23/05/2016

Analysis|Effectiveaudit,notlabelsIRCA

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Home | Resources | INform | Archive | Analysis|Effectiveaudit,notlabels

2016JapanForum

Effectiveaudit,notlabels

Competency
Framework

IRCAExecutiveDirector,PeterLomasarguesthatISO17024isnt
anappropriatestandardagainstwhichtoevaluatethecompetence
ofmanagementsystemsauditors.

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Technicalnotes

ThefactthatIRCAdoesntofferISO17024accreditedschemesisaconsidereddecision.
SeveralyearsagowediddevelopandhadUKASaccreditagainstISO17024,ourcorporate
auditorscheme,sowehaveafairlycomprehensiveunderstandingofISO17024fromthat
experience.Afterashorttime,wewithdrewtheschemeduetoanabsenceofdemand.

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Beforewedevelopedtheschemeweconductedmarketresearchandwereconfidentthere
wassufficientdemandforformalrecognitionofahigherlevelofauditorcompetenceto
warrantacertificationscheme.Andwereconfidentthatthisdemandstillexists.Butthat
demandevaporatedonceweddevelopedtheschemeandthecostsbecameknown.Quite
simply,meetingtherequirementsoftheschemeasdemandedbytheaccreditormeantit
wasnolongerinthepricerangeofourtargetmarket.Thereasonswhyitwasexpensive
wouldbeusedtoargueagainstthisstandardbeingappropriateformeasuringcompetence
withinanauditcontext.

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ISO17024isgoodforsomeenvironmentsandnotgoodforothers.Toremindreaders,the
centralprinciplesofISO17024aresimple:establishthescopeofthecertificationscheme,
establishthecompetenciesrequiredtobedemonstratedbythepersonsinthescheme,and
thendeviseassessmentmethodsthatexaminethesecompetenciesinafair,reliable,
independentandvalidway.
Devisinganexaminationthatmeetstheseisstraightforwardwherethescopeinvolvesan
easilymeasurableoutcome,asinwelding,gasfittingorelectricalinstallation.Theoutcome
iseitheracceptableornotacceptable,ietheweldisgoodoritisnotgood,thegas
appliancesarefittedcorrectlyorincorrectly.

Printpage

Butexaminingsystemsauditisaverydifferentproposition.Examiningtheknowledgepartis
easyitstheskillspartthatpresentscomplexity.Howdoyoumeasurewhetheranauditor
performedtheauditinasatisfactoryandeffectiveway?First,youneedtodefinethescopeof
theaudit.Wastheauditrepresentativeofallauditstheauditorwillperformwithinthe
certificationscope?Howdoyoufactorindifferentindustrysectors?Wastheauditoffull
systemsanddiditcoverallaspectsof,forexample,ISO19011?Andsoon.
Thesimpleapproachistorestrictthecertificationscopetoaspectsthatareeasytoexamine.
Butindoingsoyoureducethebenefitsofthecertification.Insteadofsaying:weoffera
certificationschemeaccreditedtoISO17024,andthemarketcanhaveconfidencethatall
auditorscertifiedtothisschemearecompetenttoaudit,wehavetosay:weoffera
certificationschemethatprovidesconfidencethattheauditoriscompetentinsomeaspects
oftheaudit.Andinfact,thoseaspectsmayfallconsiderablyshortintermsofcompetencies
requiredforeffectivefullsystemsaudit,inawaythattheschememaybesignificantly
devaluedasanindicatorofcompetence.
ThereareanumberofschemesaccreditedtoISO17024thatpurporttogeneratecompetent
auditors.Dotheyreally?Aretheirscopessufficientlybroadtoincorporateallaspects
involvedinsystemsaudit?Isuspectnot.Lookcarefullyandyoumayfindeitherlipservice
beingpaidtotheskillselementsorscopesthatfocusonknowledge.Oryoufindan
accreditorthatdoesntunderstandthestandardandhasaccreditedsomethingthatwould
notwithstandavalidtestscrutiny.
Avoidtheassumptionthatauditorscertifiedagainstthisschemearesomehowmore
competentthanotherauditors.Lookcloselyatthescope,andifitdoesincludeskills,look
closelyatthemethodologiesthatthecertificationbodyuses.Thenaskthequestion:Towhat
extentdoesthisschemeexamineskills,orisitreallyexaminingknowledge?
Fromtimetotimewereaskedthequestion:WhyareyounotISO17024accredited?The
inferenceisthatweoughttobe.Ouranswerissimple.IRCAisconcernedwitheffective
audit,notlabels.ISO17024hasmuchtoofferandisavaluableadditiontomany
businessestoolkits.Butitsnottheanswertotheproblemofauditorincompetence.Its
unfortunateanddetrimentaltothecredibilityofmanagementsystemscertificationthatmany
arepersuadedthatitis.
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