The VIP follows a fixed procedure when processing incoming requests. A brief description of this procedure follows below. 

Dossier preparation and submission

Preparation
The VIP only assesses dossiers if they are complete and have been prepared in line with the requirements of the assessment framework. Please contact the VIP secretariat with any specific questions you have about the procedure and format requirements.

Submission
The VIP receives requests via its website. Once it has received your request, the VIP secretary checks that your dossier is complete and notifies you of when the assessment will take place.

Assessment by independent VIP-experts

Preliminary request and dossier assessment
The VIP assesses your request in line with the assessment framework. You can explain the request to the assessment team in advance and will be notified of the findings of the team in a draft assessment.

Public consultation
The findings of the VIP assessment team are submitted to a public consultation, also drawing on some of the information from your dossier. 

Final assessment
The assessment team considers the reactions received and then arrives at a final assessment. You will be notified of the above as well.

Advice to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment

The VIP issues its advice to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment on the basis of the outcome of the final assessment. 

Assessment by Netherlands Labour Authority

The VIP advice is followed by an independent assessment by the Netherlands Labour Authority, which includes a consideration of the enforceability of the method.

Response of Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment responds to the advice and initiates any follow-up actions (changes to be made in the SMA-rt web application (SMA-rt), for example). It strives to complete any follow-up actions within six weeks, with the possibility of a four-week extension.          

Please note that a non-standard approach applies to requests for changes to be made to methods that have already been validated and made available in SMA-rt. In other words, the procedure for change requests may be different to the fixed procedure.