The CASRO Institute for Research Quality is committed to providing timely, thorough, and impartial assessments of its customers' quality management systems in order to make a determination regarding certification to ISO 20252 and/or 26362. CIRQ has been established in compliance with all ISO requirements for certification bodies that provide auditing and certification services for ISO 20252 and 26362. CIRQ complies with the following:

1. Global Specification Protocol for Organizations Certifying to an ISO Standard related to Market, Opinion and
   Social Research.
2. ISO/IEC 17065 Standard for Conformity assessment Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes
   and services.
3. ISO/IEC 17021:2011 Conformity assessment Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of
   management systems.

The global specification document (#1 above) is now the certification protocol for the industry worldwide. In addition, CIRQ is audited annually by an independent auditor to insure that CIRQ maintains conformance to the above in the conduct of its auditing and certification practices. CIRQ is independently operated and managed under the oversight of an Advisory Board.

Because there are no accredited certification bodies for ISO 20252 or ISO 26362 in North America, nor is there any North American standards organization (like ANSI) interested in becoming an accreditation body, CASRO has formed a wholly owned, non-profit subsidiary called the CASRO Institute for Research Quality (CIRQ) to provide assessment and certification services to survey research firms (members and non-members) headquartered in North America desiring to be registered to ISO 20252 and/or ISO 26362.

CIRQ will share offices with CASRO, located at 170 North Country Road, Suite 4, Port Jefferson, New York 11777, USA.

CASRO was uniquely positioned to establish this certification body and provide a credible and authoritative ISO certification program for several reasons:

1. It is the U.S.-designated representative to the ISO research standards development committee, and therefore has superior knowledge of the content, interpretation, and application of these standards to the US research industry
2. Through its international members, its image of integrity, and its involvement in global research associations, CASRO has earned a respected position in the global research community
3. It has long been committed to self-regulation and the establishment of verifiable credentials that support continued self regulation