What Are ISO 9001:2000 Internal Auditor Training Requirements?

Auditor Training

I have just started at a company that has recently been ISO 9001:2000 certified (12/03). After rerviewing the certification audit nonconformances, the auditor stated that an internal audit document was not fully completed by an internal auditor. The question came up about internal auditor training. As of yet I can find no documentation of qualified internal auditors. How can I begin this process. Our training would be in-house. I have completed Lead Auditor training from an outside source at my former employer. Do I need to make up questions/tests/quizzes? How can I rectify this situation?

Thanks!

The easiest and least costly solution I can give you is this:

Obtain a copy of ISO 19011:2002 "Guidelines for quality and/or environmental system auditing". Clause 7 is titled "Competence and evaluation of auditors".

Take Clause 7 and use its recommendations as your auditor development program and as the basis on which you can validate or verify competence.

Clauses 5 & 6 are especially helpful in developing and implementing your audit program.


There is also a ton of related material here in "The Cove" just use the "SEARCH" function.

Others will tell you to have on-site training or to go here or to go there, etc., do what's right for you and fits your needs. I've just given you the basic answer that I feel is also the best.

What might be correct for you is to set up your own training program based on your training. Probably should have some type of outline and test and a basis for internal qualification. A certificate at the end of succesful training would be a good idea.

Al...

Al Dyer said:

What might be correct for you is to set up your own training program based on your training. Probably should have some type of outline and test and a basis for internal qualification. A certificate at the end of succesful training would be a good idea.

Al...

Click to expand...

Good one Al. That's what I did originally - I just condensed and tweeked my training material from the AIAG course I took and added some of our documents for practice exercises, etc. I did not give an actual "test" per say. I assigned each recruit a procedure (process now) to audit and I observed them in action. Based on my opinion of the results: a) gave them a certificate of completion (included a copy in the employee files), or b) conducted one-on-one training in what I considered weak areas.

Over the years my training material has evolved into something I have taken with me wherever I work. I peruse every training program I can get my hands on just to see if there is something I like that I might work into my own somehow.

Cari,

Were there any special methodologies you used in training people with such diverse backgrounds and built in bias's. I always found that there was one person who agreed with everything, passed the test, but could not do a one-on-one. On the oppopsing side there was the person who knew everything and would do it only their way or the highway. I'm sure there are many personalities in-between, but it is tough to find a person who has the proper knowledge, temperament, and thick snin that is required from an auditor.

Al...:thedeal:

PS,

The only celebrity I know of is Penelope Spears???????

Al Dyer said:

Cari,

Were there any special methodologies you used in training people with such diverse backgrounds and built in bias's. I always found that there was one person who agreed with everything, passed the test, but could not do a one-on-one. On the oppopsing side there was the person who knew everything and would do it only their way or the highway. I'm sure there are many personalities in-between, but it is tough to find a person who has the proper knowledge, temperament, and thick snin that is required from an auditor.

Al...:thedeal:

Click to expand...

Unbelievable, I know, but I've never really had a problem. I've recruited and trained the audit team at three places of employment and never really had any problems with personalities. I mostly come across "weaknesses" in the documenting / report writing.

The auditors are always volunteers. (Unless I approach someone because of some outstanding quality that I've observed that leads me to believe they may be good at auditing - but even then they have a choice.) The shop rats audit "front office" stuff, and the front office people audit the stuff on the floor. I think this contributes to the success of the audit program and the happiness of our auditors.

Another thing that contributes to this lack of problems with personalities is the fact that management supported the audit process and I continually stress to auditors that they should approach an auditee as if they are just interested in what they do all day. Top management does not flip out at someone if a nonconformance is found in their area - I would really have a hard time working for people like that, I guess I'm fortunate there. This makes for less defensive auditees.

PS - My daughter is named Jeri Lynn Spears. Britney's little sister just joined the cast of the Nickelodean(sp?) show "All That". Her name is Jamie Lynn Spears. I told her that when she's famous she can just go by J-Lynn instead.

Randy said:

The easiest and least costly solution I can give you is this:

Obtain a copy of ISO 19011:2002 "Guidelines for quality and/or environmental system auditing". Clause 7 is titled "Competence and evaluation of auditors".

Take Clause 7 and use its recommendations as your auditor development program and as the basis on which you can validate or verify competence.

Clauses 5 & 6 are especially helpful in developing and implementing your audit program....

Click to expand...

Also excellent advice. I haven't seen the 2002 revision yet, but I also made use of this guideline document when creating my training material and procedure. The attached procedure is currently undergoing revision but I'll post it as is anyway.

Cari,

Good Idea. I never thought of documenteing the training for auditors as you have. I have always stated that they must be trained either in house or external. I am now going to define those terms in my procedure. Thanks for the new idea.

Greg B

Pretty good procedure Cari, how has it stood up to the external auditors?

Greg & all.....Where have internal auditors been made exempt from the requirements of the various management system standards for training, defined roles & responsibilities and being subjected to the audit process themselves? The answer is ..nowhere. Think about how frequently we see problems come up here in the Cove where folks have been hammered by their external auditors because the internal audit process had more leaks than the Titanic. I continuously and consistently see failure in systems because auditor competence and the development of it cannot be validated. In the last year I have yet to conduct a surveillance or registration audit without my having to issue a N/C against the internal audit process in some aspect. My stressing the use of ISO 19011:2002 here is to help minimize the potential of that occurance and to help strengthen the audit process itself.

The internal auditors have the single most important task within any organizations management system, why have we continued to blow off meeting requirements for them when in other areas we beat the requirements to death?

If you conduct an honest (impartial & objective) audit of your entire audit process..every word, task, requirement...you may be surprised.

We very seldom audit the audit....