Built so the evidence can say no.
No sales override, no outcome fee, no silent grade change and no deletion of an inconvenient record. Independence depends on who can stop a decision — not on the word “independent” in a brochure.
Who may decide what
Commercial authority and technical authority are deliberately different.
| Body | Power | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Board | Budget, appointments and strategy | Cannot alter case conclusions or working papers |
| Impartiality committee | May veto any commercial decision | Chair must not come from a verified industry |
| Technical lead | Method interpretation and dispute rulings | Appointed by the committee; board cannot dismiss for a finding |
| Verification team | Independent finding, qualification or refusal | Sales cannot intervene in scope or findings |
Seven operating controls
No equity or outcome commission
No equity in verified parties; no share of premium, carbon price, loan approval or claim outcome.
Fixed, published fees
Price depends on scope and evidence work, never on the desirability of the conclusion.
Sales cannot alter findings
Scope, findings and technical review sit outside commercial reporting lines.
Technical veto
The independent reviewer can stop issuance without commercial override.
Consulting ban and cooling-off
No advisory work for a client we verify; two-year cooling-off after relevant prior roles.
Quarterly conflict review
Conflicts are recorded and reviewed by the impartiality committee.
Refusal is documented
The file records what was missing. Refusal is an output, not an embarrassment.
Disclosure beats a narrow disclaimer
CoffeeJeV is founder-affiliated. Any related-party record is labelled, technically separated and excluded from independent validation counts. We do not describe that work as third-party proof of independence.
Directors and staff disclose relevant roles, financial interests and supplier relationships annually and when circumstances change.
A finding can be challenged without buying a new one
| Step | Time limit | Decision maker |
|---|---|---|
| Client challenge | 30 days from statement | Technical lead |
| Independent review | 15 working days | Reviewer not involved in the case |
| Panel decision | 30 working days | Impartiality committee |
| Published outcome | On conclusion | Anonymised registry summary |
Old work must remain defensible
Working papers, sampling evidence and technical reviews are retained for at least seven years, or longer while a label remains valid.
The most common independence failure is convenience: helping a friendly client prepare data and then verifying that help. We do not take those engagements.