The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) has a complaints process that is:

• timely
• effective
• confidential
• impartial
• free from conflict of interest
• fair
• transparent

Our complaints process conforms to ISO/IEC 17011 and is aligned with ISO 9001 and ISO 10002. It’s in place to ensure that all complaints are addressed by people who are qualified and accountable. 

Submit a complaint

Types of complaints

We process three types of complaints:

1. Complaints against SCC 

We strive to offer high-quality services while maintaining compliance to regulatory, statutory, and international requirements. This type of complaint relates to our services, and is technical or procedural. It includes our accreditation assessment partners.

2. Complaints against an organization accredited by SCC 

Our role is to ensure conformity to standards through conformity assessments. This is part of the accreditation process. 

According to ISO/IEC 17011, which specifies the requirements we follow as an accreditation body, a complaint is an “expression of dissatisfaction, other than appeal (3.21), by any person or organization, to an accreditation body (3.2), relating to the activities of that accreditation body or of an accredited conformity assessment body (3.4), where a response is expected.”

You may have a complaint based on dissatisfaction with:

• the accredited organization 
• the accredited organizations’ customers 
• the accredited organizations’ competitors

If so, contact the most relevant body, such as the accredited customer. We will not process a complaint until that organization has had the opportunity to address it through its own complaint process.

3. Complaints against an SCC-issued accreditation non-conformity 

If your complaint is about a specific finding raised during an accreditation assessment activity, you must submit it directly to your account manager:

• you must submit the complaint in writing 
• send it to your account manager within 10 business days of the finding being issued
• you must provide justification why the finding should be withdrawn 

These complaints will then be:

• assigned for review by an independent party with expertise related to the assessment
• submitted as a recommendation that will lead to our final decision on whether the finding is valid

Often a complaint on a finding will not change the deadline for submitting evidence. The complaint should not affect the overall timelines set for it to be resolved. 

Your account manager can answer your questions about this type of complaint. Do not submit this type of complaint using the form on this page, instead submit it in writing to your account manager as explained in the Accreditation Services – Accreditation Program Overview.

Types of complaints that are not covered

Our complaint process is not for the purpose of complaints related to:

• personnel
• regulatory requirements* 
• breaches of our Member Code of Conduct 
• duplication of standards among SCC-accredited standards development organizations under the Canadian Standards Development Program

If you have questions or want to submit this type of complaint, contact us at info@scc.ca for more information.

*Note: We are not a regulator. We can’t enforce specific standards to be used for certain markets. We also can’t enforce market needs. Finally, we don’t take an industry or market position on any standard or market need. 

Our complaints process

Complaints should be submitted in writing. We recommend using the form below, but you can also submit them in other ways, like by email. 

When we receive a complaint, we will:

• acknowledge the complaint
• validate that it meets the requirements (outlined below)
• confirm that it falls within our mandate 
• ask you for more information if needed 

Complaint validation

We are responsible for verifying the information needed to validate a complaint. We will tell you if the complaint can’t be validated. We may reject complaints that:

• relate to activities beyond those accredited
• are beyond our mandate 
• need to be referred to another authority

Complaint requirements

If we find that your complaint meets the requirements outlined below and falls within the scope, we will:

• assign an independent reviewer to review the complaint and determine a conclusion
• involve other parties (if needed) and may share the information you submit
• be responsible for decisions at all levels of the process for handling complaints
• provide you with formal notice of the conclusion of the complaint process 

We will not:

• share confidential information about our customers, partners or members outside the organization without their written consent
• take any discriminatory action against you because of the investigation or decision of a complaint

Complaint requirements

Before you file a complaint, please make sure it meets all requirements. The complaint must:

• be about our programs or services, or an SCC-accredited organization
• include enough factual evidence to support your complaint (no hearsay)
• not aim to discredit SCC, an SCC partner or an SCC-accredited organization
• include your true identity and contact information 
• agree to keep all information confidential about the complaint during the process

If your complaint is about an SCC-accredited organization: 

• it must be within their scope of SCC accreditation or about false claims of SCC accreditation*
• it must refer to the accredited activities listed on the entity’s scope of accreditation, available in our directory of accredited bodies 

*We will reject complaints that relate to activities outside the scope of accreditation, or we will refer them to another authority. 

You must first address the complaint directly to the most relevant party. 

• We will not review a complaint about an SCC-accredited organization until you have made a formal complaint directly to that body and it has not been resolved to your satisfaction. 
• If you do not feel it is reasonable to complain directly to them, you need to provide your reasons why you did not do so. 
• We will review your reasons and determine whether we accept them.

We will not process or reopen a complaint if: 

• it describes a situation that has already been reviewed and resolved
• you have not provided additional relevant evidence that warrants reopening the complaint

Your responsibilities as a complainant

By submitting your complaint, you agree to keep all information and details of the complaint confidential during SCC’s complaint process.

During the process we will:

• not tolerate threatening, harassing or abusive behaviour
• not engage with parties who are unreasonable or go against our values
• notify you of our intention to terminate further communication and close the complaint if we identify the above type of behaviour or conduct 
• take additional action where appropriate

If this behaviour or conduct stops, we may resume productive communication with you and reopen the complaint. 

Submit a complaint

Complete the form below to submit a complaint.

Reminder: If your complaint is about an SCC-issued accreditation non-conformity, do not submit it using the form below. You need to submit it in writing to your account manager within 10 business days of the finding being issued.