Zuggy said:
Ok,
If the "guide" is some one like the company ISO person can I step in when a auditor may lead the employee or ask question that may be out of the expertice of the employee?
Tim
If the employee does not have the expertise, why has that person been assigned to the particular process? In this case, No you cannot intervene: the auditor has found a problem with the training/ competence/ assignment of the auditee.
But, if the auditor is addresssing the wrong person, as the guide, you should take the hit for getting the auditor to the wrong place. In that case, apologise and learn your own (personal) lesson.
It is wrong, though, for an auditor to lead an auditee into an incorrect answer or to a predrawn conclusion. But, a good company will have trained its own people in how to be audited such that they are aware of the need to resist being lead along to an incorrect/ unfair conclusion. Process owners should be trained to respond accordingly. As the guide, take note of the situation. Then, at the exit intervioew you have every right to object to the auditor's inaccurate conclusions. One of my 12 Golden Rules of auditing, in my books etc. is that the auditor: must "always present a true and fair view". Thus, if the auditortries to present a view that is not fairly based, the auditee has every right to object. After all, the auditor's conclusions will go on file and might later mislead non-participants.