Governance

Appeals process.

Any facility that receives an accreditation decision from ASF has the right to appeal that decision. Appeals are reviewed independently and resolved within 30 days of submission.

Grounds for appeal

An appeal may be submitted on the following grounds:

1.A demonstrable procedural error in the conduct of the baseline survey or assessment process
2.Material evidence that was available at the time of assessment was not considered by the surveyor or review panel
3.The accreditation decision is demonstrably inconsistent with the published ASF standards criteria
4.A conflict of interest on the part of the surveyor or panel member that was not declared and that affected the outcome

Note: Disagreement with the professional judgement of a surveyor — where the process was conducted correctly — is not grounds for appeal. Appeals are not a re-assessment of the facility; they are a review of whether the process was conducted fairly and in accordance with published ASF procedures.

How to submit an appeal

Appeals must be submitted in writing to appeals@accreditation.ge and must include:

Name and address of the facility
Date of the accreditation decision being appealed
The specific ground(s) for appeal (from the list above)
A written statement of the facts supporting the appeal
Any supporting documentation (survey reports, correspondence, evidence submitted)

Appeals must be submitted within 30 days of the date of the accreditation decision letter. Appeals submitted after this period will not be considered unless exceptional circumstances are demonstrated.

The review process

Acknowledgement — within 5 working days

ASF will acknowledge receipt of the appeal in writing and confirm whether it falls within the permitted grounds. Appeals outside grounds will be declined with written reasons.

Independent review panel — within 20 working days

A panel of at least two individuals — neither of whom was involved in the original assessment — reviews the appeal. The panel has access to all survey documentation and may request additional information from the facility or the original surveyor.

Written determination — within 30 days of submission

The panel issues a written determination: upholding the original decision, modifying it, or ordering a repeat assessment. The determination is final. All parties are notified in writing.

Possible outcomes

Outcome A

Original decision upheld

Outcome B

Decision modified by panel

Outcome C

Repeat assessment ordered

Confidentiality

All appeals are treated as strictly confidential. The identity of the appellant, the details of the appeal, and the panel determination are not disclosed to third parties except as required by law. Anonymised summary data on appeals received and their outcomes may be included in ASF’s annual governance report.

Submit an appeal

Send your written appeal to: appeals@accreditation.ge

For general questions about the accreditation process, use the main contact page.