Participants in the Copper Mark commit to fully meet the requirements of the Copper Mark standards.  Each site is independently verified to meet the standard criteria through a rigorous site-level assessment process.

Conformance is verified by senior assessors with a strong track record of evaluating management systems.  The Copper Mark reviews their qualifications and approves each assessor individually.

After successful completion of the assessment, the performance determination and a summary of the assessment activities, methodology and results are published.  Sites must address all gaps between their practices and the standard criteria to meet their commitment.

The Copper Mark recognises that core expectations evolve over time and become more demanding.  For this reason, each site is re-assessed every three years against updated criteria.  Detailed expectations and timelines are defined in the Copper Mark Assurance Process.