All SANAS accredited B-BBEE Rating Agencies are required to conform to the same standards as defined in the regulatory SANAS R47-03, as well as the methodologies contained per the Verification Manual, relevant sector code, and/or related legislation . The latter being assessed & monitored by SANAS via means of annual surveillance assessments carried out on the operations of the B-BBEE Rating Agency over the course of the prior year’s engagements, as well as a complete re-assessment of the B-BBEE Rating Agency once every 4-year accreditation cycle.
It is during these assessments that SANAS will test the B-BBEE Rating Agency's system & processes for compliance and/or deficiencies which may require attention so as to improve the overall performance & conformity of the B-BBEE Rating Agency. Such findings, whether pertaining to the internal mechanisms adopted by the B-BBEE Rating Agency as part of their Quality Management System, or area's relating to the technical aspect of the B-BBEE Verification are referred to as "Non-Conformances'', which subsequently may require attention from the B-BBEE Rating Agency via means of implementing the appropriate Corrective Actions(s) where needed so as to address the Root Cause off the Non-Conformance in question.
This being said, it's important that the B-BBEE Rating Agency as well as those parties involved in the verification process don’t view such non-conformances in a negative light, and that the relevant Corrective Actions adopted by the B-BBEE Rating Agency in terms of addressing and preventing the recurrence of the relevant NC's in question have been implemented, so as to improve the overall compliance of the entire verification engagement as well as resultant Certificates issued.