Policies & Procedures

Quality Policy

IIHR is committed to an operating philosophy based on fairness and communities in which it operates.

International Institute of Human Resource is committed to providing independent, unbiased and high-quality Personnel Certification Services to our clients in order to help them achieve success in a career in the field of Human Resource Development. In order to fully meet their expectations and enhance customer satisfaction, we will strive to ensure that:

• We comply with the requirements of ISO 17024:2012 as well as those mentioned by NABET and any other relevant Statutory Body,
• Our services are provided to the best of our capabilities,
• Our staff remains free from any undue internal or external pressure that may compromise their judgement and independence,
• Knowledge of our staff is continually upgraded in order to ensure that we are well placed to deliver high levels of service quality to our clients, and
• We continually improve our management systems and services.

Management and staff of IIHR are responsible for compliance with the corporate policy and the requirements of the Management System. They are obliged to observe the measures stipulated and improvements and to contribute to improvement. They fully understand the importance of impartiality in carrying out the relevant activities and IIHR is always adhering to principles of managing any conflict of interest, to ensure the objectivity of services.

Confidentiality Policy

The International Institute of Human Resource (IIHR) has adopted ISO 17024:2012 and is committed to ensure that:

• All information received by or available to IIHR members, staff, and / or committee members (in whatever format) received in conducting examination activities, or during other certification activities, or during dealings with any organisation shall be regarded as strictly confidential and shall not be divulged to any 3rd party (unless specified in this Quality Management System Document) without the explicit permission of the IIHR.
• Where IIHR is required through agreement or regulatory requirement to provide confidential information to a third party, the client or individual concerned shall, unless regulated by law, be notified in advance of the information provided.
• All records either paper records or password controlled electronic records shall be retained in a secure manner and access provided only to authorised personnel. Records will only be made available to organisations directly connected with the certification process or with explicit permission from IIHR or as required by statutory requirements.
• All IIHR members, staff, examiners and committee members shall be required to agree to IIHR confidentiality policy and sign a confidentiality agreement.

Impartiality Policy

The definition of impartiality is “not prejudiced towards or against any particular side or party”.

Impartiality is one of the cornerstones of certification and is of utmost importance in maintaining the trust that stakeholders should expect from certification.

On the basis of that definition, IIHR seeks to attain the highest degree of public confidence and trust in rendering unbiased services. IIHR fully acknowledges the importance of impartiality in carrying out its certification body activities which are governed by the requirements of the International Standard ISO/IEC 17024.

IIHR, and every member of its certification team, employees, volunteers, and contractors commits to adhere to the following policies:

1. IIHR shall act impartially, and its policies and procedures for certification of persons shall be fair among all its applicants, candidates and certified persons.
2. IIHR shall not restrict certification on the grounds of undue financial or other limiting conditions, such as membership of an association or group.
3. IIHR shall be responsible for the impartiality of its certification activities and shall not allow commercial, financial or other pressures to compromise impartiality.
4. IIHR staff shall not suggest or imply to imply that certification would be simpler, easier or less expensive if training services were used.
5. IIHR does not offer training as part of the certification. Candidates must attend a relevant training course offered by approved trainer/training program.;
6. IIHR shall only disclose reports and documentations until and unless required by law and only be disclosed with a written consent.
7. IIHR shall ensure, through internal procedures, the objectivity of certification activities and manage potential conflict of interest according to the standards of the applicable certification programs.
8. IIHR shall base all of its decisions on objective evidence obtained through an effective certification process based on objective evidence of conformity or nonconformity, and that any decisions made are not influenced by other interests or by other parties. Certification decisions are made and signed for by a competent Manager who was not responsible for the audit and was not a member of the audit team and free from influence by other interests or parties, including those of its clients.
9. IIHR’s corporate policies and practices ensure that the highest standards of integrity are applied to all certification activities.
10. IIHR’s personnel will not be influenced by financial, commercial or other pressures when conducting certification activities and will take action to address any situation that would affect impartiality. Personnel are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest in the Declaration Form.
11. IIHR shall not use personnel with an actual or potential conflict of interest and shall ensure that its personnel are free from commercial, financial or other pressures that might affect their judgement.
12. IIHR’s personnel taking part in certification activities, both internal and external, shall act impartially when executing their responsibilities.
13. IIHR shall identify threats to its impartiality on an ongoing basis. This includes threats that arise from its activities, its related bodies, its relationships, or the relationships of its personnel.
14. IIHR shall enter into legally enforceable agreements with its clients and retain all authority and responsibility for certification activities, decisions and statements.
15. IIHR’s management system has the necessary procedures, safeguards and tools to ensure that these policies are strictly upheld and enforced.

