Professional standards code

The AIC Services Trade Assurance Consultant Register has been developed to support participants of AIC Trade Assurance Schemes by providing information on sources of professional advice related to our schemes. 

Persons included in the AICS Trade Assurance Consultant Register have relevant qualifications and/or experience in a specific sector and can therefore give advice on joining a scheme, preparing for audit, meeting and maintaining the requirements for compliance to a scheme standard or provision of training related to the scheme or the industry sector. 

Inclusion on the Register is gained by submission of an application to AIC Services, detailing knowledge, qualifications and experience of the individual for one or more of the AIC trade assurance schemes.  Once included on the register, details of the services offered, contact information and consultants’ details will be displayed on the AICS Trade Assurance website. 

To take account of variations in experience and knowledge of particular schemes, consultants must register on an individual basis.  More than one consultant may be employed by the same  consultancy business but each person must register separately.   

To support scheme participants and maintain good standards of practice, Consultants on the Register are expected to adopt and uphold the professional conduct standards detailed below: 

• Ensure that any advice given or service provided is in accordance with relevant aspects of current legislation and industry codes 
• Provide full and correct information on application to join the Register and subsequent review 
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, industry codes and AICS Trade Assurance Scheme standards and operation 
• Respect the confidentiality of information relating to a customer or client 
• Complete their undertakings in a way that upholds the reputation of the AIC trade assurance schemes and does not bring them into disrepute 
• Note that failure to comply to demonstrate professional standards may lead to action as set out in the AICS governance responsibilities for TACR 
• Provide advice and services with a proper regard to the technical and professional standards expected. Work should not be undertaken that the consultant is not competent to perform 
• Declare any conflicts of interest to AIC and potential customers 
• Sub-contracting of work to other consultants must be transparent and fully declared in advance to the client with the TACR status of the sub-contractor made clear 
• Support the AIC Trade Assurance schemes and AIC Services in positive promotion of the objectives of the schemes