Selecting Internal Auditors
When I first arrived at my position the previous QSMs had to go knocking on doors begging for auditors to support the internal audit program. Within a couple of months, I convinced Mgmt and the Business Leaders that all groups had to contribute resources to the internal audit program. Once I got their buy-in, I documented those responsibilities into our internal audit program procedure. Here's what we do: For each of the three business teams, they each have to contribute one process engineer and one manufacturing group leader. The can try to opt out of the requirement by providing an above average manufacturing technician or operator, but such a substitution has to be approved by the QSM (me). Then for the indirect, functional teams, for which we have about 6, our procedure states that we have to have 2 auditors from indirect areas, and those groups have to provide an auditor on the average once every 3 years. That makes a total audit team of 8.
One thing to note is that we rotate our auditing team once a year.
The keys were getting everyone's buy-in and then proceduralizing it, so that when it came time to get new auditors, all I do is send out a memo about a month ahead of time stating, "Per our Internal Audit procedure, you owe me......." Well, not exactly like that, but you get my drift. And they can't buck it! The final key was running a good, value-added internal audit so that the managers and leaders felt good about contributing resources to the effort.
Good luck!