1.Purpose and Scope  

Welcome to PECB Connect, a platform designed to help organizations identify and connect with qualified auditors based on criteria such as standards, qualifications, competencies, language, location, industry experience, and audit expertise. PECB Connect is operated by PECB Group Pte Ltd. (hereby referred to as PECB).  

These Terms and Conditions govern the use of PECB Connect by organizations acting through their authorized representatives (hereinafter referred to as the “Organization”). By registering and using the platform, the Organization acknowledges that its representative is duly authorized to act on its behalf. 

The purpose of these Terms is to outline the rights and obligations governing the Organization’s ability to register, create a profile, communicate with auditors, and use PECB Connect to identify and connect with auditors for potential audit-related opportunities. 

2. Nature of the Platform and No Guarantee of Engagement 

The Organization acknowledges that PECB Connect is a facilitation platform and does not act as an employer, agent, representative, guarantor, or contracting party for any auditor listed or contacted through the platform. 

PECB Connect does not guarantee that an auditor will be available, suitable, selected, approved, contracted, or engaged by the Organization. Any decision to engage an auditor is made independently by the Organization and the auditor, subject to their own review, approval, contractual arrangements, and applicable requirements. 

3. Organization Responsibility for Auditor Review and Approval 

The Organization is solely responsible for reviewing auditor profiles and conducting its own evaluation, due diligence, and approval process before engaging any auditor through PECB Connect. 

This review may include, as applicable, verifying the auditor’s qualifications, certifications, professional experience, competence, availability, independence, impartiality, conflicts of interest, references, language capabilities, location, industry experience, and any other criteria relevant to the Organization’s needs. 

The Organization understands that auditor profile information is submitted and maintained by auditors. While PECB Connect may provide platform functionalities to support visibility and communication, the Organization remains responsible for assessing whether an auditor meets its internal, contractual, regulatory, accreditation, or other applicable requirements.

4. No Responsibility for Auditor Actions, Qualifications, or Performance 

PECB Connect is not responsible for the actions, omissions, conduct, qualifications, representations, availability, product, audit performance, professional decisions, or any services provided by auditors engaged or contacted through the platform. 

Any claims, disputes, losses, liabilities, damages, delays, nonconformities, or issues arising from the Organization’s engagement, communication, evaluation, or contractual relationship with an auditor are the responsibility of the Organization and/or the auditor, as applicable, and not PECB Connect. 

5. Compliance and Professional Conduct 

The Organization agrees to act professionally, fairly, and ethically when using PECB Connect, including when reviewing auditor profiles, communicating with auditors, and deciding whether to engage an auditor. 

The Organization agrees not to use the platform in a misleading, discriminatory, unlawful, abusive, or inappropriate manner, and not to request or encourage any auditor to act contrary to applicable laws, standards, professional obligations, independence requirements, or ethical principles. 

The Organization agrees to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, accreditation requirements, internal procedures, contractual obligations, and relevant standards when using PECB Connect and when evaluating or engaging auditors. 

Where applicable, the Organization remains responsible for ensuring that its auditor selection and approval process aligns with its own certification, conformity assessment, compliance, audit, or management system requirements.

6. Accuracy of Organization Information 

The Organization agrees to provide accurate, complete, truthful, and up-to-date information when creating and maintaining the organization’s profile, submitting requests, communicating with auditors, or otherwise using PECB Connect. 

The Organization is responsible for promptly updating any information that becomes inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, or misleading. PECB Connect may request corrections, additional information, or supporting details where necessary for platform integrity. 

7. Communication through the Platform 

The Organization may use the PECB Connect messaging or communication features to contact auditors and exchange information related to potential opportunities. 

The Organization is responsible for the content, accuracy, legality, and appropriateness of information it shares through messages or other platform communications, regardless of interaction level, whether public or private. PECB Connect is not responsible for statements, commitments, documents, or information exchanged between the Organization and auditors. 

Any engagement terms, scope of work, fees, deliverables, timelines, confidentiality obligations, or other arrangements between the Organization and an auditor must be agreed directly between those parties. 

8. Confidentiality 

The Organization agrees to treat confidential information received through PECB Connect or from auditors with appropriate care and not to disclose such information to unauthorized third parties, unless required by law or expressly permitted by the relevant party. 

The Organization is responsible for ensuring that any information it shares with auditors through the platform is appropriate for disclosure and does not violate applicable confidentiality, data protection, contractual, or legal obligations. 

The confidentiality obligations in these terms shall continue after the Auditor’s profile is removed, access is terminated, or the terms conclude.  

9. Intellectual Property and Data Protection  

The Organization agrees to use auditor information accessed through PECB Connect only for legitimate evaluation, communication, and engagement purposes related to auditing.  

The Organization must not misuse, copy, scrape, sell, publish, or distribute auditor profile information or contact details for unrelated commercial, marketing, or unauthorized purposes.  The organization commits that it has the relevant permissions for third-party rights when using proprietary or personal data.  

PECB processes personal data as a data controller in accordance with applicable data protection laws and declarations provided in the PECB Privacy Statement and Data Protection Policy, which are incorporated into these Terms.  

All Proprietary Rights to the PECB Connect platform belong to PECB and may only be used with the owner’s prior written consent. 

10. Platform Access, Suspension, and Termination 

PECB Connect reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate the Organization’s access to the platform if the Organization fails to comply with these Terms, misuses the platform, provides false or misleading information, violates applicable laws, or acts in a manner that may affect the integrity, security, or reputation of PECB Connect. 

The Organization may discontinue its use of PECB Connect in accordance with the applicable platform procedures, subject to any outstanding obligations arising from prior communications or engagements with auditors. 

11. Governing Law 

These Terms shall be exclusively governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Singapore without regard to its conflicts of law principles. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be referred to and resolved by arbitration administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre 

12. Changes  

PECB may modify these Terms or related and/or integrated policies from time to time. If we materially change these terms or if we are legally required to provide notice, we will provide the Auditor with notice through the PECB Connect platform or by other means. However, we may not always provide prior notice of changes to these terms (1) when those changes are legally required to be implemented with immediate effect, or (2) when those changes relate to a newly launched service or feature. If the Auditor objects to any of these changes, they may request account termination. The continued use of the PECB Connect platform after we publish or send a notice about our changes to these terms means that the Auditor is consenting to the updated terms as of their effective date. 

13. Acknowledgement 

By electronically accepting these Terms through PECB Connect, the Organization confirms that it has read, understood, and agrees to be bound by these Terms.