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CHSPS-ACC-107 · Published Handbook · Edition 2026.1

Applicant Handbook

The operating handbook for every CHSPS applicant: roles, communications, rights and obligations from first contact to the applicable accreditation, add-on, supplement, scope-module or Certified System decision record.

Continuous application intake. Applications are accepted year-round. Begin with the no-fee eligibility and scope review; eligible organizations then proceed through agreement, evidence submission, technical review and independent decision using the CHSPS applicant workflow.
Applicant obligationsWorking agreement

How the handbook organizes the relationship

1
Roles & contactsApplicant, support contact, technical reviewers and decision body all have defined roles.
2
CommunicationsService standards, notice channels and clarification rules are documented.
3
Rights & safeguardsConfidentiality, fairness, reconsideration and appeals are handled under published rules.
4
Records & publicationThe handbook explains how decisions, verification records and ongoing obligations are managed.
Read together withStandards, fee schedule, glossary and applicable policies
Practical purposeSet expectations before formal intake begins

The handbook is the operating playbook for applicants: what CHSPS expects, what CHSPS provides, and how the relationship is governed.

Controlled CHSPS Applicant Handbook edition and operational status
DocumentEditionStatus
CHSPS Applicant Handbook2026.1Edition 2026.1, effective August 19, 2026. Applications are accepted year-round; each engagement identifies the controlling standard edition and binding applicant terms in the executed Accreditation Agreement.

1. Roles

Your primary contact is the single authorized channel for the application and receives all notices. Your CHSPS coordinator manages logistics, deadlines and communications — and has no vote in any decision. The review team (conflict-screened, qualifications published) evaluates evidence and drafts findings. The Accreditation Decision Committee issues decisions; the Appeals Panel hears qualifying appeals.

2. Applicant responsibilities

  • Provide accurate, current information; material misstatements are grounds for denial or withdrawal
  • Meet stated deadlines or request an extension before they pass; documented extensions of up to 30 days may be approved under the applicable stage terms
  • Maintain the confidentiality of reviewer identities and draft findings until decisions are final
  • Notify CHSPS of material organizational changes during review — ownership, leadership, scheme scope
  • Pay invoiced fees per the effective fee schedule in force at execution; nonpayment pauses the application

3. CHSPS responsibilities

  • Review only against published, clause-numbered requirements
  • Deliver every stage outcome in writing, with reasons traceable to clauses
  • Screen every reviewer and decision-maker for conflicts, and record recusals
  • Protect your materials under the records and confidentiality rules
  • Work to published service targets and communicate a revised target date when a delay occurs

4. Reviewer conflicts — your challenge right

The full rules live in CHSPS-AUD-400. You are notified of your review team’s composition before review begins. You may challenge any reviewer within 5 business days on conflict grounds (competitive relationship, prior consulting or employment, personal relationship, demonstrated bias). Challenges are decided by the Audit Oversight Committee or its designee — independent of the challenged reviewer and of the applicant-support line — and a sustained challenge replaces the reviewer without penalty to timelines.

5. Withdrawal, inactivity and abandonment

You may withdraw in writing at any time; fees already paid are not refunded, and stages CHSPS has not begun are not invoiced, so withdrawing before review begins does not create a further charge. Applications inactive for 90 days after a CHSPS request receive a 30-day notice; unanswered, they are closed as abandoned and a new application (and fee) is required to resume.

6. Where the other rules live

Decisions and statuses: Decisions & Status Definitions. Reconsideration, complaints and appeals: procedure. Evidence rules: Evidence & Documentation. Post-decision obligations: Maintaining Accreditation. Fees: current fee schedule. Marks: Mark & Claims Policy. All governing documents: Policy Manual.