scope:

This Standard:

a) Is a sector specific standard based on the ISO/IEC 17021:2011;

b) Describes the process that needs to be followed to conduct attestation of fulfillment of the requirements of the standard ANSI/ASIS PSC.1-2012, Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations - Requirements with Guidance;

c) Provides requirements and guidance for conducting conformity assessment of the ANSI/ASIS PSC.1-2012, Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations - Requirements with Guidance Standard;

d) Provides requirements for bodies providing auditing and third party certification of PSCs working for any client (public, private, non-governmental, or not-for-profit);

e) Provides requirements and guidance on the management of audit programs, conduct of internal or external audits of the management system and PSC operations, as well as on competence and evaluation of auditors; and

f) Provides confidence and information to internal and external stakeholders that the requirements of the ANSI/ASIS PSC.1-2012 are being met.

Conformity assessment is the process used to demonstrate that a product, service, management system, or body meets specified criteria and requirements; in the case of this Standard, the criteria and requirements of the ANSI/ASIS PSC.1-2012. There are three types of conformity assessment:

a) First party - Carried out by the organization itself or by someone working on behalf of the organization. It is a self-assessment and self-declaration.

b) Second party - Performed by a client or customer of the organization.

c) Third party - Performed by a body that is independent of the organization that provides the product/services and is not a user of the product/services. An independent certification body certifies that another organization complies with the standard and issues it with a certificate to this effect.

Certification of a quality assurance management system ("certification") is a third-party conformity assessment activity. Bodies performing this activity are therefore third-party conformity assessment bodies ("certification body").

NOTE 1: Certification of a management system is sometimes also called "registration" and certification bodies are sometimes called "registrars".

NOTE 2: A certification body can be non-governmental or governmental (with or without regulatory authority).

NOTE 3: This Standard is primarily intended to be used as a criteria document for the accreditation or peer assessment of certification bodies which seek to be recognized as being competent to certify that quality assurance management system complies with ANSI/ASIS PSC.1-2012. It is also intended to be used as a criteria document by regulatory authorities and clients of PSCs which engage in direct recognition of certification bodies to certify that a quality assurance management system complies with ANSI/ASIS PSC.1- 2012. The Standard's requirements may also be useful by any other parties involved in the conformity assessment of such certification bodies.

Organizations can use the concepts and requirements of this Standard for first and second party conformity assessment provided that the requirements are adapted as necessary. It is recommended that organizations implementing the ANSI/ASIS PSC.1-2012 use the procedures described in this Standard in conjunction with the ISO 19011:2011 to conduct their internal audit activities.