Internal Auditor - What is required to have someone qualified as an internal auditor?

[Colin]

In Reply to Parent Post by Q.A. Info.

Hello,
This is a little off the topic. I am the Management Rep for the QMS. I am tasked with bringing our company to ISO 14001 and 9001 certification. I would like to go to lead auditor training but would like the company to pay the expense. What benefits to the company would there be for a trained and certified lead auditor. I am responsible for all of the QMS.

I think it depends on where you are starting from. If you already have the skills to develop and maintain an ISO 9001/14001 system and can conduct internal audits, the LA course would improve those skills and expand your knowledge.

On the other hand, as Andy states, if you only intend to conduct internal audits the money could probably be better spent elsewhere.

If you do decide to go on the LA course, which one? QMS or EMS or both? If you do a 5 day course you can do a 3 day conversion course to get you up to speed in the other discipline.

[rocks]

Hi,
I have similar concern to yours. For my case, I have attended an internal auditor training by Sai Global and attained this certificate RABQSA-AU Management Systems Auditing to participate in quality audit. I have been conducting internal audits for my company. However, can someone give me directions on how to be a RABQSA Certified Auditor?
I am also thinking of marketing auditing skills to other company where I could do audits for them while being away on my breaks? Please desperately need direction..

Thanks,

[Arie0712 - 2010]

Basically, a quality expert in the organisation (QA manager or higher) should be a lead auditor.
It is his resonsibility (together with the organization management) to identify the employees which are proper to be an internal auditors (according all aspects mentioned before).
The lead auditor can train the internal auditors - as a quality incharge, he should check effectiveness of training by attending the audits which his trainees conduct. More than this, the organization may decide to include the first audits as part of the internal auditors qualification.
Anyway, internal audits should be subject for internal audit (to be audited by the lead auditor...)

Thanks, Arie

[Ajit Basrur]

In Reply to Parent Post by rocks

Hi,
I have similar concern to yours. For my case, I have attended an internal auditor training by Sai Global and attained this certificate RABQSA-AU Management Systems Auditing to participate in quality audit. I have been conducting internal audits for my company. However, can someone give me directions on how to be a RABQSA Certified Auditor?
I am also thinking of marketing auditing skills to other company where I could do audits for them while being away on my breaks? Please desperately need direction..

Thanks,

Refer RABQSA site for more info.

[maris]

In Reply to Parent Post by Achemd

What is required to have someone qualified as an internal auditor?

1. auditing skills
2. leadership skills
3. interfacing abilities
4. planning skills
5. communication skills
6. listening skills
7. critiquing skills
8. inquisitiveness
9. analytical ability
10. decisiveness
11. patience
12. tenaciousness
13. professional conduct

[antipolo]

I have been in this forum and find this thread interesting.
Competence of auditors is necessary, but how to measure it?
Has anyone made a criteria of measuring auditors competence using a scale?
Can you please share the form?

[samsung]

In Reply to Parent Post by antipolo

I have been in this forum and find this thread interesting.
Competence of auditors is necessary, but how to measure it?
Has anyone made a criteria of measuring auditors competence using a scale?
Can you please share the form?

First of all welcome to the cove ! Now to your question, I must say, it's nearly as good as measuring the competence of any other employee in the organization. The methodology applied for measuring the competence of a delivery driver, for example, can also be applied in the case of internal auditors. Let's appraise a delivery driver for his performance - What one can expect out of his services;
- on time delivery
- Number of instances of failure / customer complaints
- Daily checkpoints verified v/s maintenance history card
- Fuel efficiency
- Tonnes of material carried against the assigned quantities during the review period

There may be some intangible aspects that one may like to appraise as well - learning, use of innovative tools, prediction of problems & application of skill to avoid them, adoption of environment friendly practices (onsite / offsite) etc. etc. Now, we may, if need be, assign a numerical value to each of the above quality parameters to make it 'measurable'.

The same methodology can be used for evaluating the performance of an internal auditor based on the parameters like - scheduled completion of audits, no. of checkpoints verified v/s checklist items, number of NCs /OFIs detected v/s benefits accrued through CAs, Risk assessment & instances of PAs against his findings, No. of observations made by CB in the same area afterward, + ve or -ve feedback from the auditees and the likes. Devise an appropriate scale and assign a number to each of the parameters as you did before and in the end, you arrive at what you aimed for.

[AndyN]

In Reply to Parent Post by antipolo

I have been in this forum and find this thread interesting.
Competence of auditors is necessary, but how to measure it?
Has anyone made a criteria of measuring auditors competence using a scale?
Can you please share the form?

Competence is something which is demonstrated, not measured. If you raw up a set of criteria for an internal auditor, you will then have each person demonstrate if they are competent. You have to decide what that 'looks like', and then what to do if a person can't demonstrate one or more criterion satisfactorily. This action may include training or getting more experience, coaching etc.