Applying for Accreditation

You need to go through the pre-application process so we can assess your organisation’s suitability and determine if we can actually accredit your organisation.

To do this, complete this ‘Application Enquiry Form’ (we need to provide one direct download link).  You will be asked to submit information regarding your application.  This is the pre-application form.  IMAB Secretariat staff will review the information provided, and indicate whether you will be able to proceed to the application stage.

If your organization succeeds in the pre-application process, you can then start the assessment procedure. To do this you,

• Review the Accreditation Manual
• sign the Applicants Deed
• upload all required documentation through the portal
• pay the application fees

We shall review your application to decide if we can accept it. If your application is inadequate at the outset, we are under no obligation to progress your organisation to accreditation.

Note : You need to be confident that your organisation can meet the conditions of accreditation and the criteria relating to the scope of application. This is all explained in the Accreditation Manual.

If your application is accepted, then IMAB performs a:

1. System’s assessment - examine your documentation and conduct on-site visit. You need to invest time and effort in preparing system documentation.
2. Compliance assessment - conduct an office assessment and witness assessment. You need to demonstrate to us that you can put your systems into practice.

IMAB present its findings to the Accreditation Review Board for a decision on whether to grant accreditation and if conditions are to be placed on the accreditation.

If your application is approved you are issued a Certificate of Accreditation.

If your application is not approved, a letter containing valid reason will be emailed to your official mail ID. It could be that your application is not complete or contains errors. Or your application can be rejected on other grounds too.

You are free to appeal our final decision or make a complaint following a set process.

If you are accredited, IMAB will monitor your compliance throughout your three year accreditation term. This provides you with important feedback on maintaining your systems and performance.

This will include scheduled and unscheduled -

• surveillance visits, involving a range of activities. Our assessors may, for example, visit your premises to assess how you work, witness your performance, conduct probity and validation tests.
• surveillance assessments. Our assessors will do this in your offices and they will want to observe your auditors with your clients.

If our surveillance highlights emerging problems, you will need to make changes and it could be that we will have to reduce the scope of your accreditation or terminate your accreditation. If this is the case you will be notified in writing of the reasons why and given the opportunity to appeal these decisions.

Certification is a complex business and systems and practices can get out of alignment. With emerging problems it is critical that you let us know how you are responding. Are you solving the problem? Do you understand the underlying cause of the problem? Does your proposed solution convince us that you are in control?  

You inform IMAB of what you are going to do through your portal. Then you are responsible for putting changes into practice. If variations have to be made to reduce the scope of your accreditation or terminate you accreditation then you will be notified of the reasons why and given the opportunity to appeal these decisions.