New NABET Scheme

Scheme for Accreditation ofEIA Consultant Organizations

National Accreditation Board For Education and TrainingQUALITY COUNCIL OF INDIA

December 2014

DRAFTNote:

This updated version (Rev.10) includes information on the Re-AccreditationProcess, Sector wise rationalization of functional areas and the clarificationsissued since the last revision (Rev. 09 of August 2011). This version of theScheme will become effective from .

QCI NABET Scheme for Accreditation of EIA Consultant Organizations / Rev.10/ December 2014. Draft

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Contents1.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE1.1 Environmental Impact Assessment......................................................................... 81.2 Process of EIA in India ............................................................................................. 81.3 Accreditation of EIA Consultants ............................................................................ 9

2.0 ABOUT QCI & NABET .................................................................................................. 93.0 ACCREDITATION ........................................................................................................113.1Benefits of Accreditation ....................................................................................... 12

4.0 ACCREDITATION SCHEME ..........................................................................................124.1 Eligibility for Accreditation.................................................................................... 144.2 Scope of the Scheme............................................................................................. 154.3 Coverage of the Scheme ....................................................................................... 154.4 About the Scheme Updation................................................................................. 15

5.0 REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCREDITATION .......................................................................165.1 Human Resource ................................................................................................... 165.1.1 EIA Coordinator (EC)......................................................................................... 165.1.2 Functional Area Experts (FAEs)....................................................................... 175.1.3Functional Area Associate - FAA...................................................................... 195.1.4 Team Members (TM)...................................................................................... 205.1.5 Mentors .......................................................................................................... 205.1.6 General Conditions for Experts ...................................................................... 21

5.2 Field Investigation and Laboratory Arrangement .............................................. 235.2.1 Laboratory Arrangement for monitoring physical environment baseline dat245.2.2 Field Investigation for Biotic Environment and Socio-economic data ........... 24

5.3 Quality Management System........................................................................... 255.4 Quality of EIA Reports ...................................................................................... 255.5 Organizational Commitment............................................................................... 26

6.0 ACCREDITATION CYCLE ..............................................................................................267.0 ACCREDITATION PROCESS .........................................................................................277.1 Application Assessment Process ........................................................................... 277.2 Office Assessment Process (Stage III Assessment) ............................................... 287.3 Decision Making Process....................................................................................... 297.4 Time Frame for application and accreditation processes..................................... 307.5 Accreditation Process Outcomes .......................................................................... 307.6 Category of Accredited Consultants ..................................................................... 31


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7.7 Completeness and Timely Submission Of Application.......................................... 328.0 ACCREDITATION FEES ................................................................................................329.0 GRANT OF ACCREDITATION .......................................................................................339.1 Maintaining Accreditation..................................................................................... 339.2 Changes after Accreditation.................................................................................. 349.2.1 Change in experts and/or their scope .......................................................... 349.2.2Scope of Accreditation: ................................................................................... 35

9.3 Suspension/Cancellation/Debarment of Accreditation........................................ 359.4 Actions for misconduct/fraudulent activities ....................................................... 369.5 Confidentiality ....................................................................................................... 36

10.0 APPLICABILITY OF REVISION 10 OF THE SCHEME ......................................................3711.0 GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MECHANISM ......................................................................4111.1 Request for Review of Decisions......................................................................... 4111.2 Appeal ................................................................................................................. 4211.3Arbitration............................................................................................................ 43

12.0 CODE OF CONDUCT .................................................................................................43


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Sl.No. Subject

PageNo.

Abbreviations -I List of Appendices

Appendix 1 : Qualifications, Experience & Function of ExpertsAppendix 2 : Quality Management SystemAppendix 3 : Accreditation ProcessAppendix 4 : Fee Structure

II List of AnnexureApplication Form1. Annexure I : Application Form for IA2. Annexure IA :Application Form for SA3. Annexure IB :Application form for RA4. Annexure IC : Application form for Expansion of scope5. Annexure1D : Application for Supplementary assessment.6. Annexure 1E : Format for Team Members7. Annexure II : Project sectors8. Annexure IIA : Grouping of Sectors with Functional Areas

requirements9. Annexure III : Deleted10. Annexure IV : Resume Format11. Annexure IVA : Sectoral Experience of ECs12. Annexure IVB : Specific experience of FAEs13. Annexure V(Rev1): Declaration for empanelled experts14. Annexure VI A1: List of EIAs prepared during the period between

IA & SA or between SA & RA.15. Annexure VI A3 :Details about Laboratories utilized16. Annexure IIA : Grouping of Sectors with Functional Areas

requirements17. Annexure V(Rev1): Declaration for empanelled experts18. Annexure VI A1:List of EIAs prepared during the period between

IA & SA or between SA & RA19. Annexure VI A3: Details about Laboratories utilized20. Annexure VI A4: EIA Coordinators (approved) Experience since


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accreditation21. Annexure VIA5: Functional Area Experts (approved) Experience

since accreditation22. Annexure VIA6: Assessment/ approval status of

experts/candidates proposed23. Annexure VII: Format for signed declaration of experts involved

in the EIA


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AbbreviationsAAQ Ambient Air QualityAC Accreditation CommitteeACO Accredited Consultant OrganizationAO Applicant OrganizationAICTE All India Council for Technical EducationASSOCHAM Associated Chambers of CommerceB. Tech Bachelor of TechnologyCA Co-AssessorCAPA Corrective Action & Preventive ActionCEO Chief Executive OfficerCETP Common Effluent Treatment PlantCII Confederation of Indian IndustriesCO Carbon MonoxideCPCB Central Pollution Control BoardCRZ Coastal Regulation ZoneCREP Corporate Responsibility for Environmental ProtectionCSIR Council of Scientific & Industrial ResearchCV Curriculum vitaeDPR Detailed Project ReportEAC Expert Appraisal CommitteeEC EIA CoordinatorEHS Environment, Health and SafetyEIA Environmental Impact AssessmentEMP Environmental Management PlanEmp EmpanelledESP Electrostatic PrecipitatorsFA Functional AreaFAA Functional Area AssociateFAE Functional Area ExpertFICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and IndustryGIS Geographical Information SystemGLC Ground Level ConcentrationHC HydrocarbonIA Initial AccreditationIH In- houseIIRS Indian Institute of Remote SensingIIFM Indian Institute of Forest ManagementIISWBM Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business ManagementIIT Indian Institute of TechnologyISO International Organization for Standardization


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ISRO Indian Space Research OrganizationKRA Key Result AreasLab LaboratoryLCA Life Cycle AssessmentMBA Master of Business AdministrationMoEF&CC Ministry of Environment, Forests& Climate Change, Government ofIndiaMOU Memorandum of UnderstandingMSc Master of ScienceNABL National Accreditation Board for Testing and CalibrationLaboratoriesNABET National Accreditation Board for Education & TrainingNGO Non-Governmental OrganizationNOC No Objection CertificateNOx Nitrogen OxidesNC Non- conformanceNRSA National Remote Sensing AgencyObs. ObservationsPA Principal AssessorPC Public ConsultationPFD Process Flow DiagramPM Particulate MatterQCI Quality Council of IndiaQMS Quality Management SystemRA Re-accreditationRPM Respirable ParticulateMatterR & R Resettlement and RehabilitationSA Surveillance AssessmentSEAC State Expert Appraisal CommitteeSEIAA State Environment Impact Assessment AuthoritySIA Strategic Impact AssessmentSO2 Sulphur DioxideSPCB State Pollution Control BoardSPM Suspended Particulate MatterTC Technical CommitteeTDS Tax Deduction at SourceTM Team MemberTOR Terms of ReferenceTSDF Treatment, Storage and Disposal FacilityUGC University Grants CommissionVOCs Volatile Organic CompoundsXLRI Xavier Institute of Management


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1.1 Environmental Impact AssessmentMost industrial and other developmental projects would necessarily have impacts onthe surrounding environment including the people. It is important that such probableeffects of the activities both of the negative and positive kind are identified andassessed before taking the final decision on the project. Such studies are calledEnvironmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and are essentially multi-disciplinaryactivities where inputs are required from specialists having knowledge of theindustry/sector for which EIAs are to be carried out as well the specific areas ofimpacts like land use, air pollution control, air quality modelling, water pollutioncontrol, noise and vibration, ecology and bio-diversity, socio economic aspects, risksand hazard management etc. EIAs thus are important planning tools to helpdevelopment and environmental conservation go hand in hand. EIA procedures wereoriginally developed in the advanced countries later adopted in many developingcountries as well. Today it is followed in more than 100 countries as a mandatoryregulatory procedure.

