Historical background of the ISAS BCP 9001:2010 standard: ISAS BC 9001:2003 and ISAS P 9001:2005 standards

ISAS BC 9001:2003 Standard…

Dedicated to radio and television, the standard was created in 2003 thanks to the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Swiss Federal Office of Communication (OFCOM), the Hoso Bunka Foundation in Tokyo and Unesco in Paris. The Media and Society Foundation initiative is a concrete response to broadcasters’ demand for independent evaluation and recognition of their quality-management system.
International standard ISAS BC 9001:2003 is based on the outcome of several surveys conducted in five countries (Canada, Columbia, India, South Africa and Switzerland). Three working groups in each country answered the following question :

Group 1: The Providers (Radio and TV operators and professionals)

Group 2: The Users (representatives of the audience)

Group 3: The Experts (non-providers renowned for their expertise in this field such as regulators, journalists of the written press, philosophers, sociologists, etc.).

Based on the surveys’ outcome, ISAS BC 9001:2003, in addition to being ISO 9001 compliant, enables broadcasting companies to measure how far they meet the following criteria:

• Listeners/viewers’ satisfaction
• Editorial independence
• Quality and accuracy of information
• Quality and diversity of other types of programming
• Innovation and creation
• Independence and transparency of management
• Promotion of and respect for ethical rules
• Representation of national minorities
• Social relevance

ISAS P 9001:2005 Standard…

ISAS P 9001:2005 was created at the beginning of 2005 under the umbrella of the Geneva-based MEDIA & SOCIETY FOUNDATION (MSF) and with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). It came out two years after the launching of the ISAS BC 9001:2003 standard for broadcasting.

ISAS P 9001:2005 has been designed by renowned editors and journalists from various parts of the world (Belgium, Peru, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, USA). Most of them are leaders of international and regional media professional organizations such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), the International Press Institute (IPI), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) or the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA).

Mission, Vision & Stratégie... 

La Fondation Médias et Société, à l'origine de la norme ISAS BCP 9001, a pour mission d'encourager la qualité dans l’univers des médias. Concrètement, il s’agit de contribuer à relever les standards et pratiques professionnels tant au niveau du management que de la rédaction, de la production et de la programmation. Grâce à ce système, les entreprises des médias peuvent développer une méthodologie et des outils leur permettant de s’évaluer et de s’améliorer elles-mêmes, en concevant leur propre système pour mesurer et améliorer la qualité aux fins :

• de se mettre en conformité avec les normes et standards auxquels elles ont volontairement souscrit;
• de se préparer à la certification ISAS BCP 9001, et le cas échéant, ISO 9001.

A l’ère de l’information, les médias (presse écrite, radio, télévision et Internet) jouent un rôle essentiel. Ils nourrissent le débat public et apportent aux citoyens l’information dont ils ont besoin pour forger leur opinion. Ils contribuent au développement économique et social et ont un impact décisif sur la vie culturelle et sur le patrimoine de toutes les sociétés. A travers ISAS BCP 9001, la FONDATION MÉDIAS et SOCIÉTÉ vise, en dernier ressort, à servir l’intérêt du public et à renforcer la démocratie en promouvant la qualité dans les médias. En d’autres termes, elle s’efforce de stimuler la qualité dans les médias en encourageant les meilleures pratiques professionnelles et la bonne gouvernance, en premier lieu la transparence et la responsabilité. 

Mission, cadre et modalités d’action de la Fondation Médias et Société (approuvés par le Conseil de fondation le 8 juin 2005)

1. La Fondation Médias et Société (FMS) vise l’amélioration de la qualité des médias au service de la démocratie et du développement, à travers une action concertée des experts de la branche dans le monde entier.
2. La FMS développe et promeut une norme ISO/ISAS de gestion de la qualité destinée aux médias, avec un système d’accréditation et de certification rigoureusement indépendant des gouvernements. 
3. La FMS est elle-même indépendante de tout pouvoir, politique, économique ou idéologique.
4. La FMS ne poursuit aucun but lucratif. Elle est financée par les mandats qui lui sont confiés et les contributions d’organismes soucieux du rôle des médias dans la société et par un prélèvement sur chaque certificat de conformité à la norme de qualité qu’elle promeut.  
5. La FMS a chargé ISAS (International Standardization and Accreditation Services, New York) de veiller à la conformité de la norme elle-même et de la surveillance du processus de certification, notamment en termes d’accréditation des organismes et auditeurs de certification et d’enregistrement des Certificats de Conformité, toutes ces informations étant garanties au niveau de leur transparence par un accès direct, gratuit et permanent sur le site de l’organisation (www.isas.org). 
6. La FMS a chargé des organismes de certification d’assurer la vérification de conformité des sociétés de radiodiffusion, de presse et productrices de contenus Internet candidates à la certification à la norme de qualité qu’elle promeut.  
7. La FMS a chargé Challenge Optimum S.A., Genève (www.optimum.ch) de fournir aux sociétés de conseil des méthodes et une formation permettant l’application homogène partout dans le monde de la norme de qualité qu’elle promeut.  
8. La FMS exige une séparation stricte des activités de certification et de conseil.
9. La FMS est formée d’un Conseil de Fondation, composé de professionnels et d’experts des médias suisses et internationaux, et d’une direction.
10. La FMS se réfère à des Comités de standardisation représentatifs des branches concernées à l’échelon mondial pour veiller à la norme de qualité qu’elle promeut et à leur évolution en fonction des expériences faites et de la vie de la profession.  
11. La FMS s’efforce de rallier à sa cause les grandes organisations professionnelles internationales de la branche.

