The Guardian Approved Scheme is Guardian Middle East LLC’s internal certification scheme covering six standards — ISO 37301, ISO 20121, ISO 39001, ISO 28000, ISO 14068-1, and ISO 26000 (attestation only). The scheme is operated under documented procedures aligned with ISO/IEC 17021-1 and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents but is NOT accredited under UAF, IAS, IAF MLA, or any equivalent accreditation framework. Guardian Approved Scheme certificates are not listed on IAF CertSearch.
The Guardian Approved Scheme covers six standards for which Guardian Middle East LLC provides certification or attestation services without external accreditation. The scheme is operated under documented procedures aligned with internationally-recognised certification practice — specifically ISO/IEC 17021-1 (the ISO standard for certification body operation) and the relevant IAF Mandatory Documents (MD 1, MD 2, MD 4, MD 5, MD 9, MD 11, MD 22, MD 23) — but is not externally accredited.
‘Aligned with’ and ‘accredited under’ are different things. ISO/IEC 17021-1 alignment means Guardian operates the scheme using the principles, processes, and controls described in the standard — competence-based audit team appointment, structural impartiality, documented decision-making, complaints and appeals procedures, and so on. Accreditation means an independent third-party Accreditation Body has formally assessed and confirmed conformity to ISO/IEC 17021-1 and granted public recognition of that conformity.
The Guardian Approved Scheme has the first (alignment with ISO/IEC 17021-1 principles) but does not have the second (external accreditation by UAF, IAS, or any IAF MLA signatory). This distinction is fundamental and is disclosed transparently on every Tier 4 page through the mandatory disclaimer.
There are three legitimate reasons a certification body may operate a non-accredited tier alongside its accredited offering:
Guardian’s commitment is to publish the absence of accreditation transparently — not to disguise the Tier 4 scheme as something it is not. Every Tier 4 page carries the mandatory clarifying disclaimer and displays no accreditation marks.
The following disclaimer is mandatory and must appear verbatim on this page and on every individual Tier 4 standard page within the Guardian Approved Scheme. The wording is locked and not subject to editorial change.
Guardian Approved Scheme certifications are issued under Guardian Middle East LLC’s internal certification scheme. They are not accredited under UAF, IAS, IAF MLA, or any equivalent accreditation framework. Guardian’s internal scheme procedures are aligned with ISO/IEC 17021-1 and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents (MD 1, MD 2, MD 4, MD 5, MD 9, MD 11, MD 22, MD 23). Clients should consider whether an accredited certification (where available) better suits their stakeholder, regulatory, or contractual requirements.
Certified under the Guardian Approved Scheme — issued under Guardian’s internal scheme procedures aligned with ISO/IEC 17021-1 and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents.
This shorter disclosure statement appears in the certificate, in marketing materials, and as the page-level disclosure on each Tier 4 standard page. It is paired with the longer disclaimer above, not used as a replacement for it.
ISO 37301 establishes the requirements for a Compliance Management System (CMS). The standard supports organisations seeking to embed compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and voluntary commitments across operations. Tier 4 certification under the Guardian Approved Scheme.
Standard Page ›ISO 20121 establishes the requirements for an Event Sustainability Management System, focused on the sustainability of events of all sizes, including sporting, cultural, business, and governmental events. The standard saw significant adoption around major events including the FIFA World Cup. Tier 4 certification under the Guardian Approved Scheme.
Standard Page ›ISO 39001 establishes the requirements for a Road Traffic Safety (RTS) Management System, focused on reducing death and serious injury related to road traffic. The standard is particularly relevant for fleet operators, logistics companies, and organisations whose activities significantly involve road transport. Tier 4 certification under the Guardian Approved Scheme.
Standard Page ›ISO 28000 establishes the requirements for a Supply Chain Security Management System, focused on identifying and addressing security threats throughout the supply chain. The standard is widely adopted in logistics, freight forwarding, customs-bonded operations, and high-value cargo handling. Tier 4 certification under the Guardian Approved Scheme.
