The following describes a typical certification process as it is suggested particularly for companies undergoing their first certification. Depending on company- and project-specific circumstances, there may be variations, e.g. the Certification Body may be chosen earlier in the process.
Step 1: Getting informed
-
Drafting the intended scope of certification: What concrete plants shall undergo the certification process? What part of the supply chain (cement and aggregates) is already certified or will undergo certification?
-
Gather generic information from the CSC-webpage, see: http://www.concretesustainabilitycouncil.com/
-
Perform a free Quick Scan to evaluate your performance in responsible sourcing. Go to: https://toolbox.concretesustainabilitycouncil.com/quickscan/create
-
Check whether a Regional System Operator (RSO) is available and what additional services it offers.
Step 2: Kick off your project
-
Define responsibilities such as project lead, gathering of evidence, obtaining offers from certification bodies and uploading of evidence.
-
Identify internal and external contact points for obtaining evidence documents (e.g. HR department for labor-related criteria).
-
Set up support tools for internal collaboration (e.g. mailing list, dedicated folders to store collected evidence documents).
Step 3: Register as user of the CSC-toolbox
-
Go to: https://auth.concretesustainabilitycouncil.com/user/register
-
Wait for the CSC helpdesk to confirm your chosen Username and Password.
-
Please use your company email address to be accepted as a user.
Step 4: Purchase licenses for your CSC certification project
-
The company buys one or more registration rights (see Fees). The purchase of at least one registration rights is necessary for accessing the toolbox for other purposes than performing a “Quickscan”.
-
Registration rights can be purchased in your account under ‘settings’ / “licenses”: https://auth.concretesustainabilitycouncil.com/license/view
-
You will find the number of registration rights needed to obtain the certification license for a plant here: https://www.concretesustainabilitycouncil.com/csc-license-fee-23
-
Purchasing a bundle of licenses reduces the costs per license. CSC members are eligible for additional discounts.
Step 5: Create your project
-
The company first defines the project(s) in the Toolbox. This requires specifying the plants that will undergo certification and the assessment type (cement/ concrete/ aggregates).
-
Go to: https://toolbox.concretesustainabilitycouncil.com/project and follow the instructions
-
The project information (incl. name/address of the company/plant) will be used for the certificate.
Step 6: Gathering of evidence
-
In the assessment, all relevant evidence needs to be collected and uploaded via the toolbox. Furthermore, appropriate explanation for the assessor (see step 4) must be provided.
-
Identify the criteria the plants undergoing certification are compliant with.
-
Gather related evidence documents (e.g. guidelines, policies, procedures, photo evidence, plant data and management systems documentation).
-
Submit evidence relating to credit “B3 Innovation” to the Innovation Committee (IC) for assessment. Detailed information on the related process is provided in a dedicated chapter. As this process requires some time it is advisable to submit the evidence as early as possible.
Step 7: Choose a certification body
-
The company has to select a CSC accredited CB latest after project registration. The CB appoints an assessor to the project. Auditing costs are subject of a dedicated agreement between the client and the CB.
-
Choose your Certification Body (CB) amongst the CSC-accredited bodies listed on the website: https://concretesustainabilitycouncil.org/index.php?pagina=members
-
Indicate your choice in the “CSC Toolbox” under the frame of your registered project.
-
The chosen CB will nominate an assessor and indicate this in the Toolbox.
-
It is advisable to perform this step before Step 6 is finalized; this will increase the probability that the assessor is available as soon as all evidence is ready for review.
Step 8: Upload your evidence
-
Upload your evidence in the “CSC Toolbox” under the frame of your registered project and provide additional explanation where helpful to accelerate the assessor’s verification process.
-
For multiple certifications, you can copy generic evidence from one project to another
Step 9: Register your project
-
Formal registration of the certification project(s) is necessary to start the certification process. On registration the certification licenses are used. The terms and conditions have to be accepted.
Step 10: The assessor’s verification process
-
The assessor checks the evidence uploaded in the Toolbox and during site-visits.
-
The assessor will typically first carry out a desktop review of the submitted evidence.
-
An on-site audit at selected plants will allow the assessor to verify the evidence on site: number of visited plants = 0.7 x square root of the number of plants undergoing certification
-
In case there is a regional system operator, regional requirements for site visits can apply.
-
In case the assessor identifies non-conformites and improvement opportunities the client will be requested to submit additional evidence.
-
Once satisfied the assessor closes the certification and informs the CB accordingly.
-
The certification body performs quality assurance activities on the work of the assessor. The assessor validates each criterion and explains why the points are achieved or denied.
Step 11: Certification
-
The CB issues and publishes the certificate, see: https://toolbox.concretesustainabilitycouncil.com/certifiedProjects
-
The first two pages of the certificate become available as a download on the CSC website at the publication date agreed between the CB and the company.
-
The certificate is valid for three years.