1.2 Process of EIA in IndiaEIA process started in India after the enactment of the Environment (Protection) Act,1986 (EP Act). Large industrial and developmental projects with public fundingrequired EIAs to be prepared for their approval. With the issuance of the Notificationon Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of developmental projects issued on27.1.1994 under the provisions of the EP Act, developing EIAs for 29 categories ofdevelopmental projects was made mandatory. One more sector was added to the listin January, 2000. After several amendments, a revised notification was issued in2006, making obtaining prior environmental clearance mandatory for most of thedevelopmental projects in the country. Such projects include

a. All New Projects listed in the schedule to EIA Notification, 2006b. Expansion and modernization of existing projects or activities listed in

schedule.c. Any change in Product-Mix in an existing manufacturing unit included in

schedule.All projects are categorized into A and B Categories. B is further divided into B1and B2 depending upon the spatial extent of impacts, impacts on natural andmanmade resources and impacts on human health.Category A projects areconsidered at the central level, while those in Category B go to the states subject tothe condition mentioned in EIA notification of Sep 14, 2006 and subsequentamendments.

1.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CLERANCE


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1.3 Accreditation of EIA Consultants

EIAs being complex and site specific multi-disciplinary activities, it is important thatconsultants wishing to carry out such studies have the requisite expertise both interms of human resource and facilities to do justice to the study. There has been along felt need for a system of identification ofsuch consultants through a properassessment process so that the information is available with the prospective projectproponents and other stakeholders for their reference and use. Quality Council ofIndia, the national accreditation body, took the initiative and has come out with awell-defined accreditation scheme for EIA Consultant Organizations in the country.

Quality Council of India (QCI) was set up pursuant to a Cabinet decision(Feb.1996)jointly by theGovernment of India and the Indian Industry represented by thethree premier industry associations i.e. Associated Chambers of Commerce andIndustry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federationof Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), to establish and operatenational accreditation structure and promote quality through National QualityCampaign. QCI is registered as a non-profit society with its own Memorandum ofAssociation. QCI is governed by a Council of 38 members with equal representationsof government, industry and consumers. Chairman of QCI is appointed by the PrimeMinister on the recommendation of the Industry to the government. It functionsthrough the executive boards in the specific areas i.e. Accreditation for (a) ConformityAssessment Bodies, (b) Healthcare Establishments (c) Education & VocationalTraining Providers. In addition it has an exclusive Board for promotion of Quality.

Each Board works independently and is headed by a Chairman, identified from theprominent people related to industry in India. National Accreditation Board forEducation and Training (NABET) is one of the Boards of QCI as per structure shown inFig.1 below.A schematic diagram depicting accreditation areas of NABET is given inFig. 2 below

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Figure 1: Structure of QCI

Figure 2: Areas covered by NABET





SkillsCertification

SkillsTraining

Environment

Schools

Management

Systems





SkillsTraining



Key Accreditation areas of NABET are as follows

1. Environment,2. Schools,3. Skills Training,4. Skills Certification and5. Quality Management System

National Accreditation Board for Education & Training(NABET) is managed byseventeen honorary members including the Chairman with fair representation fromthe stakeholders ensuring that no particular interest predominates. The Chairman ofthe Board is an eminent person and an ex-officio member of the Quality Council ofIndia. The Chairman of QCI nominates the Chairman of the Board from the proposednames received from the council members. The Board is supported by a secretariat.The policies and procedures for Accreditation by the Board are non-discriminatoryand are implemented uniformly to all applicants. A uniform and reasonable fee ischarged from all applicants in lieu of the services offered.

Accreditation is a process of verification of competency of an organization indelivering good quality service/product in the chosen field, in this case EIA Reports.Accreditation is awarded, after carrying out structured assessment of compliance tothe accreditation guidelines. It helps organizations to adopt a holistic approach forpreparing EIA reports and to build in system to achieve continual improvementthrough a transparent and credible mechanism.

3.0 ACCREDITATION



3.1Benefits of AccreditationFor EIA Consultant Organizations

i. Use of QCI- NABET logo - a mark of qualityii. Recognition of competence and capabilityiii. Periodic assessment by NABET paving the way for continual

Improvementiv. Publicity through QCI &MoEF&CC web site and publicationsv. Growth in business

For Project Proponentsi. Availability of a list of capability verified consultants for different sectors.ii. Checks on performance of the consultants through NABET website.iii. Reduced risks on investments by choosing capable EIA Consultants.

NABET, a constituent board of the QCI developed a voluntary Accreditation Schemefor EIA Consultants (hereinafter called the Scheme) with inputs from variousstakeholders including experts in the field, regulatory agencies, consultantset al andlaunched it in August, 2007. Some of the leading consultants in the field obtainedaccreditation under the scheme. The MoEF& CC then known as the Ministry of

ContinualImprovement Accreditation

Assures

4.0 ACCREDITATION SCHEME








Credibility

Competency

CapabilitySystemsorientedapproach

ContinualImprovement Accreditation

Assures









CompetencyAccreditation

Assures




Environment and Forests (MoEF) reviewed the scheme in September, 2009 anddesired that the Scheme be updated incorporating the learning since launching of theScheme. The same was done and the updated version (Revision 6) was posted on theQCI website (www.qcin.org) in January 2010. It was also posted on MoEF&CCwebsite. The Scheme was made mandatory for EIA Consultant Organizationsby theMoEF&CC through an Office Memorandum dated December 2, 2009http://www.moef.nic.in/divisions/iass/env_Procedure_proposals.pdfupdates of theMoEF&CC office memorandum are published by the MoEF&CC at the their websitehttp://environmentclearance.nic.in/

For the implementation of the Scheme, NABET is guided by a group of eminentprofessionals in the field of environmental management and allied subjects and aSecretariatstructured into five groups as follows:

a. Technical Committee (TC) comprises 5-7 very experienced professionalswith proven track record. It guides NABET in developing the Scheme as well asthe assessment process taking into consideration the feedback received fromstakeholders/Accreditation Committee/ Assessors et al

b. Accreditation Committee (AC) comprises 5-7 very eminent persons. Apartfrom approving accreditation, it also issues clarifications on the Scheme fromtime to time, as necessary. AC reserves the right to take decisions withrespect to moderations in recommendations made by Assessors andrecording the rationale for the same.

c. NABET Assessors they are a group of very senior and experiencedprofessionals with relevant experience, who carry out technical assessment ofthe applications as well as office assessment including interaction withexperts. Assessment reports made by the assessors help the AccreditationCommittee take appropriate decisions on accreditation.

d. NABET Secretariat comprises a mix of senior professionals and youngtechnical staff which coordinates the entire process of assessment andaccreditation

e. Specialists NABET sometimes requests guidance of specialists for certainaspects of assessment where it does not have expertise.

The Scheme is being operated by QCI/NABET and one complete cycle of Accreditationcovering 3 year period comprising Initial Accreditation, Surveillance Assessment andRe-accreditation processes has been completedrecently for some of the consultantswho were accredited in the beginning. About 170 Consultant Organizations havebeen accredited till October2014.

The current version (Rev. 10) of the Scheme Manual incorporates

i. All the three processes - Initial Accreditation (IA), Surveillance Assessment(SA) and Re-accreditation (RA)

ii. Clarifications issued since the last version (Rev. 9/August 2011)



iii. Rationalization of requirements of the Functional Area Experts as per thebusiness of the Applicant Organization (AO) or the Accredited ConsultantOrganization (ACO).

Changeover from Rev. 09 to Rev. 10 of the Scheme

IAi. Applications received prior to the date of applicability of rev. 10 of the

Scheme for which Stage III assessment has already been done, will begiven accreditation under the Rev. 09 of the Scheme and will be given 6months time to fulfill the requirements of Rev. 10.

ii. For applications received prior to the date of applicability of Rev. 10 of theScheme, processing of which has not reached Stage III assessment level,assessment and accreditation will be given as per Rev.10 of the Scheme

SA & RAi. Applications received prior to the date of applicability of Rev. 10 of the

Scheme for which Stage III assessment has already been done, will be givenaccreditation under the Rev. 09 of the Scheme and will be given 6 monthstime to fulfill the requirements of Rev. 10.

ii. For applications received prior to the date of applicability of Rev. 10 of theScheme, processing of which has not reached Stage III assessment level, three(3) months time will be given for the ACO to meet the requirements of Rev.10 of the Scheme for further assessment and accreditation, if required.

