ISO 37301 is an up-to-date international standard (published in 2021) that specifies requirements and guidelines for establishing, developing, implementing, applying, evaluating, maintaining and improving an effective compliance management system (CMS) within an organization. The primary objective of this standard is to help organizations ensure that they comply with all required obligations, including laws, regulations, standards, and voluntary internal policies.
Unlike its predecessor (ISO 19600), ISO 37301 is aCertifiable standard, enabling organizations to demonstrate their commitment to integrity and responsibility to all stakeholders (regulators, customers, and investors). The standard applies to all types and sizes of organizations, including private, public and not-for-profit organizations.
Basic principles that underpin a compliance system:
An effective compliance management system must be built on a set of solid organizational principles to ensure its effectiveness and sustainability:
- Good governance: The commitment and support of the senior leadership and governing body of the system, and the promotion of a culture of compliance at all levels.
- Integrity: Acting ethically and responsibly in all activities and operations.
- Transparency: Clear disclosure of compliance obligations and practices, and secure whistleblowing mechanisms.
- Accountability: Clearly defining roles, responsibilities and authorities and taking responsibility for decisions and actions.
- Proportionality: Compliance requirements and procedures should be appropriate to the size of the organization, the type of activity, and the nature of the risks it faces.
- Continuous improvement: Apply the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle to ensure that the system is continuously evolving based on audits and reviews.
Development Experts’ methodology for ISO 37301implementation and compliance assurance
We provide the expertise to transform ISO 37301 requirements into an effective operational system that minimizes risk and enhances stakeholder confidence.
1. Determine the context and required commitments
We thoroughly analyze the internal and external context in which the organization operates, identifying all relevant legal and regulatory obligations (laws, regulations, licenses)and voluntary commitments (internal policies, professional standards, codes of conduct). This step is critical for defining the scope of compliance within the organization.
2. Risk management and policy development
Non-compliance risks are systematically identified and assessed for all activities and processes. Based on this assessment, we develop and formulate clear and documented policies and procedures that ensure effective compliance, with a defined, adequately resourced and independent compliance function.
3. Creating a culture of compliance and accountability
We focus on building a positive compliance culture through continuous training and sensitization of all relevant employees on the importance of compliance and their specific responsibilities. We also help develop safe monitoring and reporting mechanisms (such as confidential reporting lines) to enable early detection and prevention of unethical behavior.
4. Monitoring, auditing and continuous improvement
To ensure the effectiveness of the system, we oversee regular performance monitoring and measurement, and conduct systematic internal audits. This phase aims to assess the system’s compliance with the requirements of the standard and identify opportunities for process improvement, ensuring long-term sustainability and readiness for certification.
