This question is the result of a workshop held at the EACC meeting in March 2017
How much should the organisation’s consultant be involved in the CB audit process.
March 2018
ISO/IEC 17021-1: 2015 – clause 9.1.1; 9.2.2.3; and 9.3.1.3
The consensus position of the EACC is that there is no restriction on the presence of the consultant in the audit process.
The role of the consultant (e.g. ranging from being observer/guide to acting Quality Representative) shall be clearly established and the participation should be accordingly (e.g. no interference vs answering/contributing as QR).
Notwithstanding the above, the following points should be noted by the CBs auditor:
- The management system should be owned by the organization with the consultant’s assistance, the organization must be able to demonstrate that there is effective leadership in terms of the implementation of the management system
- If the consultant is present during the audit, it is important that the CB is able to see that the system is effectively implemented by the organization and is not just “owned” by the consultant.