Complaints and Disciplinary Policy

A.     COMPLAINTS

1. Complaints must be submitted in writing by an individual or entity. Inquiries or submissions other than complaints may be reviewed and handled by IIHR at its
2. The complaint must be submitted on IIHR’s Complaint and Disciplinary Form and the specific grounds for sanctions as referenced below and that is relevant to the complaint must be cited.
3. The grounds for sanctions of complaint are as follows:

• Violation of established IIHR certification program policies, rules, and requirements;
• Fraud or misrepresentation in the application for, or maintenance of, certification;
• An irregular event in connection with a HR Certification examination, including (but not limited to) copying examination materials, causing a disruption in the testing area, and failure to abide by reasonable test administration rules;
• Taking the exam for any purpose other than that of becoming credentialed in the area referenced in the title of the exam;
• Disclosing, publishing, reproducing, summarizing, paraphrasing, or transmitting any portion of the exam in any form or by any means, verbal, written, electronic or mechanical, without the prior express written permission of IIHR;
• Unauthorized possession or misuse of IIHR credentials, examinations, and other intellectual property;
• Misrepresentation of credential status;
• Failure to provide requested information in a timely manner;
• Conviction of a felony under state law in a matter related to the practice of, or qualifications for, professional activity.
  4. IIHR will not review or further pursue any complaints which:
     1. Contain unreliable or insufficient information;
     2. Are patently frivolous or inconsequential;
     3. Allege general unethical or unprofessional behavior by a certificant;
     4. Do not expressly reference specific grounds for sanctions;
     5. In IIHR’s sole reasonable discretion may choose not to review or further pursue a complaint based on the date of the violation; or
     6. In IIHR’s sole reasonable discretion, are more appropriately addressed by an administrative, regulatory, or law-making
  5. Upon receipt and preliminary review of a submission involving an IIHR certification program or the grounds for sanction, the Director, may conclude, in his/her sole discretion that the submission does not constitute an actionable complaint as described above. If not an actionable complaint, the submission is disposed of by notice from the Director to its submitter, if the submitter is identified. If the Director determines that the submission is a valid and actionable complaint, the Director will contact the accused for any additional information that may be necessary. The individual will have 7 days to submit any and all applicable documentation. This documentation will be investigated for further action to be taken. If no applicable documentation is submitted within 7 days, the Director may proceed with making a decision.
  6. If a submission is deemed by the Director to be a valid and actionable complaint, the Director shall see that written notice is provided to the certificant whose conduct has been called into question. The certificant whose conduct is at issue shall also be given the opportunity to respond to the complaint. The Director also shall ensure that the individual submitting the complaint receives notice that the complaint is being reviewed by IIHR. The Director will determine if the submission is worthy of an investigation, and if necessary, a phone interview will be scheduled. Upon completion of the interview, the Director will decide if the submission will move forward for investigation.
  7. The Director shall make the decisions described above and provide the notices required hereunder within ten (10) days of receipt of the complaint.