4.1 Eligibility for AccreditationEligibility

Only organizations meeting the eligibility criteria of the Scheme are considered foraccreditation.

These can be government, public sector or private organizations which could beproprietorship firms, partnership firms or companies (Pvt. & Public Limited), bodiesregistered under Society Acts, under Section 25 of Companies Act, Research Institutesand the like. All requirements of the Scheme as mentioned in this document are to becomplied with for an organization to get accredited. A sole proprietorship owned by



an individual or in personal name may also apply provided it fulfills all otherrequirements of the Scheme.

Universities including IITs, CSIR labs, other labs and/or research based organizationsconducting EIA studies can also apply for accreditation.

4.2 Scope of the SchemeThe Scheme covers all project Sectors listed in the Schedule attached to the MoEFNotification dated September 14, 2006 (http://envfor.nic.in/legis/eia/so1533.pdf)and its subsequent Amendments. These Sectors, numbering 38, are listed inAnnexure II of this Scheme. It also includes one additional Sector (No. 40) with 5 sub-sectors which are not a part of the Notification but EIAs are prepared for these forreasons other than obtaining environmental clearance.

4.3Coverage of the SchemeThis comprehensive document describes the Schemes requirements of humanresources, quality management systems and procedures to be followed, integrity ofprimary data, the assessment process and the accreditation criteria. Various aspectsof the Scheme are detailed underthe following sections

Requirements for Accreditation Accreditation Cycle Accreditation Process Accreditation Fees Grant of Accreditation Grievance Redressal Mechanism Code of Conduct

Specific details related to the Scheme have been included in Appendices and thoserelated to Application form in Annexure.

4.4 About the Scheme UpdationQCI - NABET reserves all rights to amend its accreditation scheme, procedures andfees etc., as it may deem fit. Applicants are requested to refer to the updated schemeon the QCI website (www.qcin.org) before applying for theiraccreditation/surveillance/re-accreditation/expansion or modification of scope.



The accreditation requirements have been developed for EIA consultants with a viewto:

i. Ensure availability of competent experts and facilities with the organisationto prepare quality EIAs

ii. Have system based approach to achieve continual improvementiii. Provide quality service to customers

The scheme specifies the following five essential requirements for accreditation:

i. Human Resourceii. Field Investigation and Laboratory Arrangementiii. Quality Management System (QMS)iv. Quality of EIA Reportsv. Organizational Commitment

The minimum requirements for accreditation under the Scheme (mentioned in detailat Appendix 3), are

i. 1 In-House EC& 2 other In-House FAEs (see Section 5.1.6 for In-House)ii. Covering all FAs as per Annexure II A as per sectors applied foriii. NABL/MoEF Lab (In-house/ external)iv. QMS Manual as per Appendix 2v. Minimum score in Stage III

5.1 Human ResourcePreparation of an EIA report is essentially multi-disciplinary activity where inputs arerequired from specialists having knowledge of the industry/sector for which EIAs areto be carried out, as well as in functional areas like land use, air pollution control, airquality modeling, water pollution control, noise and vibration, ecology and bio-diversity, socio economic aspects, risks and hazard management etc.

The key persons in developing an EIA Report are as follows:

5.1.1 EIA Coordinator (EC)

An EC should have broad knowledge about the project, as well as the functional areaswhich are likely to be affected by the activities related to the project in itsconstruction, operation and the closure phases. The role of the EIA coordinatorincludes, but not be limited to, studying and understanding the project, setting-up

5.0 REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCREDITATION



the team, visiting the site with the team, drawing up the terms of reference (TOR),organizing various activities to meet the requirements of the TOR, evolving workschedule and seeing that data are appropriately utilized for assessment, mitigation,monitoring and maintaining necessary records. Expected functions of an EC havebeen detailed in Section 1.3 of Appendix 1 of the Scheme.

The EC should possess the following

Clarity of the concept of the EIA process Knowledge of the applicable Acts, Rules and Regulations for EIA and the

Sector applied for Domain knowledge of the industry/sectors for which EIAs are to be prepared Broad understanding of the possible impacts from the industry/sector on

physical, ecological and social environments Leadership quality in planning, selecting and guiding the EIA teamThus, for an EIA Coordinator emphasis is given on experience and maturity.

a) Minimum Educational Qualification For an ECBachelors (graduate) degree or equivalent in Technical subjects or Masters(post-graduate) degree in Science and other subjects vide Appendix 1 for details

b) Minimum Experience of an ECEIA related - as defined in Appendix 1

For Category A EC 7 years experience For Category B EC 5 years experience

Category of a project is defined in Section 7below.Sector specific (for each Sector applied)

The EC should also have adequate experience of the Sectors applied for in terms ofthe processes/activities involved and its potential impacts on the environment. Fordetails vide Appendix 1

5.1.2 Functional Area Experts (FAEs)

Functional Area Experts (FAEs) are expected to identify and assess in their respectiveareas of expertise the potential impacts from the proposed development / industrialactivity and provide their expert inputs to the EIA Coordinator. The EIA Coordinatorthen collates and reviews the projected potential impacts and develops an overallEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP)in association with his team.



FAEs are expected to provide inputs in their respective areas of specialization. Theyshould have -

an in-depth knowledge in their respective areas of specialization a broad understanding of the EIA process, legislations and rules/regulations

with respect to the functional areas applied for the capability of identifying and assessing the potential impacts of the project,

throughout its life-cycle, on the physical, biotic and social environment, asapplicable

the knowledge to suggest/vet mitigation measuresIn view of the above expected specialized role, the educational background has beengiven emphasis for the FAEs. Expected functions of a Functional Area Expert are giveninpara 2.4 of Appendix 1.

i. Areas of expertiseDifferent EIAs will require inputs from diverse functional areas (FAs) depending onthe type and magnitude of the projects and the depth/extent of the anticipatedenvironmental impacts. The following 12 areas of expertise have been identifiedwhich are required in various combinations in EIAs for different Sectors (seeAppendix 1).

a. Land Use LUb. Air Pollution Monitoring, Prevention &Control APc. Meteorology, Air Quality Modeling &prediction AQd. Water Pollution Monitoring, Prevention & Control WPe. Ecology &Biodiversity EBf. Noise & Vibration# NVg. Socio- Economic Aspects SEh. Hydrology, Ground Water& Water Conservation HGi. Geology GEOj. Soil Conservation SCk. Risk & Hazards Management RHl. Solid & Hazardous Waste Management# SHW

(Comprising Hazardous wastes, Industrial solid wastesand Municipal solid wastes) (HW/ISW/MSW)#Candidates may also be proposed separately for Noise, Vibration and SHWcomponents.



The above mentioned functional areas have been categorized into Core andSignificant functional areas as per the requirement of a particular group of sector/sin Annexure II. For getting accreditation in a sector/ group of sectors, the corefunctional areas must be covered by eligible in-house experts and significantfunctional areas by in-house/ empanelled experts, as defined in Section 5.1.6 below.

ii. Minimum Educational Qualification for FAEsBachelors degree in specific Engineering /Technology subjects or Mastersdegrees in specific Science / arts subjects for different functional areas videAppendix 1 for details.

iii. Minimum Experience for FAEsFor Category A FAEs (see Section 9 below) 5 years overall experience in thefunctional area out of which minimum 3 years should be EIA related#. ForCategory B experts, the experience requirements are overall minimum 3 yearsand EIA related 1 year (videAppendix 1 for details).# For some functional areas like LU, SE, EB, HG, RH, etc. if the work carried out bythe candidate is akin to that in an EIA, the same may be considered as EIArelated experience as assessed during office assessment by the assessors and putup to the AC for its consideration. However, in such cases the candidate musthave adequate understanding of the EIA process and the relevant regulationsapplicable for it.

iv. Sector specific requirements of Functional Area ExpertsRequirements of functional area experts for preparation of EIAs for variousSectors have been rationalized under 7 groups as Core (to be covered by in-houseexperts) and Significant (to be covered by in-house or empanelled experts) asmentioned in Annexure II A.See Section 5.1.6 for details on In-house andempanelled experts.

