# Assessor Independence & Conflict of Interest Policy

**Sensory Dogs Canada Inc.**
**Policy:** GOV-01 · **Version:** 1.0 · **Effective:** 25 August 2026 · **Owner:** Board of Directors
**Review:** Annual

---

## 1. The problem this policy exists to solve

Sensory Dogs Canada both **trains** dogs and **credentials** them. Left unmanaged, that is a
straightforward conflict: the party being paid to produce a result also decides whether the
result was achieved. Every airline procurement team, every insurer, and every plaintiff's
counsel will identify it within one meeting.

This policy is the answer. It is published, not internal.

## 2. Structural separation

### 2.1 Two functions, separated
| | Training Services | Assessment Services |
|---|---|---|
| Delivers | coaching, day training, board-and-train, placement | assessment against SDCS |
| Paid by | client, per programme | flat per-assessment fee |
| Reports to | Director of Training | **Standards Committee** |
| Fee varies with outcome? | n/a | **No.** Never. |

The Director of Training has **no authority** over assessment outcomes, no access to score
sheets before finalisation, and no role in the appeal process.

### 2.2 Escalation to separate legal entities
Where SDC's assessment volume exceeds 250 credentials per year, or on entering a formal carrier
partnership — whichever comes first — the assessment function will be incorporated as a
separate entity with its own board, including not fewer than two directors independent of the
training business. Committed in writing here so that it is a plan, not a promise.

## 3. The firewall rule

> **No individual may assess a team they trained, coached, advised, or sold a programme to
> within the preceding 12 months.**

No exceptions. No waivers. No "supervised by a second assessor" workaround. No exemption for
the founder.

### 3.1 Scope of "advised"
Includes: paid or unpaid instruction; a temperament or candidate assessment on the same dog;
any group class the team attended; any written training plan authored for the team; and any
commission or referral fee received in connection with the team.

### 3.2 Declaration
Before every assessment, the assessor signs the score sheet declaration:
*"I have had no training, coaching, advisory, commercial, or personal relationship with this
team in the preceding 12 months."* A false declaration is grounds for immediate removal from
the panel and revocation of every credential that assessor issued in the affected period.

### 3.3 Where SDC trained the team
The assessment is assigned by the Standards Committee from the **independent assessor panel** —
contracted assessors who are not employees of the training business. Assignment is made without
input from the training staff.

## 4. Compensation

- Assessors are paid a **flat fee per assessment**, published in the fee schedule.
- No bonus, commission, or incentive is tied to pass rates, in any direction.
- No assessor may receive a referral fee from a breeder, trainer, retailer, or veterinary
  practice connected to a team they assess.
- Client fees are paid for the **assessment**, not for the credential. A non-pass carries the
  same fee as a pass, disclosed to the client in writing before booking.

## 5. Anti-gaming controls

| Control | Mechanism |
|---|---|
| Video of record | Every assessment recorded end to end. Retained 7 years. |
| Dual scoring | All travel endorsements, all tether credentials, all teams with an incident history, plus a random 10% audit of everything else. |
| Annual calibration | Every assessor re-scores two archived videos. Material divergence from panel consensus triggers retraining or removal. |
| Pass-rate monitoring | Published annually by assessor and in aggregate. An assessor consistently outside the panel band is audited. **A very high pass rate is treated as a red flag, not a success metric.** |
| Random re-audit | 5% of issued credentials re-assessed within the term, at SDC's cost. |
| Client survey | Post-assessment survey includes a direct question on whether any pressure to pass was perceived. |

## 6. Published transparency

Annually, SDC publishes: total assessments by class; pass, conditional, non-pass, and welfare-halt
rates; revocations and reasons in aggregate; complaints received and dispositions; and the
independent audit sample result.

If the pass rate exceeds 85% in any class, the annual report must explain why — because the
likeliest explanation is that the standard has drifted.

## 7. Reporting a breach

Any person — client, staff member, assessor, carrier, or member of the public — may report a
suspected breach to `standards@sensorydogs.ca` or to the Chair of the Standards Committee
directly. Reports may be made anonymously. No client's credential is affected by a report they
make. Retaliation against a reporter is a terminable offence.

---

*Sensory Dogs Canada Inc. · GOV-01 v1.0*