B.      REVIEW OF COMPLAINT

1. For each submission involving an alleged violation of the grounds for sanctions that the Director concludes is a valid and actionable complaint and authorizes an investigation into its specific facts or circumstances to whatever extent is necessary in order to clarify, expand, or corroborate the information provided by the submitter.
2. Both the individual submitting the complaint and the certificant who is the subject of the investigation (or his or her employer) may be contacted for additional information with respect to the complaint. The Director may at its discretion contact such other individuals who may have knowledge of the facts and circumstances surrounding the complaint.
3. All investigations and deliberations of the Director are conducted in confidence, with all written communications sealed and marked “Personal and Confidential,” and they are conducted objectively, without any indication of prejudgment. An investigation may be directed toward any aspect of a complaint which is relevant or potentially relevant.
4. The Director shall undertake all reasonable efforts to ensure that the review process set forth in this section shall be completed within twenty (20) days of the determination to investigate.

C.     DETERMINATION OF VIOLATION

Upon completion of an investigation, the Director may make a determination that there has been a demonstrable and serious violation based on the grounds for sanction. The determination of the disciplinary decision is prepared under the Director’s supervision along with the record of the investigation.

1. If the Director determines that a violation has not occurred, the complaint is dismissed with notice to the certificant and the individual or entity who submitted the complaint. The complaint is included in an annual summary Director report.
2. If the Director determines that a violation has occurred, he will decide on an appropriate sanction.
3. This determination and the imposition of a sanction are promulgated by written notice to the certificant and to the individual submitting the complaint, if the submitter agrees in advance and in writing to maintain in confidence whatever portion of the information is not made public by the Director.
4. In certain circumstances, the Director may determine that the certificant who has committed an actionable sanction, should be offered an opportunity to submit a written assurance that the conduct in question has been terminated and will not recur. The decision of the Director to make such a determination is within their discretionary power. If such an offer is extended, the certificant at issue must submit the required written assurance within seven days of receipt of the offer, and the assurance must be submitted in terms that are acceptable to the Director. If the Director accepts the assurance, notice is given to the certificant and to the submitter of the complaint, if the submitter agrees in advance and in writing to maintain the information in confidence.

D.     SANCTIONS

1. Any of the following sanctions may be imposed by the Director upon a certificant whom the Director has determined to have violated the grounds for sanctions, although the disciplinary decision applied must reasonably relate to the nature and severity of the violation, focusing on reformation of the conduct of the member and deterrence of similar conduct by others:
   1. written reprimand to the certificant;
   2. suspension of the certificant for a designated period; or
   3. termination of the certificant’s certification from

The IIHR database and certificant’s file will be promptly updated to reflect any certification suspension or termination.

2. Reprimand in the form of a written notice from the Director normally is sent to a certificant who has received his or her first substantiated complaint. Suspension normally is imposed on a certificant who has received two substantiated complaints. Termination normally is imposed on a certificant who has received two substantiated complaints within a two-year period, or three or more substantiated complaints. The Director may at its discretion, however, impose any of the sanctions, if warranted, in specific
3. Certificants who have been terminated shall have their certification revoked and may not be considered for IIHR certification in the If certification is revoked, any and all certificates or other materials requested by IIHR must be returned promptly to IIHR.

E.      APPEAL

1. Within ten (10) days from receipt of notice of a determination by the Director that an individual committed an action resulting in grounds for sanctions, the affected certificant may submit to IIHR in writing a request for an

Upon receipt of a request for appeal, the Director will review whether the determination was inappropriate because of:

1. material errors of fact, or
2. IIHR to conform to published criteria, policies, or procedures.

Only facts and conditions up to Director’s determination as represented by facts known to IIHR are considered during an appeal. The appeal shall not include a hearing or any similar trial-type proceeding. Except as otherwise set forth herein, legal counsel is not expected to participate in the appeal process, unless requested by the appellant and approved by the Director.

2. The Director conducts and completes the appeal within twenty (20) days after receipt of the request for an appeal. Written appellate submissions and any reply submissions may be made by authorized representatives of the appellant. Submissions are made according to whatever schedule is reasonably established by the Director.

F.      RESIGNATION

If a certificant who is the subject of a complaint voluntarily surrenders his or her IIHR certification(s) at any time during the pendency of a complaint under these Procedures, the complaint will be dismissed without any further action by the Director. If this occurs, the information will be retained in IIHR’s permanent file for future reference. However, the Director may authorize the HR & Marketing Executive (Appeals & Complaints) to communicate the fact and date of resignation, and the fact and general nature of the complaint, which was pending at the time of the resignation. Similarly, in the event of such resignation, the person or entity who submitted the complaint are notified of the fact and date of resignation and that Director has dismissed the complaint as a  result.