5.1.3 Functional Area Associate - FAA

To encourage entry of fresh graduates in engineering/technology and post graduates(as applicable) having good knowledge of the subject, young In-house candidateswould be permitted to work as Functional Area Associates (FAAs) for Category Bprojects under the guidance of an approved FAE or a Mentor in the respectivefunctional area (vide Appendix 1for details).

FAA option is for the young candidates and normally a person may be accepted as aFAA till 5 years after acquiring the required qualification and the overall professionalexperience of not more than 5 years. For older persons the provision of Team



Members (see Section 5.1.4 below) may be used. A candidate is approved formaximum two FAs as a FAA to give her/him enough opportunity to learn and pick upthe experience.

In order to ensure proper guidance and training to the FAA, a senior expert/ mentoris allowed to guide maximum 5 FAAs at a time. Again for the same reason of properguidance, a senior expert/ mentor is allowed to guide maximum two FAs.

5.1.4 Team Members (TM)

A provision of Team Member has been introduced to

Encourage induction of new professionals in the EIA field who areexperienced in their respective functional areas but lack in EIA relatedexperience

Give opportunity to professionals in the field to expand their Sectors/FAsunder the Scheme.

A prescribed methodology is to be followed of informing NABET on involving aprofessional as Team Member prior to putting him on the job, vide Appendix 1 fordetails.

Note: Unlike ECs, FAEs and FAAs, no formal approval is accorded by NABET for aTeam Member.

5.1.5 Mentors

A provision of Mentors has also been introduced in the Scheme for involving thehighly experienced professionals who are senior in age and may not be able to visitthe sites as demanded by the Scheme but their experience and expertise may beutilized to train the Functional Area Associates/ EIA Team Members vide Appendix1for details

Note: Persons proposed as Mentors are interacted with by NABET Assessors duringOffice assessment but marks are not given. Effectiveness of Mentors is assessedduring the next assessment.

NOTE:



I. Degrees from Foreign Universities may be considered if found equivalent toDegrees given in respective domains by Indian universities based on a detailedstudy of the respective curriculum by the Assessors. Such cases are then putup to the Accreditation Committee for its consideration.

II. A candidate proposed as EIA Coordinator/ Functional Area Expert is grantedapproval on fulfillment on clearance of 5 steps in the order as mentionedbelow:

Qualification requirement as mentioned Overall experience/ EIA related experience, as applicable Sectoral experience for ECs/ EIA related experience in FAs

applied for FAEs Recommendation by Assessors based on performance during

interaction in Stage III Final Decision on the case by Accreditation Committee

5.1.6 General Conditions for Experts

i. Experts involved in preparing EIA reports, namely ECs and FAEs, can beboth, in-house (full time employee) or empanelled as per requirementmentioned in Annexure IIA.Sectors have been clubbed in 7 groups rationalizing the requirements ofthe FAEs. For each group some functional areas have been identified ascore FA which is crucial for the sectors in the group. The Core FAs areto be covered by In-house experts. Apart from these core FAs, for eachgroup some functional areas have been identified as significant whoseinputs are also required but these can be covered by empanelledexperts. This has been done to ensure that all required functional areaexpertise is available with the consultant, without unduly loading it.

ii. In-house (IH) expert- pertains to a full time employee working on thepay rolls of the Applicant Organization (AO)/Accredited ConsultantOrganization (ACO) on regular basis (not on time to time basis or on asan when required basis) and gets appropriately paid as per her/hisqualification and experience. All payments to an in-house expert are tobe made through bank and are subject to TDS, as applicable.

iii. An expert working full time (as per the above definition) in anorganization and not working in any capacity, part time or full time, inany other organization, may opt for a designation as consultant in placeof EC or FAE. Such cases may be considered as in-house experts afternecessary due diligence by NABET Assessors during office assessmentand approval of AC.



iv. Empanelled expertan AO/ACO may also have empanelled experts. Anempanelled expert may be a freelancer (not a full time employee ofany organization) or may be working with an NGO or Researchorganization/Academic institute. In the latter case, a No objectioncertificate (NOC) is to be obtained from the Registrar for a University,the Principal for a college and the head of organization for an NGO or aResearch organization, as the case may be. The AO/ACO must have anMOU/written agreement with such experts. Details to be included inNOC and MOU/Agreement are mentioned in Section B of Annexure V.

v. A candidate meeting the requirements of the Scheme may apply forboth, EC and FAE. However, to do justice to the role of an EC and a FAEas envisaged in the Scheme, a candidate (IH/Emp.)isapproved for amaximum of 5 sectors as an EC and a maximum of 4 functional areas asa FAE. An AO seeking accreditation must have at least one in-house ECand two other in-house FAEs. The in-house EC is also eligible to beconsidered as a FAE in those functional areas for which he fulfills therequirements of qualification and experience.

vi. A person working in an organization other than anNGO/Research/Academic Institute cannot opt as an empanelled expertfor an AO/ACO. A full time Director in a Private/Public Limited companyor a Partner in a partnership firm is considered as a full time employeeof the Organization/firm and is not eligible to opt as an empanelledexpert under the Scheme. However, if a person is an IndependentDirector in a company, he is eligible to be an empanelled expert with amaximum of five AO/ACO. In such cases, relevant documentary evidencehas to be furnished of his/her being an Independent Director in thecompany.

vii. An expert employed with an NGO or a Research/Academic institute mayseek empanelment with a maximum 3 AO/ACO. Other eligibleempanelled experts may be associated with a maximum of 5 AO/ACOs(subject to condition 5.1.6 xi given below)

viii. The maximum number of Sectors that an empanelled EC is approved foris five. Similarly, total number of functional areas that an empanelledFAE is approved for is four, for reasons explained in 5.1.6.ivabove. Incase an individual wishes to modify her/his approval status for sector/functional areas suiting her/his business requirements, the request forthe same should come to NABET from the concerned ACO/s. However, ifthe individual finds it difficult to get the ACO to write to NABET, s/he isat liberty to write directly to NABET.



ix. All empanelled candidates/experts are required to furnish a Declarationof Association in the format given at Annexure V (Rev.1) signed by thecandidate/expert and countersigned by the authorized signatory of theAO/ACO. There should also be a MOU or Agreement between theempanelled candidate/expert stating the tenure and scope ofassociation duly signed by both parties.

x. Empanelled experts may contribute to the EIAs as and when the work isassigned to them. However, their expected functions are same as thosefor IH experts as detailed in Appendix 1.

xi. In case an empanelled expert is associated with maximum of 5organizations, the total number of sectors that s/he is approved islimited to 5. Similarly, an FAE associated with a maximum of 5organizations, the total number of FAs that s/he is approved for is 4.

xii. There is no limitation to the number of EIAs that an EC may beassociated with in a year simultaneously. However, considering the deepinvolvement required of an EC in an EIA project as envisaged in theScheme, if an EC (IH/ Emp.) is involved in more number of EIAssimultaneously during a year than given below, s/he needs to maintain afield logbook of activities carried out in all EIA assignments to justifyher/his full involvement in the EIAs fulfilling the role and functions asmentioned in Appendix 1during the next assessment.a. For Category A projects - 6 Nos*b. For Category B projects 10 Nos*c. In combination of Category A & B projects 10 Nos*

*The above will not include EIAs prepared for Sector 38 Building &Large construction and EIAs for very small mining leases (less than 5 ha)including river bed mining. For these sectors, the number is 15 EIAassignments beyond which maintenance of a field notebook withjustification of time allotted for various EIAs is necessary.

xiii. ECs, FAEs, TMs and FAAs must maintain field log books of their visits tothe site giving the observations, work done etc., for the stated EIA.

xiv. Submission of any false or misleading information in any of the aboveaspects, shall lead to the cancellation of approval of such experts and/orapplication/ accreditation of the organization.

5.2 Field Investigation and Laboratory Arrangement

Collection of quality primary baseline data is of crucial importance for preparing EIAreports. Primary data are collected for



Physical environment like air, water, soil, noiseetc., Biotic environment Social environment including resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) plan

Having a good understanding of the proposed project and visiting the site of theproject by approved ECs and FAEs areof utmost importance for developing the Termsof Reference (TOR) followed by the planning for collecting the primary data at thesite.