Standard Page ›ISO 14068-1 (Climate change management — Transition to net zero) establishes principles, requirements, and guidance for achieving and demonstrating carbon neutrality. As one of the newest standards in the climate-management family, ISO 14068-1 is increasingly referenced in stakeholder, regulatory, and contractual frameworks. Tier 4 certification under the Guardian Approved Scheme.
Standard Page ›ISO 26000 (Guidance on Social Responsibility) is a guidance standard, not a certifiable management system standard. It provides guidance on the principles of social responsibility and how organisations may operationalise those principles. Because ISO 26000 is not designed for certification, Guardian Middle East LLC issues an Attestation against ISO 26000, not a Certification.
Attestation, NOT Certification. Use of “Attestation” rather than “Certification” for ISO 26000 is mandatory throughout marketing materials, certificates, the website, audit reports, and client communications.
Standard Page ›The Guardian Approved Scheme is operated under documented procedures aligned with ISO/IEC 17021-1. The same internal rigour is applied that supports Guardian’s accredited tiers — the absence of external accreditation oversight means internal governance must be more, not less, carefully maintained.
Application processing under QFC AML/CFTR 2019, customer due diligence, scope confirmation, and contract finalisation.
01Review of management-system documentation, audit-team needs, and areas requiring focused attention during the on-site audit.
02Full assessment of the management system in operation. Audit findings are raised against the standard's requirements.
03Certification or attestation decision is made by a decision-maker structurally independent of the audit team.
04Issuance of the Guardian Approved Scheme certificate or ISO 26000 attestation with mandatory disclosure wording.
05Annual surveillance audits, 3-yearly renewal cycle for certifications, and annual renewal for ISO 26000 attestation.
06Documented stakeholder approval recommended: Where Tier 4 is being chosen by a client whose stakeholder requirements are not entirely clear, Guardian recommends the client document, internally, an explicit decision that Tier 4 satisfies their requirements. This protects the client from later challenges questioning why a non-accredited certification was chosen.
For application processing, Tier 4 typically requires:
Specific document lists for each standard are provided on the standard pages.
Guardian Middle East LLC | Serving the Middle East
QFC Licence 03870 · Doha, Qatar
Location: Abo Hamour Area, Doha, Qatar
P.O. Box: 23277, Doha, Qatar
Mobile: +974 7770 2602 | +974 7213 7770
Email: info@guardian.qa
Website: www.guardian.qa
Or submit an enquiry: → Contact
The Guardian Approved Scheme is Guardian Middle East LLC's internal certification scheme covering six standards: ISO 37301 (Compliance), ISO 20121 (Event Sustainability), ISO 39001 (Road Traffic Safety), ISO 28000 (Supply Chain Security), ISO 14068-1 (Carbon Neutrality), and ISO 26000 (Social Responsibility — attestation only). The scheme is operated under documented procedures aligned with ISO/IEC 17021-1 but is NOT externally accredited.
No. The Guardian Approved Scheme is NOT accredited under UAF, IAS, IAF MLA, or any equivalent accreditation framework. The scheme is operated under documented internal procedures aligned with ISO/IEC 17021-1 and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents — but alignment with international standards is not the same as external accreditation. Every Tier 4 page carries a mandatory clarifying disclaimer making this explicit.
There are three legitimate reasons: (1) some standards (notably ISO 14068-1) are too new for the global accreditation framework to have established formal accreditation routes; (2) some standards (notably ISO 26000) are guidance standards not designed for certification — only attestation is appropriate; (3) some stakeholders do not require accredited recognition and prefer a streamlined non-accredited route. Transparency on absence of accreditation makes informed choice possible.
The scheme is operated under documented internal procedures aligned with ISO/IEC 17021-1 (the ISO standard for certification body operation) and the relevant IAF Mandatory Documents. Audit teams are competent. Decision-makers are structurally independent of audit teams. Records are maintained. The scheme is fully transparent — every Tier 4 page carries the mandatory clarifying disclaimer making the absence of accreditation explicit. Clients are entitled to choose accredited or non-accredited certification.
