Management and quality control
The decision-making structure, allocation of responsibility and GAV's internal control mechanisms.
The function names below describe the allocation of responsibility and do not necessarily mean separate staff positions or departments.
2. Main management principles
- Transparent allocation of roles.
- Documenting decisions.
- Separating training from final assessment where possible.
- Recording conflicts of interest.
- The possibility of reviewing decisions.
- Protection of personal data.
- Priority of safety and welfare.
- A ban on issuing a certificate merely because of payment.
- Control of changes to certificate status.
3. Management levels
Strategic leadership
Responsible for:
- Direction of development.
- Approval of key policies.
- Financial sustainability.
- Appointing responsible persons.
- Risk control.
- Approval of significant changes to programs.
Program management
Responsible for:
- Program content.
- Methodological standards.
- Documentation.
- Requirements for trainers.
- Quality control of sessions.
- Preparing materials for approval.
Assessment and certification
Responsible for:
- Assessment protocol.
- Appointing the assessor.
- Recording the result.
- The certification decision.
- Suspension and revocation.
- Making changes to the register.
Complaints and appeals
Responsible for:
- Registering inquiries.
- Independent review.
- Collecting materials.
- A written decision.
- Recording the outcome.
- Excluding the interested employee from participation.
4. Functional model of roles
The functions are described below, not confirmed staff positions — without reference to specific names.
Head of the organization
Function: strategic decisions and overall responsibility.
Makes: key decisions on development and policies.
Cannot alone: change the result of a specific team's assessment.
Head of programs
Function: content and methodology of training programs.
Makes: decisions on the format and content of programs.
Cannot alone: approve the final assessment result.
Trainers and coordinators
Function: conducting sessions and keeping training records.
Makes: operational decisions within the training plan.
Cannot alone: conduct the final assessment of their own student.
Assessors
Function: conducting the assessment and recording the result.
Makes: the decision on passing a specific protocol.
Cannot alone: change the result without a written basis.
Veterinary consultant
Function: assessing the dog's health.
Makes: recommendations on health and workload.
Cannot alone: issue or cancel a certificate.
Register manager
Function: entering approved status changes into the register.
Makes: technical decisions on record keeping.
Cannot alone: make the decision on certification, suspension or revocation.
Complaints and appeals officer
Function: registering and independently reviewing inquiries.
Makes: decisions on the review procedure.
Cannot alone: review an inquiry in which they have a personal interest.
5. Separation of roles
- The trainer conducts training.
- The assessor records the assessment result.
- The register manager enters the approved decision.
- An employee against whom a complaint is filed must not review it alone.
- The veterinarian assesses health but does not issue a certificate.
- Payment must not affect the assessment result.
6. Approval of policies
Preparing a draft
Internal review
Legal, veterinary or methodological review if needed
Recording comments
Approval by an authorized person or body
Assigning a version
Publication
Archiving the previous version
Scheduled or unscheduled review
7. Conflict of interest
- The assessor was the primary trainer.
- An employee has a financial interest.
- A complaint concerns a close colleague.
- A decision affects personal gain.
- There is a family or business connection.
- Pressure is being put on a specialist.
- Someone wants to change the result without a procedure.
For each conflict there must be: disclosure, a record, a risk assessment, a way of resolving it and, where possible, assignment of another specialist.
8. Making the certification decision
- The trainer does not promise a certificate.
- The assessor fills in the protocol.
- The result must be based on facts.
- Critical errors are recorded separately.
- The decision can be made only after the mandatory stages are completed.
- Changes to the result require a written basis.
- The decision and date are kept in the history.
9. Suspension and revocation
- Who can initiate a review.
- Which materials are considered.
- Temporary suspension for the period of the review.
- A written decision.
- Effective date.
- The possibility of appeal.
- Updating the public register.
- Preserving the history.
10. Complaints and appeals
May concern
- An employee.
- A trainer.
- Welfare.
- Rough treatment.
- Documentation.
- Confidentiality.
- Conflict of interest.
May concern
- Refusal of a program.
- The assessment result.
- Refusal of certification.
- Suspension.
- Revocation.
- Refusal to restore status.
11. Quality control
- Spot checks of training records.
- Checking the completeness of protocols.
- Checking video.
- Monitoring reassessment deadlines.
- Auditing register changes.
- Analyzing complaints.
- Checking compliance with welfare requirements.
- Controlling access to data.
- Checking for conflicts of interest.
- Recording corrective actions.
12. Register management
- Entries are created only after an approved decision.
- Status changes are recorded.
- Deleting history is not allowed.
- Public and internal data are separated.
- Access is limited by role.
- Every significant operation must have an author and a date.
- Erroneous entries are corrected while preserving the history.
13. Financial independence of the decision
- Paying for a program does not guarantee a result.
- A trainer does not gain the right to issue a certificate alone.
- Refunds, payment and the assessment result are considered separately.
- A financial interest must be disclosed.
- A certificate is not a commodity.
14. Functional model of leadership
Organization leadership
Organization: GAV International Service Dog Training LLC
Operational coordination: Buenos Aires, Argentina
More: team page
Program development
The development and quality control of programs are shared between the organization's leadership and specialists brought in as needed. A separate permanent "head of programs" position is not currently confirmed.
15. Minutes of meetings and decisions
Future format for recording decisions:
- Date.
- Participants.
- Issue.
- Conflict of interest.
- Materials.
- Decision.
- Responsible person.
- Deadline.
- Status of implementation.
16. Annual management review
- Key changes.
- Updated policies.
- Number of complaints without personal data.
- Number of appeals.
- Register changes.
- Quality control measures.
- Main risks.
- Improvement plan.
17. Legal note
Want to learn more about GAV's policies or team?
The document library and the organization's team.