What are the guidelines and qualifications for ISO 37001:2016?

To many bribery cases are in the headlines, but all of these provide lessons for business leaders around the world. As reported in the Industry resource, Alere Inc., a global manufacturer of rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests, will pay more than $13 million to settle charges that it bribed foreign officials and committed accounting fraud to meet revenue targets. What are the guidelines and qualifications for ISO 37001:2016?

The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission imposed the order, based on the fact that “Alere subsidiaries in India and Colombia ‘obtained or retained business’ by using distributors or consultants to make improper payments to officials of government agencies or entities under government control,” Industry resource reported.

The article states:

“In Colombia, improper payments of about $275,000 helped Alere win business from a government-linked customer. In India, the Alere unit through a distributor paid local governmental officials a four percent commission to increase orders for medical testing kits from 200,000 to 1 million units.”

The company allegedly netted millions for its efforts. It’s against this backdrop that it becomes clear that training and certification to prevent bribery and corruption is crucial for organisations today. For anyone doing business across international borders, it is critically important to be in full compliance and proactive in prevention and detection. But what are some of the requirements and guidelines for pursuing ISO 37001:2016 certification? Here, we address the most pertinent questions:

What are the training and certification guidelines set up by ICA?

ICA provides knowledge about anti-corruption as whole and bribery as a subset. It defines how bribery/corruption takes place and affect an organisation.

Which regulations does the ISO training specifically address?

ISO 37001:2016 training addresses the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) UK Bribery Act, among others.

How long is the certification valid?

How often you should update if needed? The certificate is valid for three years. It should be updated, however, if there is a change in the standard that would require additional training.

Why is it necessary to be certified by an accredited body like CRI Group’s ABAC Center of Excellence?

Certification through a qualified and endorsed firm of experts like CRI Group adds a distinct level of credibility to the organisation’s management systems, and ensures that the organisation is implementing a viable anti-bribery management program utilising widely accepted controls and systems.

It also provides assurance to management, investors, business associates, personnel and other stakeholders that the organisation is actively pursuing internationally recognised and accepted processes to prevent bribery and corruption. Most importantly, training and certification through a third-party like CRI Group protects your organisation, its assets, shareholders and directors from the effects of bribery. And, if needed, it provides acceptable evidence to prosecutors or courts that the organisation has taken reasonable steps to prevent bribery and corruption.

Who is CRI Group?

Based in London, CRI Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, Business Intelligence, Due Diligence, Compliance Solutions and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider. We have the largest proprietary network of background-screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

In 2016, CRI Group launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.