5.2.1 Laboratory Arrangement for monitoring physical environment baselinedata

The AO/ACO may have an in-house laboratory or agreement with one or more externallaboratories for work related to collecting baseline environmental data. If it engagesmore than one laboratory to cover its requirements of EIAs being carried out in differentparts of the country, it should have a clear internal guideline of assigning the work to aparticular laboratory and maintaining the necessary record of the same.

Laboratories engaged in the baseline data collection must be NABL accredited and/orMoEF&CC recognized. The scope of accreditation/recognition should cover the followingparameters

Ambient Air Quality Stack emissions Water & waste water quality Soil characteristics Noise

Wherever such data generation includes collection of samples at the site followed byanalysis of the same at the laboratory, a detailed written down procedure should beavailable with the AO/ACO including collection methodologies and preservation ofsuch samples (videAppendix 2 for details). The procedure should specifically addressas to who all will be involved in selecting sampling locations, parameters to beanalyzed for, collection, preservation/transportation etc., of samples.

5.2.2 Field Investigation for Biotic Environment and Socio-economic dataSearch from relevant and reliable secondary sources are conducted to collect thebiotic and socioeconomic background of the proposed site of the EIA. The EIA teammust acquaint itself with the ground realities existing at the site through site visitswith detailed programmes. Sampling locations, type of sampling, survey regime andprotocol for ecological studies, questionnaire/ interview/ focused groupdiscussions/other methodologies to be followed for socio-economic data etc., must



be specific to the site conditions (referAppendix 2 for details to be included in theprocedures).

5.3 Quality Management SystemThe applicant organization must maintain a Quality Management Systems (QMS) forthe organization. The QMS should be based on the current version of ISO9001standards. It is, however, not mandatory that the organization should be ISO9001 certified. The QMS should address the requirements of the current version ofISO 9001 and the specific requirements of the Scheme. The content of the QualityManual should include the following:

i. Quality Policyii. Control of records and documentsiii. Performance Measurement and Reviewiv. Actions taken to address Non-Conformancev. Identification, retention and assessment of performance of empanelled

expertsvi. Collection of primary datavii. Collation, synthesis and interpretation of secondary dataviii. Work outsourcedix. Laboratory work including calibration of equipment and laboratory safetyx. Complaints and appeal

Items i to iv and x relate to general requirements of ISO-9001 and items v to ixaddress the requirements of the Scheme. The essential issues to be addressed in theQuality Management System are detailed out in Appendix 2

One of the long term objectives of this Scheme is to encourage the ConsultantOrganizations to adopt system oriented approach for EIA preparation. Ideally, all EIAConsultant Organizations should have their own EIA preparation manual which theymay enrich from their learnings over the years.

An ACO/AO must establish and maintain the above procedures while carrying out EIAStudies.

5.4 Quality of EIA ReportsAssessment, based on the quality and depth of analysis, includes whether the EIAReport prepared covers:

i. Site & Project descriptionii. Alternate sites/technology/processes



iii. Methodology adopted for the base line primary and secondary datacollection

iv. Data Interpretation, impact identification and impact assessmentv. Treatment of EB & SE issuesvi. Risks Assessment andEmergency Plansvii. EMP and monitoring Planviii. Signed statement by experts involved in EIA preparation.ix. Compliance to TOR and Public Hearing

5.5 Organizational CommitmentThe objective of the EIA accreditation scheme is to identify the credible EIAconsultant organizations who should contribute towards improving the quality ofEIAs in the country. This will come about when there is a commitment from theaccredited consultants towards continual improvement.For Re-accreditation (seeSection 6 below), improvements achieved by the accredited consultant sincereceiving accreditation is also taken into account.

Details of assessment criteria for the above 5 requirements (5.1-5.5) are given inAppendix 3.

Accreditation Cycle in this Scheme is for 3 years and comprises 3 types ofassessments:

Initial Accreditation (IA): In the IA, the potential of the applicant organization isassessed and based on that accreditation is granted. On successful completion of theInitial Assessment, an applicant organization is given accreditation for 3 years, subjectto a surveillance assessment after 18 months. Details of IA are furnished in Appendix3.

Surveillance Assessment (SA): SA is to assess performance after IA. The basicobjective is to judge to what extent the potential have been fulfilled i.e. itsperformance along with compliance to the conditions of accreditation. SA falls due 18months after IA. Details of SA are furnished inAppendix 3.

Reaccreditation (RA): Following the principle of continual improvement, in RA themain stress is on improvement achieved by the ACO during the period ofaccreditation. Since, the ultimate objective of the Scheme is to improve the quality ofEIA Reports being prepared in our country, RA accords higher weightage to the samecompared to other criteria. RA comes 18 months after SA i.e., on completion of 3years after IA. On completion of three years from initial accreditation, the

6.0 ACCREDITATION CYCLE



organization is re-assessed broadly as per the process followed for Initial Assessmentwith emphasis on improvements achieved. Details of RA are furnished in Appendix 3.

The weightages assigned for various aspects in IA, SA and RA are mentioned Table 1in Section 7 below.

The accreditation procedure for IA, SA and RA includes three processes:

I. Application Assessment ProcessII. Office Assessment ProcessIII. Decision Making Process

7.1 Application Assessment ProcessThere are separate applications formsor IA, SA,RA, Expansion of ScopeandSupplementary assessmentwhich can be downloaded from the QCI websitewww.qcin.org.

Detailed information on documents to be submitted with the application isprovidedinAppendix 3for IA, SA & RA.

Applicants are advised to go through the Accreditation Scheme carefully prior topreparing/submitting their application. Applications are to be submitted in softformat only. In case, NABET requires hard copy of a document, the same is intimatedto the AO/ACO.

Application for SA must be submitted two months prior to when SA is due i.e. oncompletion of 16 months after IA. Similarly, RA application should be submitted twomonths prior to expiry of accreditation period i.e., on completion of 34 months afterIA.

NABET is making efforts to introduce the application process on-line. Whenever thesame is implemented, methodology/procedure to be followed will be posted on theQCI/NABET website.

The application assessment involves two stages after submission of application:

Stage I Checking completeness of the application by NABET Secretariat

Applications submitted by an AO/ACOmust be complete in all respects including thesupporting documents as mentioned in the checklistof Application Form (for IA, SA,

7.0 ACCREDITATION PROCESS



RA) of this Scheme. NABET Secretariat checks if (a) the application is complete in allrespects, (b) the information submitted is in requisite formats and (c) the applicationis accompanied by the requisite fee. In case an application is grossly incomplete inrespect of candidates/experts, laboratory arrangement etc., NABET secretariatinforms the AO/ACO of the inadequacies. Such applications are processed furtheronce the inadequacies are addressed. For other applications, the NABET secretariatforwards the application to the Principal Assessor (see below) with its observationsfor technical scrutiny. TheAO/ACO is advised to carefully study the requirementsmentioned in Appendix 3, before filling in the application.

Stage II - Technical review of documents by the Principal Assessor

Professionals with long experience in the relevant fields carry out the Technicalreview of documents of the applications received by NABET. Each application isassigned two assessors - Principal Assessor (PA) and Co-Assessor (CA).The PA carriesout the technical review supported by the NABET staff. In case the numbers ofSectors applied for and the numbers of experts involved are large, NABET may assignmore assessors to expedite the process. The CA joins the PA in the office assessment(see below). Based on the NABET Secretariats observations andscrutiny of thedocuments, Non-Conformances (NCs) and Observations (Obs.) may be raised byassessors to meet the requirements of the Scheme. An AO/ACO has to successfullyclose the NCs/Obs. for the application to be processed furtheri.e.the OfficeAssessment process.