Generally no. Qatari public-sector tenders typically require QS-recognised certification (Tier 1 — ISO 9001, 14001, 45001) or accredited certification (Tier 1, 2, or 3). The Guardian Approved Scheme is NOT QS-recognised and NOT externally accredited. If your tender requires accredited or QS-recognised certification, Tier 4 is not the appropriate choice. Confirm tender requirements carefully.
Tier 4 certificates are not IAF MLA recognised and are not listed on IAF CertSearch. International stakeholders that require IAF MLA recognition will not accept the Guardian Approved Scheme certificate. For international supply chains and stakeholders requiring IAF MLA recognition, Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 is the appropriate choice.
ISO 26000 (Guidance on Social Responsibility) is a guidance standard, not a certifiable management system standard. It is explicitly stated by ISO that the standard is not designed for certification. Issuing 'certification' against ISO 26000 is technically inaccurate. Guardian Middle East LLC therefore issues an Attestation against ISO 26000 — affirming the organisation's alignment with the principles in ISO 26000, not certifying conformity to a certifiable standard.
Because Tier 4 is NOT externally accredited. Displaying the UAF, IAS, IAF MLA, or QS marks on a Tier 4 page would be misleading. The absence of marks is a structural transparency safeguard — readers can immediately distinguish Tier 4 (non-accredited) pages from Tier 1, 2, and 3 (accredited) pages without reading any text. This visual cue supports informed choice.
Verification is via Guardian Middle East LLC's internal scheme records. Email info@guardian.qa with the certificate number and organisation name, or visit /accreditation-verify/ on the website. Tier 4 certificates are NOT listed on IAF CertSearch — that platform is reserved for IAF MLA-recognised accredited certificates.
In some cases yes — there is no external-accreditation-related cost component. However, Guardian's pricing structure reflects audit duration, complexity, and travel — not just accreditation status. The pricing difference (where it exists) is typically modest. The primary reason to choose Tier 4 should be alignment with stakeholder requirements, not cost.
Audit duration is calculated based on the standard, scope, complexity, sites, and headcount. For Tier 4 standards, audit duration follows Guardian's documented audit-duration framework aligned with applicable IAF Mandatory Documents (IAF MD 5, MD 11). The Tier 4 process saves time on external-accreditation-related steps but the audit itself is conducted with the same rigour as accredited tiers.
Yes — if and when accredited certification becomes available for the standard, or if your stakeholder requirements evolve. The transition is treated as a new initial certification under the accredited tier; the Tier 4 certificate is not converted directly. Some surveillance and recertification work may be transferable subject to the accreditation body's requirements.
Guardian Middle East LLC does not provide consultancy under any tier — accredited or non-accredited. Under ISO/IEC 17021-1 §5.2 and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents, certification bodies must be impartial. The non-consultancy commitment applies equally to Tier 4. Free, generic Implementation Kits are available at /resources/implementation-kits/ — these are not consultancy. Clients seeking implementation support should engage independent consultants.
Where accreditation routes exist or become available for a Tier 4 standard, Guardian considers whether to seek accreditation based on market demand, sectoral need, and operational fit. Tier 4 is not a permanent commitment to non-accreditation — it is the current operational position for these six standards. Updates will be reflected on the /about/accreditation/ master compliance page.
Guardian Approved Scheme certifications are issued under Guardian Middle East LLC’s internal certification scheme. The scheme is NOT accredited under UAF, IAS, IAF MLA, or any equivalent accreditation framework. Guardian’s internal scheme procedures are aligned with ISO/IEC 17021-1 and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents (MD 1, MD 2, MD 4, MD 5, MD 9, MD 11, MD 22, MD 23). Guardian Approved Scheme certificates are not listed on IAF CertSearch — verification is via Guardian Middle East LLC’s internal scheme records at /accreditation-verify/. ISO 26000 is a guidance standard; Guardian issues an Attestation against ISO 26000, not a Certification. Guardian Middle East LLC operates under QFC License 03870.
