The Certification Body Administrator (CB Admin) is the central coordinator of the Rainforest Alliance certification process. Acting as the bridge between Certificate Holders and the Certification Body, the CB Admin ensures that all contractual, organizational, and audit preparations are properly managed within the Rainforest Alliance online systems—MyRA and the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP).
Key Responsibilities:
Contracting with Certificate Holders: The CB Admin receives the Certification Application Form (CAF), reviews it for completeness, and uses it for quotation purposes. Once agreements are signed off‑platform, the CB Admin facilitates the “handshake” process in RACP, which formally connects the Certificate Holder to the Certification Body and unlocks access to certification data.
Audit Preparation: Administrators review Certificate Holder data (indicator data for farms, verification levels for supply chain actors), request clarifications, and confirm the final dataset for audit. They create audit projects and orders in RACP, define roles and timelines, and upload essential documents such as audit duration calculations to ensure auditors have complete information.
System and Role Management: CB Admins manage user access and role assignments within MyRA and RACP. They act as data administrators and schedulers, setting up audit projects, overseeing contracting, and ensuring smooth workflow transitions across the certification journey.
Certificate Actions: Beyond audits, CB Admins are empowered to perform key certificate actions such as suspension, transfer, withdrawal, and extensions. They ensure that certificate updates reflect changes in scope, operations, or compliance status.
Strategic Importance:
The CB Admin role is pivotal because it establishes the foundation for certification. By managing contracts, preparing audits, and overseeing system access, administrators ensure that auditors, reviewers, and certifiers can perform their roles effectively. Their work safeguards the integrity of the certification process, ensures compliance with Rainforest Alliance standards, and supports continuous improvement among Certificate Holders.
In essence, the Certification Body Administrator is both a facilitator and a gatekeeper—responsible for initiating certification journeys, maintaining accurate records, and enabling smooth collaboration across all actors involved in the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program.