PJR’s PRO-3 – What’s the Big Deal?
What is the PRO-3?
Those new to certification may be surprised at first by the variety of controlled documents, procedures, and forms that play a part in not only the initial certification process but also the ongoing maintenance of a certification program. One of the most important among these items is what PJR calls the “PRO-3,” the formal title of which is “Procedure for Publicizing/Advertising Certification and Use of the PJR Logo, Standard Licensing Body Logos and Accreditation Body Symbols.” No wonder we like to use our abbreviation!
This document was developed in order to help PJR and its certified clients remain in compliance with the various industry and accreditation body requirements that relate to the promotion of certification. At PJR, we wholeheartedly want our clients to be able to leverage their certification to the best advantage – but there are rules about how certification status is used in marketing that must be followed!
Why do I have to follow it?
Compliance to the PRO-3 and other related requirements is expected by two key factors:
- All ISO (or other Annex-SL rooted document) certified clients are subject to the bylaws of the industry at large and to PJR’s specifically. In terms of ISO 9001, this makes PJR and all other related interests “relevant interested parties” as referred to in clause 4.2 of ISO 9001:2015.
- Contractual obligation with PJR via the F-3tc (Terms & Conditions), specifically these statements:
- “Organization warrants and covenants with PJR that it will use all registration marks properly (see applicable PRO-3’s latest revision available to clients at and include the rules for their use in their documented www.pjr.com procedures.”
- “Organization warrants and covenants with PJR that it will at all times, during the term of the Agreement, comply with all reasonable requirements necessary for the issuance of the Registration Certificate of Approval. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to complying with all statutes, rules, or regulations issued by any statutory or other regulatory authority; the release of information and/or on-site visits by regulatory bodies such as the FAA, JAA, OEM AAQG, IAQG members or Accreditation Bodies may be required.”
The whys of compliance to PRO-3 can be easy enough to understand, but where are the requirements for promotion sourced from? There are a number of layers of ISO industry as well as Accreditation Body (e.g., UKAS, ANAB, etc.) requirements that are applicable, such as:
- ISO 17021-1:2015
- ANAB’s PR 1018
- UKAS’s “Accreditation Logo and Symbols
– The National Accreditation Logo and Symbols: Conditions for use by UKAS and UKAS accredited organizations” - Etc.
While this list is non-exhaustive and does not cover all certification schemes offered by PJR, there are two common themes among the various requirements: organizations cannot advertise certification in a way that states or implies that their certification applies to any non-certified locations and that organizations can’t reference their certification in a way that states or implies that their products and/or services are certified. This is because a certification is applied to (for instance in the case of ISO 9001) a QMS rather than a particular product line.
The ramifications for noncompliance can be severe, even resulting in certificate suspension or withdrawal if not corrected effectively. A noncompliance discovered in the context of an audit (or, in some cases, even outside of an audit) can be cited as a nonconformance. Common errors seen include such infringements as:
- Use of the official ISO logo
– The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is very strict regarding the use of their official logos
– use of their logo for any reason is prohibited. - Offering a digital full-color download of the organization’s certificate
– Accreditation bodies have specific mandates regarding the precise colors used for their logos – color reproductions of the certificate may not match the required Pantone color specs. Therefore we recommend that clients stick to black and white copies of their certificates. - Displaying an old/outdated version of the certificate
– It is permissible to present a “certificate history” including older certificates if you so desire, but the most current certificate must always be displayed. - Use of a broad statement such as “ISO Certified”
– There are hundreds of ISO standards in existence – it is required to indicate WHICH specific standard you are referring to.
Where can I get a copy?
As mentioned in the second section of this paper, the PRO-3 is freely available on the PJR website on our “Registration Document Download” page. A link to this webpage is located at the bottom of every page of www.pjr.com under the “Free Information” section of the website footer.
Additional questions about the promotion of your certification or how to best use AB logos? Don’t hesitate to reach out – give PJR a call at (248) 358-3388 or email pjr@pjr.com for answers!
