opportunities to participate in governance, assurance and monitoring and evaluation.
They empower stakeholders with fair mechanisms to resolve complaints.
6. Impartiality
Standards systems identify and mitigate conflicts of interest throughout their
operations, particularly in the assurance process and in governance. Transparency,
accessibility and balanced representation contribute to impartiality.
7. Transparency
Standards systems make relevant information freely available about the development
and content of the standard, how the system is governed, who is evaluated and
under what process, impact information and the various ways in which stakeholders
can engage.
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8. Accessibility
To reduce barriers to implementation, standards systems minimise costs and overly
burdensome requirements. They facilitate access to information about meeting the
standard, training, and financial resources to build capacity throughout supply chains
and for actors within the standards system.
9. Truthfulness
Claims and communications made by actors within standards systems and by
certified entities about the benefits or impacts that derive from the system or from
the purchase or use of a certified product or service are verifiable, not misleading,
and enable an informed choice.
10. Efficiency
Standards systems refer to or collaborate with other credible schemes to improve
consistency and efficiency in standards content and operating practices. They
improve their viability through the application of sound revenue models and
organisational management strategies.
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Annex 2: ISEAL Alliance Code of Ethics
ISEAL Alliance Overall Aim
To strengthen sustainability standards systems to benefit people and the environment
Vision for Membership
ISEAL Members work collectively to achieve common social and environmental goals and targets by increasing
the effectiveness of sustainability standards systems and by creating the enabling conditions for the uptake of
these systems. Members share a sense of common purpose, built on trust that leads to a high level of
collaboration, learning and innovation. Members participate actively in sharing and exchange, resulting in a
vibrant and engaged community.
Code of Ethics
ISEAL Members:

Commit to work collectively within the ISEAL Alliance to achieve the Alliance’s Strategic Framework;

Ensure that none of its activities or the activities of its subsidiaries or parent companies run counter to
the ISEAL aims and vision.

Share information about their programs and procedures with other ISEAL members;

Integrate public transparency as a basic operating principle by making information about their
operations publicly available through their respective websites;

Seek opportunities to collaborate with other members at all levels of implementation of their standards
system;

Strive to improve access of producers to multiple standards systems by creating efficiencies between
systems;

Strive to reduce confusion in the market by clearly and accurately communicating the nature of their
standards program;

Develop agreements on how they will present their program and each other externally, and strive to
follow those agreements in communications to external stakeholders;

Refrain from making false or misleading statements about other ISEAL members;

Strive to mitigate all potential conflicts of interest in their work, as they arise, including undue influence
by companies;

Actively engage with other ISEAL members to achieve the above mentioned goals;

Do not engage in work elsewhere that contradicts this Code of Ethics; and

Do not make false statements about the ISEAL Alliance or the nature of their membership in ISEAL.
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