A consultant is any third party or individual offering advisory services to an organization seeking AGA certification. Consultants provide expertise, guidance, or training related to certification standards and processes. Consultants may assist organizations in preparing for certification by providing training, document review, and advisory support on best practices and standard requirements.

• Consultants cannot conduct the official certification audits or make certification decisions.
• Consultants must not interfere with the independence of auditors during the evaluation process.
• Consultants involved in preparing an organization for certification must not participate in the certification decision.
• Consultants must not have any direct influence on the certification body's final evaluation.

Consultants must maintain an arm’s-length relationship with both the organization being certified and the certification body. Any consultant involved in preparing an organization for certification must not participate in the audit or have a conflict of interest that may compromise the objectivity of the certification process. Organizations must disclose the use of consultants during the application for certification. This includes providing details of the consultant’s role and any documentation they have prepared or reviewed. Consultants working with organizations must declare any past, present, or potential conflicts of interest to the AGA Certification Body. Consultants are prohibited from directly contacting the certification body or auditors to influence the outcome of the audit or certification decision.

• Consultants must maintain independence throughout the certification process.
• Consultants must disclose their involvement during the certification application.
• Consultants must declare any actual, potential, or past conflicts of interest.
• Consultants must not attempt to influence auditors or certification decisions.
• Consultants must not interfere with the certification process in any manner.

Any attempts by consultants to interfere in the certification process may lead to the suspension or rejection of the certification application. AGA reserves the right to audit the role of the consultant in the certification process to ensure compliance with this policy. This includes reviewing the consultant's involvement and ensuring that certification standards have been followed without external influence. Failure to comply with this consultant policy may result in penalties, including the rejection of certification, withdrawal of certification status, or blacklisting the consultant from future involvement with AGA Certification. This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure alignment with best practices and any changes to certification standards. Effective Date: 01.09.2024 Review Date: 01.09.2025