Code of Conduct Policy

Following are the code of Ethics that all staff (both, permanent and contractual) are expected to adhere at International Institute of Human Resource (IIHR):

1. We will always strive to maintain compliance with applicable legal requirements.
2. We will always strive to maintain compliance with all requirements of ISO 17024:2012 as well as those that have been specified by NABET and any other relevant Statutory Body.
3. Certification will not be refused to any candidate due to undue financial or other limiting conditions, such as membership of an association or group or enrolment with any particular EP.
4. We will never falsely advertise regarding the benefits, Certification Process and Scheme to any potential candidate.
5. We will maintain absolute transparency regarding all out activities with our customers, subcontractors, Statutory & Regulatory Bodies as well as any other interested parties.
6. We will never conduct any activities which may lead to a conflict of interest.
7. We will always technically competent personnel for conducting Certification Activities and ensure that they are provided necessary supervision and training.
8. We will always charge appropriate fees to our clients for the services that we provide.
9. We will never falsify any examination results under any circumstances and not let any undue internal or external pressure alter our judgement. Any such incidents will be immediately reported by the concerned staff / contract staff to the Certification Manager for necessary action.
10. Whenever outsourcing is required, we will only outsource to competent subcontractors.
11. We will always abide by our Code of Ethics for maintaining objectivity and impartiality in the Certification Process.

Security Policy

Maintaining the security of International Institute of Human Resource (IIHR) examination material is essential to upholding the integrity of the certification services. Security breaches can occur before, during, or after an examination. Conduct that may violate the security of an examination includes, but is not limited to:

• Theft of portions of, or entire, examination(s)
• Removing written examination materials from a test or meeting site without authorization
• Reproducing and/or disseminating examination materials without authorization
• Using paid test takers for the purpose of reconstructing an examination
• Using improperly obtained test questions to prepare person(s) for the examination
• Cheating during an examination
• Impersonating an examinee or having an impersonator take an examination
• Deliberate loss of examination data enroute to or from the testing centre(s) or any other location.

It is the responsibility of test administrators and proctors to aggressively ensure the security of the examination at all times and to immediately report any security breaches to the IIHR Director.

A breach in examination security has significant repercussions for the IIHR, including the costs of replacing questions and developing new examinations. The IIHR shall insist that its staff, vendors, test administrators, and proctors take all reasonable precautions to assure that individual items, item banks, examinations presented in all media (printed, taped, and computerized), and candidate scores are and remain secure.

The IIHR shall ensure that no candidate sees the content of the examination before or after the examination is administered.

Exam Extenuating Circumstance Policy

An extenuating circumstance is an event or hardship that would lead you to request extending your application period, rescheduling/cancelling your exam at no charge, or extending your recertification cycle. Please note: a request to reschedule/cancel your exam at no charge due to an extenuating circumstance can only be considered if it is no later than 30 days after ones scheduled exam.

 

Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to the following:

 

• A medical emergency.
• Illness.
• Going into labour.
• Death in the immediate family.
• A military personnel being called to active duty.

 

Determining what is or is not considered a hardship is at the discretion of IIHR and the testing provider. If you have an extenuating circumstance, you will need to provide IIHR with proper documentation to support your request. This documentation must include a reason and a specific recommendation for your request. For appropriate supporting documentation, refer to the following table:

 

Circumstance	Required Supporting Documentation
Medical Emergency, Illness, or Going into Labour	Documentation from an appropriate Health Care Professional, such as a doctor’s note
Death in the immediate family	Note from a doctor nearest to the lost one, death certificate, obituary, notice of funeral arrangements

If the request involves rescheduling or cancelling an exam, please include the exam date within your documentation and your desired exam date. Please send a scanned/PDF copy of your supporting documentation to director@iihr.edu.in as soon as possible.