Media and Society Foundation : Code of Ethics applicable to each actor of the certification process, whether permanent or occasional.

He or she must

1. Subordinate all his/her actions to the ultimate goal of the Foundation: to improve media quality in the service of democracy and development.
2. Never accept to have an ISAS certification audit in a company for which he or she performed a consulting job. 
3. Apply the guidelines and follow the advice of the Foundation’s Board and Standardization Committee on the interpretation of specific media items in the standard promoted by the Foundation.
4. In case of doubt as to standards’ adaptation to regional conditions, seek the advice of the Foundation’s Board, who will rely on independent media experts, close to the region concerned.
5. Respect faithfully the confidentiality of information received from candidates to the certification process. Such information cannot be used without the formal agreement of the company involved. 
6. When he or she accepts a mandate for a given company, inform this company of all personal data, financial information, or other circumstances which might lead to a conflict of interests (having an interest in a competitor, a financial interest in products which might be recommended to the company, personal relations within the company, mandates with competitors, whose identity must however remain confidential, etc.)

Code of ethics of ISAS Auditors

1. Respect confidential information concerning a client’s business and not disclose or permit the disclosure of, or use to the certification’s own advantage, any such information without the client’s prior permission.
2. Undertake diligently, impartially and honestly, the work of any certification assignment and ensure at all times a high professional standard of work.
3. Accept only those certification assignments which the ISAS Auditor is qualified and able to carry out, and should others be engaged to assist with the assignment, use every endeavor to ensure their qualifications and experience are appropriate to undertake the work.
4. Disclose to a client any personal or financial interests or other significant circumstances which might influence the work fir that client in any way not stated or implied in the Terms of Reference, in particular:
   • Any directorship or interest in any business in competition to the client.
   • Any financial interest in goods or services recommended or supplied to the client.
   • Any personal relationship with any individual in the client’s company.
   • The existence, but not the name, of any current client (of the consultancy or the consultant personally) with competing interests.
   • To refrain from undertaking any assignment which would give rise to «·Conflict of Interest·».
5. Where required, provide the client with a clear written proposal identifying the objectives, scope of certification and fee or fee basis for the proposed certification assignment. In the event of subsequent material changes being required, submit to the client, for his acceptance, a revised proposal.
6. Accept full responsibility to maintain effective communications with the client and supply appropriate reports and documentation.
7. Take care that credit for the work of others is given to those to whom it is due.
8. Endeavour to aid the professional development and advancement of those in the certification’s employ or under the auditor’s supervision.
9. Not compete unfairly with other auditors.
10. Not work as a Quality Consultant in the same organisation where he/she was involved as Certification Auditor.

CERTIFICATION Bodies...

ETHICS

Ethical Integrity Corporate Standard SA – is a Swiss company with offices in France and representations in Brazil, the UK, the USA and the UAE. ETHICS is active in the development, promotion and certification of ethical standards in professional organizations. It operates as per the formal and international rules of certification.

The precept of these standards is to have a strong commitment towards business integrity, professional ethics and sustainable development. Such standards include the Ethics 2010:2010 standard on business ethics and the ISAS BCP 9001:2010 on quality management for media companies.

www.ethics-certification.net

IMNC

IMNC is a civic non-profit association in Mexico, whose primary objective is to provide organizations of industrial, commercial and service including media organization an institution capable of responding to their need to increase and enhance their competitiveness through the assessment of conformity management systems, products, people and / or through training of human resources.

The management system certificates we issue are recognized more than 46 countries signed the multilateral agreement on mutual recognition of the International Accreditation Forum IAF and certification bodies of 36 members of the International Certification Network IQNet established in more than 136 countries.

www.imnc.org.mx

Consulting Firms...

Certimedia Network

Certimedia is a world-wide network of consultants and consulting firms specialized in quality-management for media industry.

Thanks to its international partners, Certimedia is in a position to grasp in a comprehensive way the national and local contexts and cultures as well as the profile and specific needs of the media organizations using its services. 

Certimedia main office is in Geneva.
For information see www.certimedia.org  

Mediaprocessing

www.mediaprocessing.ch