Procedure by which compliance with certain norms, standards, guidelines for products and services and their respective manufacturing processes (including commercial relations) can be demonstrated. Unlike accreditation, certification consists in the issuing of a certificate.
Examples:
The QET seal of quality for corporate governance, the ISO 9000 certificate as a quality guarantee, the Fair Trade certificate to protect producers in the poorer regions of the world.
Certificates are generally issued for a limited period of time and are monitored independently or proprietary for compliance with standards.
See also: Quality management; Transparency; Quality competition
Reference to QET criteria: T20 certification