Recommended Duration of Auditor Training

[Angelika]

Hello!

As a trainer for auditors (both on-site and open training courses) I would like to have your opinion on the following topic:

How many days do you consider reasonable for an efficient basic training for auditors?

This is a frequent discussion here and I cannot find any specific requirements regarding the durance of auditor trainings, neither in any relevant DIN (19011/9001/9100) nor in any civil aviation regulation. Most of the trainees are employees of FAA/EASA-approved organizations, some are also DIN ISO 9001/DIN EN-9100 certified so both aspects should be considered.

I am very much looking forward to your opinions. Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[Coury Ferguson]

Re: Recommended durance of Auditor training

I can give you what it has taken me to train "Internal" auditors. It took me 1.5-2.0 days with written test (12-16 hours) to train internal auditors.

I would guess at least 3-5 Days to provide a basic understanding of auditing, in my opinion.

 

[RoxaneB]

With my internal auditors, class time is scheduled for 2 days (including test), but this is subject to what I call "group dynamics" (aka how quickly they grasp concepts, how effectively I'm communicating that day, etc.). It's shorter than an external course as my examples and case studies are primarily geared towards our industry so minimal explanations of terminology are required.

External and for generic courses, 3-5 days is the norm, depending on the level of training.

My internals walk away from my course as "trainees"...and only become team auditors based on their assessments (and only become leads based on their assessments of their team auditor performance).

 

[Wes Bucey]

Hello!

As a trainer for auditors (both on-site and open training courses) I would like to have your opinion on the following topic:

How many days do you consider reasonable for an efficient basic training for auditors?

This is a frequent discussion here and I cannot find any specific requirements regarding the durance of auditor trainings, neither in any relevant DIN (19011/9001/9100) nor in any civil aviation regulation. Most of the trainees are employees of FAA/EASA-approved organizations, some are also DIN ISO 9001/DIN EN-9100 certified so both aspects should be considered.

I am very much looking forward to your opinions. Thanks a lot in advance!

I have a different set of criteria for internal auditors than for external, third-party auditors, and an entirely different set of criteria for a customer employee auditing a supplier.

Some of the basic precepts of being an auditor (observe, not interfere) can be learned in a very short time. A lead auditor needs to know more than a member of an audit team. All auditors need a basic understanding of the process they will observe to compare actual activity to the plan. Ergo, auditors observing a packing and shipping process may need less new information than auditors observing a chemical analysis or microanalysis process. An internal auditor doesn't even need to know an international Standard exists, since his primary responsibility is to compare actual activity to the organization plan for that activity. Only rarely (gap analysis) is an internal auditor called upon to compare the PLAN against the STANDARD.

Third party and customer auditors may need some "political" training on a different level than "Joe from accounting" auditing "Jim from machining," in addition to a review of the process under observation.

Like any education system - duration and scope of the course depends on end result expected of the student (street sweeper or brain surgeon?)

 

[Antonio Vieira]

I think you have in ISO 19011:2002 on Table 1 some important information about auditor training duration.
Anyway I normally use 40 hours for registration auditors and about 25 for internal auditors.

 

[Dean Frederickson]

Hello!

As a trainer for auditors (both on-site and open training courses) I would like to have your opinion on the following topic:

How many days do you consider reasonable for an efficient basic training for auditors?

This is a frequent discussion here and I cannot find any specific requirements regarding the durance of auditor trainings, neither in any relevant DIN (19011/9001/9100) nor in any civil aviation regulation. Most of the trainees are employees of FAA/EASA-approved organizations, some are also DIN ISO 9001/DIN EN-9100 certified so both aspects should be considered.

I am very much looking forward to your opinions. Thanks a lot in advance!

I went thru AQS Management Systems, Inc. to get my RABQSA ISO 9001:2000 certified lead auditor certification. It was 36 hours plus 6 hour test on the 5th day. I feel that was sufficient time to learn the basics. I agree with the other posts that depending on what is being audited and for whom, more or less training would be necessary.

 

[Randy]

In the end it depends upon circumstances and requirements

 

[Wes Bucey]

In the end it depends upon circumstances and requirements

Is that part of Deming's "Profound Knowledge?"

 

[Hershal]

A lot depends on what the course is meant to impart.....

If only the concepts and a few protocols of internal auditing, 1-2 days may be adequate.....if the standards are included, the time goes up.....if more advanced concepts are included the time goes up.

Just some thoughts.

Hershal

 

[qualityboi]

I prefer standard 5 day courses...however once taken it doesn't mean the person is competent only knowledgable and is not especially competent to train others…(flash backs)