7.2 Office Assessment Process (Stage III Assessment)It involves assessment of an application in the following six aspects:

i. Quality & performance of personnel (EIA Coordinators,FAEs, FAA, TMand Mentors)

ii. Quality Management Systemiii. Field investigations and laboratory systems to ensure data integrityiv. Quality of EIA Reportsv. Organizational evaluation/commitmentvi. Compliance to condition of accreditation(for SA and RA)

Marks allocated for the above aspects in the Office Assessment are mentioned inTable 1 below:



Table 1: Weightage of marksSl.No. Aspects

Marks Allotted RemarksIA SA RA

1Quality & performance ofpersonnel

EIA Coordinators FAEs

2020

1510

1010

IA stage Potential of theAO is the focus

SA stage Compliance andperformance ofthe ACO are thefocus

RA stage Performance andimprovement ofthe ACO are thefocus

2 Quality ManagementSystem 15 15 15

3Field investigations andlaboratory systems toensure data integrity

25 25 25

4 Quality of EIAs 10 20 255 OrganizationalEvaluation/commitment 10 10 5

6Compliance to conditionofaccreditation/improvements achieved

- 5 10

Total 100 100 100

Performance of FAAs, TMs and Mentors is assessed at this stage; but their score isNOT included in the assessment of the ACO

Office assessment is carried out jointly by PAwho hasbeen involved in the technicalreview of the documentsand one or moreCA(depending on the experts & sectorsinvolved).Office assessment includes interaction with experts and verification ofdocuments by the PA and CA.

The assessment process is primarily evidence based and objective in nature. Based onoffice assessment, the AO/ACOis given marks out of 100. Issues to be assessed forvarious aspects in office assessment are detailed in Appendix 3.As mentioned above;initial accreditation is given on the basis of the potential shown by the applicant.After obtaining accreditation, an ACO is expected to strictly abide by the conditions ofaccreditation and make efforts to improve its performance. Efforts towards capacitybuilding and commitment to do quality work are given due weightage in SA and RA.

Normally, 10 days prior notice is given to the AO/ACO for Office Assessment.However, NABET reserves the right to visit the office/site un-announced, if it isdeemed necessary.

7.3 Decision Making Process



On completion of Office assessment process, a joint report is prepared by the PA andCA (or CAs) and sent to the NABET Secretariat for further processing. The PA isresponsible for the final report. NABET Secretariat after checking the completenessof the report obtains clarifications/additional information if required from theAO/ACO/Assessor. The case is then put up to the Accreditation Committee by theNABET Secretariat for its consideration, review and decision on accreditation. Thefinal outcomes of ACO/AO are being uploaded on NABET website after everyaccreditation Committee Meeting(www/qcin.org).

7.4 Time Frame for application and accreditation processesSpeed of completion of application and accreditation processes depends on thefollowing:

i. Submission of complete information asked for in the application or afterStage I/II assessment along with necessary documentsand closure actionof NCs/ Obs., as applicable for IA, SA&RA application

ii. Timely submissions of such information by AO/ ACO within the timeframe stipulated by NABET vide section 9.6 for SA &10.5 RA. For IA AOsare requested to submit the required details as early as possible.

iii. Timely raising of queries by NABET within 15 days for Stage I and 1 monthfor Stage II

Subject to the above, all efforts will be made by NABET to complete the accreditationprocess within 3 months of submission of complete information by AO/ACO.

7.5Accreditation Process Outcomesi. Accredited in case the applicant clears the assessment and accreditation

processes successfully, the results are posted on the QCI/NABET website andthe AO is also informed separately, referAppendix 3 for details.

ii. Not approved if the AO fails to obtain 40% marks in the office assessment ordoes not fulfill any other requirements of the Scheme, the application is notapproved and accreditation is not granted, referAppendix 3for details.

iii. De-listed - in case an ACO does not fulfill conditions of accreditation or doesnot submit complete application for SA or RA on time, a reminder is given todo the same in the next 15 days. If complete application is not submitted evenafter 15 days, a final notice is served giving another 15 days time. In the

iv. event of non-compliance after the final notice as well, the accreditationgranted to the ACO is cancelled and its name is removed from the list ofaccredited consultants. In case it wishes to get considered again under the



Scheme, it is required to submit a fresh application with requisite fees.Assessment is carried out as per IA norms

v. Incomplete applications If an AO /ACO submits an incomplete application inwhich requisite details are not provided or it does not meet the requirementsof the Scheme in respect of eligible candidates for EC and FAEs, QMS,Laboratory details etc., the same is put in the incomplete applications list.NABET intimates the AO of the deficiencies in the application. It is processedfurther once all requirements are fulfilled.

vi. Cancelled/ Debarred/Suspended applications see Section 9.3 below.7.6Category of Accredited Consultants

Consultant organizations are accredited in two categories A or B and experts areapproved also in two categories A or B under this Scheme. Specific conditionsapplicable for categorization of organization and experts in IA, SA and RA are detailedin Appendix3.

EIA Consultant Organizations accredited as Category A can carry out EIAs for both,Category A and Category B projects as defined in the EIA Notification of the MoEF&CCdated September14, 2006 and its subsequent Amendments, in the Sectors for whichthey have an approved Category A EIA Coordinator. If a Category A consultant hasonly a Category B EIA Coordinator in a Sector, it should take up only Category Bprojects in that Sector till the time it has an approved Category A EC for the Sector.Taking up EIAs in unaccredited Sectors or Category will attract a non-conformance.Repeat NC on the same issue may invite strict action against the ACO as well as theexpert concerned.

An ACO must take up EIAs only in the Sectors and Category for which it is accredited.Also, it should use the right category of expert for preparing an EIA viz., only CategoryA experts should be used for EIAs of Category A Projects. Experience for EIAs carriedout in un-accredited sectors contravenesthe requirements of the NABETs EIAConsultant Accreditation Scheme and is not given any weightage. In fact, an NC isissued to the ACO for such cases. EIAs in unaccredited sector/s initiated prior toreceiving accreditation are not covered for raising NCs.

If an approved Category A expert scores less than 50% marks in SA, her/his approvalstatus is revised to Category B. A Category B expert is upgraded to Category A if

a. S/he meets the experience requirements stated in the Schemeb. Scores 60% or more in SAandc. Recommended for up-gradation by the Assessors.

Details are given in Appendix 3.



7.7 Completeness and Timely Submission Of ApplicationApplications for IA, SA & RA must be complete in all respects including availability ofrelevant experts. In case an application for IA is not complete in any respect, thesame is put under incomplete applications list and taken up for further processingafter the deficiencies are addressed. Applications for SA & RA must be submitted ontime failing which an ACO may be delisted after giving proper notice. Details are givenin Appendix 3.

QCI/NABET does not get any financial assistance from any agency for operation ofthis Scheme. Hence, to offset the costs involved in the implementation of the Schemeby NABET, fees are charged to the AO/ACO under the following heads

i. Application feeii. Document review feeiii. Office assessment feeiv. Analysis of office assessment and preparation of final report feev. Travels, boarding and lodging (at actual)vi. Annual feevii. Fee for Supplementary Assessment (if applicable)viii. Fee for QMS Implementation Assessment (if applicable)ix. Review of Decision feex. Appeal fees

Details of the Fee structure are given in Appendix 4.

Timely payment of dues to NABET by the AO/ACO is crucial to the Scheme, as noexternal funds are available to NABET for implementing this Scheme. Processes of IA,SA and RA can be proceeded with to the next stage only if all pending bills to NABETare cleared by the AO/CO.All invoices raised by NABET are to be paid by the AO/ACOwithin one month of date of dispatch/mailing the invoice.

In case of delay in payment of applicable fees at any stage beyond one monthallowed for making such payment, penalty @1.5% per month of delay is applicable.

Failure to pay theapplicable dues by the deadline given in invoices mayresult indelisting the ACOs name from the list of ACOs and possible cancellation ofaccreditation

8.0 ACCREDITATION FEES



Results of the Accreditation Committee meeting are uploaded on the QCI/NABETwebsite within a month of the AC meeting in which the relevant case is discussed. Aformal letter from NABET is sent within one month from the date of approval by theAccreditation Committee mentioning the sectors approved with category, expertsapproved with category, detailed conditions of accreditation and NCs & Obs., ifany.NABET certificate of accreditation is issued on successful closure of NCs and Obs.,mentioned above.

