Tag: Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems – Part 3: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems

ISO/IEC 17021-3 Auditor Competence Standard updated

ISO/IEC 17021-3 for the competency of quality auditors and auditing teams has been revised.  And now it’s a standard rather than a technical specification like the previous 2013 Edition.  There are a number of technical changes that you’ll want to review and implement.

The title of the new ISO/IEC 17021-3 is Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems – Part 3: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems.  As with many of the quality management systems (QMS) standards, it has been impacted by the release of the ISO 9001 2015 Edition.

Here are some major changes you’ll find in the new 17021-3:

  • Additional competency requirements have been added to support the modified requirements of the new ISO 9001.
  • The view of fundamental concepts, principles, and their application has been expanded.
  • Increased knowledge of the leadership role in QMS focused organizations is included.
  • Improved criteria have been added for understanding the context of an organization.
  • The need for competency in the area of risk management and risk-based thinking is included.

Remember, ISO/IEC 17021-3 complements and supports the use of the ISO/IEC 17021-1 on the competence of folks involved in the certification process defined by Clause 7 and Annex A.  When you choose your certification body, you have every right to expect the level of competency found in ISO/IEC 17021-3.

A review of the standard will give you an idea of what to expect in the knowledge level for the following areas:

  • QMS concepts and principles
  • Organizational context
  • The level of understanding of your products, services, processes and organization

If you’d like a copy of this new standard, head to the Document Center Inc. webstore at www.document-center.com.  Here you can search for the publications you need from our catalog of over 1 million records.  For your convenience, here is a direct link to the order page for ISO/IEC 17021-3.  Rest assured, Document Center is a long-time authorized distributor of the ISO and IEC standards.  Your purchases can be made with confidence and security.

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New ISO/IEC TS 17021-3 2013 Edition for QMS Auditor requirements issued

There’s a new ISO/IEC TS 17021-3, “Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems – Part 3: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems.”   This new Technical Specification clarifies the requirements for the competence of personnel involved in the certification process set out in ISO/IEC 17021:2011, Clause 7 and Annex A.

ISO/IEC TS 17021-3 2013 provides the details of requirements for the third-party personnel who perform the audits and certifications for QMS (Quality Management Systems) conformity assessments.  It goes beyond the generic requirements of ISO/IEC 17021 by defining more specific areas of competence required by such auditors.

These expanded areas of knowledge include quality management terms, principles, and documentation requirements, as well as expertise in the application of PDCA (plan, do, check, act) and other QMS tools and techniques.

The ISO/IEC 17021 series will eventually expand to a set of 5 publications:

  • ISO/IEC 17021, “Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems,” will be renumbered ISO/IEC 17021-1 when the next revision is issued.
  • ISO/IEC TS 17021-2, released last year, “Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 2: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of environmental management systems,”
  • ISO/IEC TS 17021-3, just released, “Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 3: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems,”
  • ISO/IEC TS 17021-4 is a draft at present, “Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 4: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of event sustainability management,” and
  • ISO/IEC TS 17021-5, again a draft, “Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 5: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of asset management systems.”

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