In some extreme cases a verified assessment report is invalidated. When a verified report is invalidated, the report is removed from the system and sharing is no longer possible. Both the facility and the Verifier Body/Verifier will receive a notification from Gateway. End-users, e.g. brands that have downloaded the invalidated report, will also be notified.
Invalidation is carried out by the Verification Oversight Organization (VOO). A verified assessment report is considered invalid when:
Basic quality standards are not met:
- Tool not completed (over 5% of the questions left blank)
- Tool not completed in English
- Significant # of findings not supported with evidence
- Significant # of findings not clearly communicated (findings are not written clearly; findings can be interpreted in more than one way; tool questions not correctly answered)
Verifier requirements are not met:
- Verifier not approved by VOO
- Verifier supported facility in the joint-assessment
- Verifier did not spend sufficient man-days on site
Significant issues with the verification process are found:
- Evidence of bribery (solicited or accepted by Verifier)
- Verifier was denied access to facility grounds (entirely or in part)
- Verifier was denied access to workers (interviews)
- Verifier was denied access to information (documents)
- Findings at the verified site were not captured in the report
Read more about it in the Quality Assurance Manual.