The Green Builder® Coalition shall provide certification services that satisfy the needs of its customers. We commit the Green Builder® Coalition to assuring accuracy and quality assurance of all services carried out. We shall conduct all related activities in conformance with accepted practices. The agreed quality standards intention shall prevail against production cost and output.
To recognize its responsibility as a provider of certification services, The Green Builder® Coalition has developed and documented the quality requirements of this certification system to better satisfy the needs of its clients and to improve certification management. The certification system aligns with “ISO/IEC 17065:2012, Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services” as applied to specific program requirements. We commit the Green Builder® Coalition to achieving and maintaining alignment with this standard.
We have prepared this manual to define The Green Builder® Coalition certification system, establish responsibilities of the personnel affected by the system, and to give general procedures for activities engaged or conducted within the certification system. In addition, this manual is to inform our clients of the certification system and the specific controls implemented to assure quality.
We will revise this manual as necessary to support the certification system in use. We issued it on a controlled copy basis to all internal functions and operations affected by the certification system and on an uncontrolled copy basis to clients and suppliers.
We release this document for use and to endorse our commitment to good certification practices and alignment with ISO/IEC 17065.
Mike Collignon, Executive Director, Green Builder® Coalition
October 1, 2021
Purpose:
The purpose of this Manual for The Green Builder® Coalition WERS Certification System Policies and Procedures is to provide procedures and policies that are common to all Programs administered by The Green Builder® Coalition. A list of Programs is contained in an appendix attached hereto. This manual may be used in conjunction with specific requirements for each individual Program. Program specific requirements may contain additional procedures and policies relevant to a Program. Where this manual and a Program requirement differ, the Program requirements shall prevail.
This version of the manual supersedes all earlier revisions. An uncontrolled edition of this manual may also be on The Green Builder® Coalition website.
Participation in this system is voluntary. Any participant, regardless of association or other membership, may ask for validation of conformity and use of Certificates of Compliance. The Certificate of Compliance is the participant’s public representation that the subject of conformity validation is verified using procedures prescribed by this manual. Agreements between applicants, participants, and The Green Builder® Coalition specify conditions under which Certificates of Compliance may be issued and used. No participant has the right to use a validation or to claim that their subjects of validation have been evaluated in conformance with the procedures outlined in this manual unless and until they have received a Certificate of Compliance as prescribed in the agreements.
This manual is prepared to assure administration of the certification system is carried out in a uniform manner. This manual is an amplification of the agreements executed by applicants, participants, and The Green Builder® Coalition. General information, procedural details, and if necessary, copies of forms are included in this manual. Provisions of the manual may be amended as provided herein and in executed agreements.
The Green Builder® Coalition WERS Certification System has been developed in alignment with the requirements in “ISO/IEC Guide 17065:2012, Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services.” While aligned with ISO/IEC Guide 17065:2012, the quality system has been designed to apply to the specific requirements of The Green Builder® Coalition WERS Certification System.
Program Scope:
The Green Builder® Coalition designs, builds, and operates certification systems and programs for water efficiency ratings of residential properties, commercial properties, communities, and their supply chain products and services.