9.1 Maintaining AccreditationAccreditation of an EIA Consultant Organization is subject to compliance to therequirements of the QCI NABET Scheme. These include, but not limited to -

i. Implementation of systems/procedures documented in the QualityManagement System Manual of the ACO including the corrective andpreventive actions for the NCs and Obs. of IA, SA, RA, as applicable.

ii. Timely replacement of experts - in case any approved EC or FAE leaves theACO, s/he needs to be replaced in a time bound manner mentioned inSection 9.2.1 below.

iii. Intimation of changes In case of any change in the organization related tosystems, procedures, laboratory and other facilities, the same is to beintimated to NABET in thesix monthly reports. Such changes are audited byNABET in the next scheduled assessment or as deemed fit by NABET

iv. Payment of fees, as applicable, to NABET as per the terms of accreditationand detailed in Appendix 4

v. At the beginning of the EIA Reports prepared by the ACO a declaration is tobe given by the ACO in the prescribed format (Annexure VII) giving thenames of the EC and FAEs involved duly signed by them and countersignedby the CEO of the organization.

vi. Familiarity with the site conditions is a fundamental requirement forpreparing an EIA. The concerned EC and relevant FAEs are expected to visitthe site for appropriate duration prior to commencing the work as well asduring the period of primary data collection at site and ground validation ofsecondary data.

vii. All ECs, FAEs, FAAs and Team Members involved in an EIA project shouldmaintain a Field logbook with notingdone at site. NABET assessors may liketo verify these during the office assessment. It is worthwhile to maintain

9.0 GRANT OF ACCREDITATION



other documentations on the experts site visitsviz., experts report, andauthorization of tours, travel documents etc.

viii. In case, during SA or RA, it is found that an EC and relevant FAEs haveprepared/ contributed to the EIA without visiting site, their approval statusis liable to be cancelled.

ix. The ACO is to strictly follow the requirements pertaining to conditions forsuspension or cancellation of Accreditation as mentioned in Section 9.3below.

x. The ACO is to maintain the following records(in soft or hard format) a. A register of attendance of employees involved in EIA assignmentsb. Names of the experts (both in-house and empanelled) involved for

various EIA projects handled by the Consultant Organization.c. Details of involvement of empanelled experts, in terms of time

devoted to various EIA projects.d. Updated declaration of Empanelled Experts indicating the number of

organizations they are associated with.e. All documents related to laboratory work and implementation of QMS

9.2 Changes after AccreditationThe changes after accreditation can be in two respects as follows:

a. Change in experts and /or their scopeb. Scope of accreditation

9.2.1 Change in experts and/or their scope

Since accreditation of a consultant organization is based on the experts approved forspecific sectors and functional areas, an ACO must inform NABET of an approvedexpert leaving the Organization and propose a replacement meeting the Schemesrequirements within t one month. NABET would arrange assessment of suchcandidate/s either during the next assessment due or earlier. Failing to propose areplacement on time is a Non-conformance, viewed seriously and may also result incancellation of approval of concerned sector for the organization.

It may please be noted that if a replacement candidate proposed for an EIACoordinator does not clear NABETs assessment and happens to be the only EIACoordinator for the concerned sector; such sector will stand withdrawn from theScope of Accreditation of the ACO.

A new candidate may be proposed as an EC or a FAE for assessment at any time.However, for a person already assessed and not approved may be proposed onlyafter a gap of 3 months enabling her/him to address the shortfall.



Applications (as per annexure IE) proposing replacement or new candidates shouldaccompany requisite application fee as per Appendix 4.

9.2.2Scope of Accreditation:

Requests for modification/expansion in scope of accreditation may be included withthe applications of SA or RA. No additional fee is to be paid for the purpose apartfrom the applicable application fee for SA or RA as mentioned in Appendix 4.

Separate applications may also be made at any point of time accompanied with therequisite fees as detailed in Appendix 4.

Assessment feesfor expansion/modification in the scope, if made in a separateapplication, are as per the Initial Assessment process. All necessary documents, asrequired for initial assessment, are to be submitted along with the application forchange in scope.

9.3 Suspension/Cancellation/Debarment of AccreditationNABET may suspend or cancel an accreditation or even debar an organization onaccount of any or more grounds during accreditation process or after, but not limited,to the following:

i. Non-compliance or violation of the NABET requirements and conditions ofAccreditation and deviation from facts as stated in application andenclosures

ii. In case an approved expert leaves the organization, the ACO is required toinform NABET of the same within one month and get a replacementapproved within the next two months, if s/he was the only expert in thatsector or functional area. In case of EC, if the replacement expert fails toget approved, accreditation to specific sector/sectors is cancelled.

iii. Submission of false or misleading information in the application or insubsequent submissions

iv. Improper use of NABET Accreditation mark, Letter of Accreditation fromNABET or the QCI/NABET logo

v. Carrying out changes in EIA coordinators/ Experts for accredited sectorswithout NABETs approval

vi. Failure to report any major legal (mandatory compliance) changes, conflictof interest

vii. Using fraudulent practices by the ACO in respect of its submission/interaction with NABET which would include, but not limited to, deliberate



concealment and/or submission of false or misleading information,suppression of information, falsification of records or data, unauthorizeduse of accreditation, and non-reporting of completed EIAs to NABET. Thefraudulent practices covering the above aspects would also include theconsultant organizations interaction with the project proponent and theEIA reports prepared by them.

viii. Non- payment of applicable fees.ix. Violation of the Code of Conduct for the Consultant Organizations (see

Section 11.0 below)x. Any other condition deemed appropriate by NABETThe decision for the suspension/cancellation/debarment shall be taken by theNABET Accreditation Committee.

In case of concealment of facts or misrepresenting facts in EIA Reports by an ACOthat has been confirmed by Statutory Bodies, Courts, NGT and other such authorities,appropriate action is taken against the ACO by Accreditation Committee. Also in caseof any feedback/ complaint by any stakeholder about work related to an EIAproject carried out by an ACO is received by NABET. A clarification may be sought andput up to the Accreditation Committee for its final decision on the matter.

9.4 Actions for misconduct/fraudulent activitiesSubmission of false or misleading information or use of fraudulent practices, anAO/ACO may be disqualified for up to one year, to be decided by the AccreditationCommittee depending on the seriousness of the action. Such AO/ACO will be able tore-apply on expiry of the disqualification period. The application is to be accompaniedwith a commitment from the CEO of the organization that, if such practices arerepeated, it will render the organization ineligible to participate in the NABETAccreditation Scheme any further. The same approach will be applicable forindividual experts (ECs and FAEs) as well

9.5ConfidentialityAll information, documents and reports submitted by an AO/ACO to NABET areutilized by the NABET, assessors, members of Accreditation & Technical Committeesfor the purpose of assessment and accreditation. These may also be used forresearch purpose or sharing with MoEF&CC and other members of the InternationalPersonnel Certification Association. However, the identity of the accredited EIAConsultant Organizations would be masked for sensitive information related tobusiness whenever it is called for/ appropriate. In case an AO/ACO wants theinformation to be kept confidential, a communication must be sent to NABET citingreasons for the same. NABET reserves the right to take appropriate decision in this



regard. NABET also reserves the right of taking appropriate action against an ACO fordeliberate breach of confidentiality

The ACO is required to have adequate arrangements consistent with applicable lawsto safeguard confidentiality of all information provided by its clients. Thesearrangements are extended to include organizations or individuals acting on its behalfand as its representatives

One of the major features of Rev 10 is to rationalize the need of FAEs as perrequirements of the Sector. This is expected to reduce the load of experts, both in-house and empanelled, for the EIA Consultant organizations without compromisingthe availability of relevant experts for conducting an EIA study.

However, for getting the benefits of Rev 10, it is essential that all AOs and ACOs aeassessed as per the Revision 10 of the Scheme as early as possible. Once they areaccredited as per the approved version of Rev 10, the new accreditation cycle wouldcommence. The following procedure will be applicable after the publication of theRevision 10 of the Scheme. It has been devised specially keeping in mind that there isno load of any additional assessment on the consultants

Sl Status of application Assessment Process Remarks1.IA Cases

1.1 Applications receivedby NABET afteruploading of theapproved Revision 10of the Scheme onQCI/NABET Website

NABET assesses theapplicant as per the IAnorms of Revision 10

AOs to carefullycheck that theapplicationmeets therequirements ofRevision 10

1.2 Applications receivedby NABET beforeuploading Revision10 on QCI Website.Stage I & IIassessment is on butnot reached Stage III( office assessment)

(a) NABET checks if theapplication meets therequirement ofRevision 10.

(b) If all therequirements as perRevision 10 are met,Stage III assessment asper IA norms ofRevision 10 isproceeded with.

(c) If some gaps in

AOs arerequested toclose the gaps asearly as possible,for quickprocessing of theapplication.

