Heading an Internal Audit Program - What training is required?
We are going through some downsizing and the ISO Co-ordinator position is being eliminated. We recieved our ISO 9001 Certification in December of 1997 and have sucessfully gone through numerous external audits. My question is what training is required for an individual to head our Internal Audit Program? Does this person have to go through a 5-day Internal Audit Certification progam
A 5 day course is a fairly easy way to document the training, however you can come up with your own internal criteria if you want. Just make sure that you document your training and be prepared to support why you chose that particular method.
By the way, YOU decide whether or not they actually have to pass the exam. If attendance at the course is enough, just make sure you state it. (This is useful for people who are good at auditing, but may fail the exam for one reason or another)
Ask yourself what you consider important in that position, write it down and train to it.
We agree with Carl and would like to add that a good auditor will look at the results of internal audits with a view of determining if the lead internal auditor is qualified.
If the internal audit evidence is in shambles, it doesn't matter if the lead internal auditor has a certificate!
In our experience it is usually the Management Representative that leads up internal audit. This being the case, there is alot of interface between the 3rd party auditor and the lead internal auditor/MR where the auditor determines if the internal auditor knows what he/she is talking about.
Training/experience evidenced through verbal exchange.
As Carl said, define your internal requirements and be prepared to back them up with evidence, and remember that evidence does not have to be a "document".
Heading an Internal Audit Program - What training is required?
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