Assertion
An Assertion is a governed conclusion adopted or attested by an identifiable authority within a defined scope.
Specification-sourced: quoted from the governing specification, pending the applicable specification-owner approvals. The specification controls.
In RSMOne's words
A certification body attesting that a farm meets a standard makes an Assertion within the scope of its authority. The Assertion may later expire, be superseded, revoked or challenged without rewriting the history of its prior existence.
What it is not
Assertion ≠ Evaluation
An Assertion is a conclusion adopted under an authority basis and acceptance boundary; an Evaluation records only that an evaluator applied criteria and obtained a result. 04 §10.6 · Assertion