APPEAL PROCEDURE

A Measured Entity that disagrees with the outcome shown on its Verification Report and Certificate may lodge an appeal within 7 working days of receiving these documents.

1. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Verification Manager at Vehement Ratings.
2. The Verification Manager passes the appeal on to the Director of Finance, who either deals with it personally or appoints an external expert to do so.
3. The Verification Manager logs the appeal in the appeals and complaints register (MAN012 F01) and appoints an independent analyst to review it. That analyst then confirms receipt of the appeal to the Measured Entity.
4. The appointed analyst begins investigating the matter.
5. If the appeal was submitted after the 7-working-day window from receipt of the Report, Scorecard, and Certificate, the analyst notifies the Measured Entity that the appeal cannot proceed due to the missed deadline.
6. The analyst reviews the substance and context of the appeal. Where the appeal relies on new information the Measured Entity did not previously submit, the analyst’s findings report will state that this does not constitute valid grounds for appeal.
7. Appeals must be resolved within 10 days of being assigned to the analyst.
8. If the review uncovers a calculation error or an incorrect score, the analyst issues a corrected Verification Report, Scorecard, and Certificate to the Measured Entity. The steps taken are recorded in the file diary, and the person who assigned the appeal signs off on whether the corrective action was effective, adding their own notes.
9. The appeals process is set out in the Quote and Terms & Conditions (CORE001 F03), which the Measured Entity signs before the B-BBEE verification process begins.
10. All correspondence relating to the appeal — sent or received — is filed in the Measured Entity’s record, and any related decisions or communications are logged in that file’s diary section

Complaints Procedure

1. A Measured Entity dissatisfied with the conduct of staff involved in the verification, or a third party dissatisfied with any part of the verification agency’s process or methodology, may lodge a complaint.
2. Complaints must be submitted within 10 days of the incident giving rise to them.
3. The Verification Manager appoints an independent person — someone not involved in the original incident — to handle the complaint.
4. That person sends the Measured Entity confirmation that the complaint has been received.
5. The complaint must be resolved within 10 days of assignment, concluding with a findings report.
6. The investigation weighs the seriousness of the conduct in question, or the substance of the third-party complaint. If negligence or a valid basis for the complaint is found, disciplinary or corrective action must be considered.