Guidance

Methodology for reviews of timber certification schemes (Category A evidence), 4th edition

Published 27 February 2025

 

1. Purpose

This document sets out the approach that will be taken by UK government in the forest certification scheme review.

2. Scope

Assessment procedures focus on the scheme’s systems and processes, based on scheme standards and documentation. It is important to note that the review does not consider compliance of certified products under the UK Timber Regulation (UKTR). Due diligence will still be required to confirm the specific products provided to the contracting authority are certified. This is therefore a fundamentally different approach to monitoring undertaken by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, which focuses on specific products, using a risk-based approach. It is also important to note that the Timber Standard for Heat and Electricity is independent of this review and not considered in scope.

3. Background

The UK government requires that only timber and wood-derived products originating from an independently verifiable legal and sustainable source (which can include from a licensed Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) partner) will be demanded for use on the government estate. Appropriate documentation will be required to prove this. One way of providing such assurance is by supplying products which are certified under an acceptable timber certification scheme. This is referred to as Category A evidence. In order to establish which timber certification schemes are acceptable, a set of criteria for evaluating forest certification schemes has been developed. Schemes will be reviewed periodically.

The results of the reviews will be used to update guidance for UK government procurement in terms of which certification schemes provide assurance of legality and sustainability.

Further information on the UK government’s Timber Procurement Policy and the timber certification scheme assessment reports are all available.

4. Methodology

This methodology builds on the 2014 methodology set out by the UK government’s Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET), taking into account the disbandment of CPET in 2016.

The work to undertake this review may be outsourced by UK government.

4.1. Phase 1

4.1.1. A desk-based review of the existing issues will be undertaken regarding the elements of the certification schemes which could be considered as high risk to government’s implementation of the TPP. This desk-based approach will draw on publications in the public domain from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academic institutions, research centres and other bodies.

4.1.2. Based on the findings of 4.1.1, a limited number of targeted stakeholder interviews will be undertaken (including certification bodies, NGOs, and other identified key stakeholders) on the issues identified from the review. The interviews will seek to gain a fuller understanding of the issues identified in 4.1.1.

4.1.3. A rapid assessment of the issues will be correlated against the results of the previous review of certification schemes, with particular attention given to the criteria that were only partially met.

4.1.4. The findings of steps 4.1.1 to 4.1.3 will be summarised in a short note for internal use only, in phase 3.

4.2. Phase 2 (certification scheme stakeholder consultation) – in parallel with phase 1

4.2.1. All schemes to be reviewed will be specifically notified. UK government will announce the scheme reviews, including the scope of the reviews (section 2, above), on the gov.uk website. Comments from interested parties on the schemes to be reviewed will be invited through a public consultation. This consultation will take place at least 4 weeks prior to the commencement of phase 4 (the technical review panel).

4.2.2. Comments may be submitted at any time but will only be considered during a review process.

4.2.3. All stakeholder comments received before or during the notification period will be included in the review. Comments received after this period will be considered at the next review.

4.2.4. Comments must be relevant to specific criteria and relate to the documented scheme requirements or system implementation. Comments referring to the actual outcome of certification in the forest cannot be considered. To be used in the review process, comments must be supported by objective verifiable evidence. If further information or clarification is required, the party that submitted the comment may be contacted, particularly where there are discrepancies between information received from stakeholders and from schemes.

4.2.5. All comments received, and the response to the comments, will be documented. A summary of comments received (un-attributed) will be included both in the draft report that is submitted to the schemes for comment, and in the final public report.

4.3. Phase 3 (scope of reviews)

4.3.1. Light-touch reviews of certification schemes will be undertaken on the basis of the scheme requirements, as set out in the publicly available documentation for each scheme, drawing on the outputs from phases 1 and 2. The implementation of these documented scheme requirements may also be checked (see section 4.3.3). No assessments of the actual outcome of certification in the forest will be made.

4.3.2. While the scope of each review consists of all documented scheme requirements, particular attention will be paid to potential issues identified in phase 1. For schemes that have been assessed before, particular attention will be paid to scheme requirements that have changed since the previous review. The reviews will also consider any objective verifiable evidence relating to current non-compliance with the documented scheme requirements that is submitted by stakeholders during the consultation period (see 4.2).

4.3.3. For each of the relevant schemes, information relevant to compliance with each criterion – as set out in the criteria for assessing certification schemes (Category A evidence) – will be identified and collated. Where a scheme is assessed for the first time, information will be collected for each criterion.

4.3.4. The draft results will be sent to the respective scheme with an invitation to review the information collected and, wherever appropriate, to provide further information or comment. If necessary, discussions will be held with scheme personnel to discuss and clarify issues.

4.4. Phase 4

4.4.1. A technical review panel of 3 experts will be convened to provide external input to the phase 2 findings. The technical review panel members will be selected on the basis of their certification expertise and experience and independence from individual certification schemes. The selection of the technical review panel members and the decision-making rules for the physical meeting will be discussed with UK government, who will make the final decision.

4.4.2. Each member of the panel will be provided with the information developed from phases 1, 2 and 3 for all schemes being reviewed. Based on the information provided, each member of the technical review panel will be asked to judge whether it constitutes inadequate, partial or full compliance with the criteria. The scoring methodology set out in the criteria for assessing certification schemes (Category A evidence) will be used.

4.4.3. A meeting of the technical review panel will then be convened to finalise the results of the reviews for each scheme. The meeting will consider the draft results from each panel member, comments from schemes, and stakeholder comments. The panel will seek to reach consensus but, where this is not possible, the range of views will be reported.

4.4.4. The outcome of this discussion will be reviewed by UK government, who will make a final decision on the results.

4.5. Phase 5

4.5.1. The final results will be notified to the schemes and made publicly available on the gov.uk website.

4.5.2. If the results change the scheme’s status, in terms of delivering assurance of compliance with the government’s requirements for legality or sustainability under the TPP, UK government will take appropriate action to amend purchasing guidance and notify public sector buyers. Any changes to procurement guidance will then take effect within 3 months.

5. Frequency of reviews

5.1. Routine reviews

Schemes currently accepted as providing evidence of legality and sustainability will be reviewed periodically, to ensure they continue to merit their current scores.

5.2. Additional reviews

Additional reviews may be undertaken at other times at the request of a scheme or stakeholder on the basis of information about substantial changes to scheme requirements or system implementation.

5.3. Reviews of additional schemes

Government will consider undertaking assessments of additional schemes, in response to requests from stakeholders, as and when they become operational in the UK wood supply chain.