How to meet Responsibility and Authority (Clause 5.5.1) Requirements

[Jayen Kotecha]

Hi,

Here the word "Communicated" have broader meaning, it should be known to the person about his / her responsibility and authority. Also, same has been known to others too. For that organization can use various communication methods like display, e-mail, manuals, etc.

The standard wants to convey that, there should not be any ambiguity about his / her role in the organization.

Jayen

 

[somashekar]

Qlty Pros:

5.5.1 ISO 9001 states:

"Top management shall ensure that responsibities and authorities are defined and COMMUNICATED within the organization"

Can you please explain precisely how the "Communicated" process of the statement above is met? Please can you provide some good examples or analogies or a case study how to meet this requirement. I thought I understood, however, I don't know how to communicate responsibilities and authorities within the organization.

To whom is this communication addressed to? how would this apply for example to a punch press operator or assembler? or any floor or office employee. Confused.

Focus on the word COMMUNICATED.
Examples please.

COMMUNICATED ~ ~ COMMUNICATION is a two way information exchange, one being the originator and other the recipient, with the meaning of the communicated content having being understood in the same sense and duly acknowledged.
You are always responsible for what you say but you cannot be responsible for what the other understands. So saying is not communication in organization terms.
So as I take it Communication = Documented and acknowledged specific information.
Hence it simply boils down to documenting the following
so and so is Responsible for .... blah blah blah
so and so is Authorized to .... blah blah blah
So and so are not personnel names but positions in the organization structure. Your position in the organization must be any one that matches to your competency based on which selection and appointment is made.
Your example of an operator may have no authority. However his responsibility can be to execute instructions of his next level personnel and report completion or problem.
Authorities can be to approve various things, to stop various things, to sanction various things, to send out various things (including mails) ~~~
Such communication must be carefully drafted for higher levels in the structure and discussed with the personnel and duly acknowledged (signature) or any other valid means
For operational levels this could be communicated within the job offer letters, again duly acknowledged (signature) or any other valid means