PECB ISO 37001 Foundation key terms

Offering, promising, giving, accepting, or soliciting an undue advantage of any value, directly or indirectly, as an inducement or reward to act improperly or to influence a decision.

A structured set of interrelated policies, processes, roles, and controls an organization uses to prevent, detect, and respond to bribery, managed as a coherent system rather than isolated measures.

Any benefit, financial or non-financial, that the recipient is not lawfully entitled to receive and that is offered or accepted to influence conduct improperly.

A small payment made to a low-level official to secure or speed up a routine action the payer is already entitled to; many legal regimes treat it as bribery.

A person holding a legislative, administrative, judicial, or military office, or exercising a public function, including employees of state-owned enterprises and international organizations.

An external individual or organization that performs work for, or on behalf of, the organization, such as agents, consultants, contractors, intermediaries, joint venture partners, and suppliers.

An external party with whom the organization has, or plans to establish, a business relationship, including contractors, suppliers, consultants, and partners; the term used in ISO 37001 for third parties.

A risk-based process of gathering and evaluating information about a business associate before and during the relationship to judge its bribery risk and suitability.

Investigation and evaluation of the nature and extent of bribery risk attached to a specific transaction, project, activity, or relationship before committing to it.

A documented, periodic evaluation that identifies bribery risks facing the organization, analyzes their likelihood and impact, and prioritizes them for treatment.

The principle of scaling controls, due diligence, and monitoring in proportion to the assessed bribery risk, so effort concentrates where exposure is greatest.

The person accountable for managing a specific bribery risk and for implementing the controls assigned to it, as recorded in the risk assessment.

A documented statement of the organization's commitment to prohibit bribery, setting out expectations, prohibitions, and consequences that apply across the organization and its business associates.

The role or team made responsible and given authority for overseeing the design and operation of the ABMS, advising staff, and reporting on bribery risk and performance.

A named individual with responsibility and authority for the day-to-day operation of the anti-bribery management system, including advice, monitoring, and escalation.

The person or group that directs the organization at its highest level and holds ultimate accountability for the ABMS, its resourcing, and its integration into business processes.

The highest governance level, such as a board of directors, which oversees top management's operation of the ABMS and ensures adequate resources and independent scrutiny.

The visible, consistent commitment of leaders to anti-bribery values, demonstrated through their decisions, communications, and personal conduct rather than statements alone.

The shared norms, attitudes, and behaviors within an organization that make bribery unacceptable and encourage people to raise concerns without fear.

Benefits such as meals, travel, entertainment, or presents offered to or received from business contacts, which must be controlled because they can disguise bribes.

A situation where a person's private interests, relationships, or outside roles could improperly influence their judgment in carrying out organizational duties.

A protected channel through which employees and others can report suspected or actual bribery confidentially and without fear of retaliation.

The act of reporting wrongdoing, such as suspected bribery, to an internal or external authority, protected by law or policy against retaliation.

The commitment that no one who reports a concern in good faith, or who refuses to pay a bribe, will suffer dismissal, demotion, or any other detrimental treatment.

The use of coercion, threats, or force to obtain money or another advantage, which may place a victim under duress and require special handling in an ABMS.

The effect of credible controls, monitoring, and sanctions in discouraging people from engaging in bribery because the likelihood of detection and consequence is high.

Ongoing checking of ABMS processes and controls to confirm they are implemented and effective, using indicators, sampling, or reviews by the compliance function.

An independent, objective assurance activity that reviews whether the ABMS conforms to requirements and is effectively implemented, reporting findings to management and governance.

A periodic, documented evaluation by top management of the ABMS's suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness, resulting in decisions on improvement and resources.

A structured, impartial inquiry into a reported or suspected bribery incident, aimed at establishing facts, taking remedial action, and preventing recurrence.

Action taken to eliminate the cause of a detected nonconformity or incident so that it does not recur, including changes to controls where needed.

A failure to meet a requirement of the ABMS standard, the organization's own policy, or applicable anti-bribery obligations, which must be recorded and addressed.

The recurring process of enhancing ABMS performance by learning from monitoring, audits, incidents, and reviews, and by adjusting controls accordingly.

Information the ABMS requires to be controlled and maintained, such as policies, risk assessments, due diligence records, and evidence of training and reviews.

Activities that ensure people understand the anti-bribery policy, their responsibilities, and how to recognize and report bribery risk relevant to their roles.

The requirement that ABMS measures be reasonable and appropriate to the size, structure, and bribery risk of the organization, avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy.

The documented boundaries of the management system, identifying the activities, locations, entities, and relationships covered by the anti-bribery controls.

An independent organization that audits an ABMS against ISO 37001 requirements and, if conformity is demonstrated, issues a time-limited certificate subject to surveillance.