Continuous Improvement procedure
FSC-PRO-30-011
Procedure
November 2019
June 2021
Development of a new international procedure that allows small forest owners and communities to be initially certified based only on a subset of forest management requirements and offers flexible steps towards conformity with the remaining requirements within a defined timeframe.
At the 2017 General Assembly in Vancouver, Canada, the membership approved Motion 46 with a focus on developing new solutions, including new ideas not currently contemplated in the FSC normative framework and system.
Daniela Vilela - FSC Brazil
Severinus Jembe - Soil Association
Jens Kanstrup - Forests of the World
Suphawadee Wilamart - IKEA
Mateo Cariño - NEPCon
Oliver Bach - Sustainable Agriculture Network
Timeline
Version 1-1 of the Continuous Improvement Procedure FSC-PRO-30-011 is available.
The revision aligns the procedure with ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and removes Certification Body requirements, now included as an Annex in FSC-STD-20-007. Minor wording changes were made for consistency with ISO and to align timelines for closure of nonconformities with FSC-STD-20-001.
On 27 February 2025, the FSC International Board of Directors approved the revised Continuous Improvement Procedure (Version 1-1).
A public consultation is available from 16 December 2024 to 24 January 2025 on the revised draft of FSC-PRO-30-011 to align with ISO/IEC 17065:2012.
To access the consultation, please click for English and Spanish version.
FSC offers two webinars to present the draft and key changes. Please register below :
- Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 21:00–22:00 CET (14:00–15:00 CST) – Spanish only – here.
- Thursday, 16 January 2025, 16:00–17:00 CET – English only – here.
Read the full news item here.
As part of the system-wide review of certification body requirements and in response to ISO compliance expectations, including input from the German accreditation body DAkkS, FSC shared a proposal to revise the Continuous Improvement Procedure.
The proposed changes aim to align FSC-PRO-30-011 with ISO/IEC 17065 while maintaining the core concept of the CIP. The revision clarifies how the timing and applicability of requirements are managed for eligible Management Units.
FSC-PRO-30-011 FSC Continuous Improvement Procedure approved by the FSC International Board of Directors.
Final draft of procedure developed, taking stakeholder feedback from public consultation into consideration.
Final draft was sent to the Policy Steering Committee for approval.
A targeted consultation on first draft of procedure was held.
Feedback submitted through the Consultation Platform.
As an adaptation to COVID-19 travel restrictions, a series of online calls was established allowing the Technical Working Group to continue to discuss and develop the different elements of the procedure.
A progress report was presented to the Policy Steering Group (PSG) in November, including a change in the composition of the Technical Working Group. The revised Technical Working Group worked hard in the first quarter of 2021 to prepare Draft 1 for public consultation. The original Project Coordinator went on sick leave and was replaced by one of the Technical Coordinator Janja Eke.
Read ToR