Allegations

Addressing Allegations of SFI Program Non-Conformance (Inconsistent Practices) Western Canada SFI Implementation Committee

Procedure for Addressing Allegations of SFI Program Non-Conformance
Any party with information or claims about a Certified Organization's individual practices that may be in nonconformity with SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard or 2022 Fiber Sourcing Standard may seek to have those claims investigated.

The complainant shall present specific claim(s) of inconsistent practice in writing and in sufficient detail to the Certified Organization. Within 45 days of receipt of the claim of inconsistent practice, the Certified Organization shall respond to the complainant and forward a copy of the claim of inconsistent practice and its response to their certification body for review via surveillance or certification audits. The certification body shall investigate the validity of the inconsistent practice and the Certified Organization’s response and resolution of the claim at the time of the next scheduled surveillance audit.

A complainant who believes the issue has not been satisfactorily resolved may provide its original documentation and the response from the Certified Organization to the appropriate SFI Implementation Committee Inconsistent Practices Program, which shall investigate and respond to the claim of inconsistent practice(s) within 45 days of receipt of documentation. The SFI Implementation Committee shall provide copies of its findings and any recommended actions to both the Certified Organization and the complainant. The Certified Organization shall forward the results of the SFI Implementation Committee investigation to its certification body.

In the event litigation is involved between the external party and Certified Organization, the inconsistent practices process shall be suspended pending resolution of the litigation. It shall be re-started following resolution of the litigation if SFI nonconformity issues remain.