Nothing is scheduled for 2008 regarding Internal Audits and I know in August, the registrar will want to see some kind of scheduling information regarding Internal Audits.
Any suggestions on how to go about this?
Hi Noboost,
The standards are quite specific in what you have to do to plan an Internal Audit Schedule or Plan...The first attachment, below, is a condensed version of the requirements for quick reference and for discussion purposes.
The second attachment is a matrix to provide your with a methodology to factor in all the requirements including:
1) The status (i.e. the performance status) and importance of the process
2) The frequency and nature of customer complaints
3) The results of previous audits (internal, external, environmental, limited scope, etc.)
It is a matrix, with guidelines and notes at the top, which demonstrates one approach to determining your Audit Plan, factoring in all the criteria, per the requirements. What you end up with is a ranking of "Process Performance", which then allows you to define and substantiate the resulting "Audit Plan".
The attachment below is not the AUDIT PLAN, it is a Worksheet which demonstrates how you justified your Audit Plan.
The actual Audit Plan might include some combination of the following:
- Process to be Audited
- Date
- Meeting Times - Opening/Closing
- Location
- Audit Duration
- Audit Teams
- Team Leader
- Team Members
- Target Area
- Auditees
- Audit Interview Timing
- Duration
- Program/Project/Job No. Audited (as applicable)
- Shift to be Audited
I haven't seen too many companies that can actually show me how they rationalized their "Audit Plan", weighing in all the criteria as mandated. If you adapted this methodology, or devised a similar one of your own, you'd be in good shape for planning your audits...and your auditor would be "mucho impressed".
Hope this sheds some light on your task.
Patricia Ravanello