Date: 10th May 2013
To: Certification Bodies (CB)
cc: Auditor Authentication Bodies (AAB) and Accreditation Bodies (AB)
You are receiving this email as you are associated with a Certification Body (CB) in IAQG OASIS (
http://www.iaqg.org/oasis).
Subject: UK CBMC Review of IRCA AQMS Auditor Authentications
As you may be aware, the UK Certification Body Management Committee (CBMC) has been reviewing the authentication records of every AQMS Auditor authenticated through the UK implementation of the Industry Controlled Other Party (ICOP) scheme by IRCA. The reason for this review directly relates to improving global confidence in the ICOP certification scheme
and verification of conformance to established criteria.
The review has considered the authentication record of every AQMS Auditor authenticated by IRCA on behalf of the UK CBMC by examining all AQMS authentication records from the past 6 years of authentication activity. In order to ensure conformance to the established authentication criteria 19 of the approximately 230 authentication files reviewed required further action to be taken by the UK CBMC.
A variety of decisions have been made based on the determined situation of each individual auditor. In some cases this may mean a change of grade from AEA to AA for one or more authentication standards. For others it may mean that their authentication for one or more standards is withdrawn The AQMS auditors affected have been written to individually and instructed to advise any CB?s they are working with of the change to their authentication
status. All the affected AQMS auditors have been given the opportunity to appeal the decision by providing additional evidence that may not have been available previously.
The authentication decisions made by the UK CBMC will not be put into force in OASIS until 31st May 2013 to give the auditors chance to advise their employing or contracting CB?s of the situation and for those CB?s to implement alternative arrangements for future audits. It is recommended that CB?s review the OASIS database after 31st May 2013 for the authentication status for any of their auditors previous authenticated by IRCA before
assigning them to any AQMS audit. I wish to assure you that no existing AQMS certification or AQMS audit that has been completed before the 31st May 2013 will be affected by these decisions.
As quality professionals we must all continually strive to ensure conformance is maintained and effectiveness improved. I hope that you will understand that the actions we have taken are necessary to assure the continued conformity
and credibility of the ICOP scheme.
Yours sincerely,
Pete Cracknell, Chairman of the UK CBMC