Is this situation against ISO 19011?

F

Fariba

Please help me with that.
I work as an environmental officer and internal auditor for the organization that has EMS certificate. I am the only internal auditor in this organization. Based on organizational structure, I work under a branch that the my manager is management representative. Every audit I have done, my manager ask me to discussed about audit findings. Sometimes, my manager does not agree with my finding or any corrective/preventive actions that I discussed with auditees. Recently, my manager ask me to bring audit fining to our branch meeting before I issue them as report. I am sure EMS system does not work that way and we can not solve organization problems with having influence to the audit findings. For your information, I don't have any personal conflict about this situation, I just want to know which audit technique I can use to be more effective. According to ISO19011, audit should be independent and not to be influenced by anyone. Is this situation against ISO 19011?
 

Helmut Jilling

Auditor / Consultant
Re: Independent Auditor - Conflict of interest question

It depends. ISO 19011 requires that you don't audit your own work. Also, that the auditor has freedom to identify appropriate findings. But, it also requires the Lead Auditor to review findings.

I find that to be an important check and balance. Your boss is the Mgt. Rep., so he could be considered the Lead Auditor. If he is reviewing the findings, to help you make sure the findings are suitable, that is a good thing. If however, he is acting to intercept findings, to take out findings that some managers might not like, that is probably inapproriate, and against ISO 19011.
 

rstocum

Involved In Discussions
I agree with Helmut. It sounds like this MR is editing out findings that could be difficult, costly, or problematic to fix. EMS problems are often that way.

From your perspective, you cannot really stop him from doing this. You can however, keep your own complete records of the audits you did, and the findings - all of them.

You may want to do this so you can answer questions from your EMS registrar's auditor, who at some time is bound to notice some of your same findings that the MR is editing from the reports. This way, you will not have to lie, and when the MR fires you for betraying him, you can walk away with a clean conscience.

I got lucky, and eventually talked my upper management around to my way of looking at things, and didn't get fired that time. That company has unusally good upper management BTW. We don't get that lucky every time.
 
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