10.0 APPLICABILITY OF REVISION 10 OF THE SCHEME



meeting therequirement as perRevision 10 are found,NABET informs the AOof the gaps to be closedbefore the applicationis processed further.

(d) The AO is given 3months to close thegaps.

(e) Once the gaps areclosed by the AO withinthis period, assessmentas per IA norms ofRevision 10 isproceeded with.

(f) If the AO takes morethan 3 months forclosing the gaps, theapplication falls inqueue and assessedwhen its turn comes.

1.3 Applications receivedby NABET beforeuploading Revision 10on QCI Website andStage III assessment ison or completed

(a) The AO is consideredfor accreditation as perIA Norms of Revision 10,if it meets all therequirements ofRevision 10.

(b) If the AO meets allthe requirements ofRevision 9, but still hasto meet certainrequirements as per IAnorms of Revision 10, itis considered forprovisional accreditationas per Revision 9.

(c) NABET will informsthe AO of the gaps inmeeting the

AOs arerequested tomake all effortsto meets therequirements ofRev 10 within thetime frame.May seekclarificationsfrom NABET atany time.



requirements ofRevision 10.

(d) The AO is given 3months time to closethe gaps.

(e) Once the gaps areclosed within thisperiod, the case is takenup for accreditation asper IA norms of Revision10.

(f) In case the AO fails tomeet the requirementsof Revision 10 in 3months, the provisionalaccreditation iswithdrawn and the AO isrequired to apply afreshshould it wish to bereconsidered.

2. SA and RA Cases2.1 Applications received

by NABET beforeuploading of approvedRevision 10 of theScheme on QCI/NABETWebsite, Stage I & IIassessment is on butnot reached Stage III (office assessment)

(a) NABET checks if theapplication meets therequirement of Revision10.If all therequirements as perRevision 10 are met,Stage III assessment asper IA norms of Revision10 is proceeded with.

(b) If some gaps inmeeting therequirement of Revision10 are found, NABETinforms the ACO of thegaps to be closed beforethe application isprocessed further.

(c) The ACO is given 3months to close the

ACOs arerequested toclose the gaps asearly as possible,for quickprocessing of theapplication



gaps.

(d) Once the gaps areclosed within thisperiod, assessment asper IA norms of Revision10 is proceeded with.

(e) In case the ACO failsto meet therequirements ofRevision 10 in 3 months,the accreditation givenas per Revision 9 iswithdrawn.

(f) The ACO is requiredto apply afresh should itwish to be reconsidered.

(g) The newAccreditation cyclestarts with the date ofaccreditation, if foundqualified

2.2 Applications receivedby NABET beforeuploading Revision 10on QCI Website andStage III assessment ison or completed

(a) The ACO isconsidered foraccreditation as perRevision 10, if it meetsall the requirements ofRevision 10. The newaccreditation cyclestarts with the date ofthis accreditation.

(b) If the ACO meets allthe requirements of theSA/RA norms ofRevision, but still has tomeet certainrequirements ofRevision 10, itsaccreditation isconsidered forprovisional continuation

ACOs arerequested tomake all effortsto meet therequirements ofRev 10 within thetime frame.May seekclarificationsfrom NABET atany time.



as per Revision 9.

(c) NABET informs theACO of the gaps inmeeting therequirements ofRevision 10.

(d) The ACO is given 3months time to closethe gaps.

(e) Once the gaps areclosed by the ACOwithin this period, thecase is considered foraccreditation as per IAnorms of Revision 10.

(f) In case it fails to meetthe requirements ofRevision 10 in 3 months,the provisionalcontinuation ofaccreditation iswithdrawn and the ACOis required to applyafresh should it wish tobe reconsidered.

In this mechanism Complaints and Appeals from applicant organization areredressed. There are three methodologies available under the Scheme for addressingthe grievances

i. Request for Review of Decisionsii. Appealiii. Arbitration

11.1 Request for Review of Decisions

11.0 GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MECHANISM



In case an AO/ACO wishes for review/reconsideration of any accreditation decisiontaken by NABET, they may send a request for same to NABET.

The following procedure will be applicable:

i. Request received from AO/ACO by NABET will be recorded in the sameserial as date of receipt and put up on the QCI website

ii. Request must mention specific complaints (not generic in nature) andsupported by documentary evidence.

iii. Anonymous/ pseudonymous requests will not be entertained.iv. Each request must be accompanied with an ECS/ Demand Draft of Rs.

25,000/ plus Services Tax and other relevant cess as applicable,payable infavor of Quality Council of India to partially offset the cost of hearing ofsuch requests.

v. Only substantial errors/mistakes on procedural matters would be taken forconsideration. Reassessment or request for deviation from the Schemecannot be considered.

vi. Such Requests for Review will be taken up for consideration in a meeting ofthe relevant Accreditation Committee as early as possible.

vii. Agenda of such meetings will be intimated to the AO/ACO.viii. AOs/ACOs making the request may present their case in person to the AC, if

so desired by them.ix. Decision of the AC shall be intimated to the concerned organizations as well

as posted on QCI website.11.2Appeal

An AO/ ACO may apply for Appeal in case it is not satisfied with the decision ofRequest for Review option.An Appeal must include the specific issues on which the appellant is seeking a reviewaccompanied by supporting documents, fees for appeal. The following information isto be provided while submitting the Appeal -

The following procedure is applicable:

Sl.No

SpecificIssue/ssubmitted inReview

Supportingdocumentssubmitted inReview

Decision ofReviewCommittee

Additional/ newissues submittedin Appeal now

Newsupportingdocumentsadded now

1 - - - - -



i. Formation of 3-member Appeals Committee by NABET chaired by amember of NABET Board and comprising one more members from NABETBoard and one subject specialist.

ii. The Appeals Committee proposed is approved by the Chairman, NABETBoard.

iii. The documents received from the Appellant are submitted to themembers of the Appeals committee by NABET Secretariat.

iv. Process of hearing by the Committee - the committee fixes a date for thehearing which is intimated to the Appellant by NABET Secretariat. Areasonable notice period is given for the Appellant to appear in thehearing. The committee gives due opportunity to the Appellant and theNABET Secretariat to present their cases. The committee gives its decisionafter hearing both the sides and due deliberation within it.

v. The decision of the Appeals Committee is intimated to the Appellant byNABET Secretariat and also posted on the QCI/NABET website. Requisitefee is to be paid towards meeting the expenses for organizing the AppealMeeting, as mentioned in Appendix 4.

vi. Each request for appeal must be accompanied with an ECS/ Demand Draftof Rs. 25,000/ plus Services Tax and other relevant cess as applicable,payable in favor of Quality Council of India to partially offset the cost ofhearing of such appeals.

11.3ArbitrationAn AO/ ACO may apply for Arbitration if it is not satisfied with the decisions fromReview of decision and Appeal. The Arbitrator is nominated by the SecretaryGeneral, Quality Council of India. The arbitration takes place as per the provisions ofthe Arbitration Act of India, with Delhi jurisdiction.

All Accredited EIA Consultant Organizationsare obliged to improve the standing of theconsultancy profession by rigorously observing the Code of Conduct. Failure to do somay result in the suspension or cancellation of accreditation.

The Consultant Organization undertakes:

i. To act professionally, accurately and in an unbiased manner.ii. To be truthful, accurate and fair to the assigned work, without any fear or

favor.

12.0 CODE OF CONDUCT



iii. To judiciously use the information provided by or acquired from theclient in carrying out the EIA and to maintain the confidentiality ofinformation received or acquired in connection with the assignment.

iv. To use the expertise of only approved experts of relevant category in thepreparation of EIA reports.

v. To avoid and / or declare any conflict of interest that may affect the work tobe carried out.

vi. Not to accept any favor from the clients, or their representatives.vii. Not to act in a manner detrimental to the reputation of any of the

stakeholders including NABET and the client.viii. To co-operate fully in any formal enquiry procedure of NABET.

Prior to accreditation, the AO signs the Code of Conduct for EIA ConsultingOrganizations and send it to the NABET Secretariat



List of Appendices

APPENDIX 1 : QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE ANDFUNCTIONS OF EXPERTS

APPENDIX 2 : QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

APPENDIX 3 : ACCREDITATION PROCESS

APPENDIX 4 : FEES STRUCTURE

Date post:	05-Nov-2015
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