Section 6 - ISO 19011

Audit Activities Stage 3 - Section 6 ISO 19011

Stage 3 - Preparing for the on-site audit activities:

The audit team leader should prepare an audit plan agreement among audit client, audit team and the auditee. The plan should cover the scheduling and coordination of the audit activities. The detail provided in the audit plan should reflect the audit scope and complexity of the audit.

The details may differ, for example, between the initial and subsequent audits and also between internal and external audits. The audit plan should be sufficiently flexible to permit changes in the audit scope, which can happen as the on-site activities progress.

The plan should be reviewed and accepted by the audit client, and presented to the auditee, before the on-site audit activities begin. Any objections by the auditee should be resolved between the audit team leader, the auditee and the audit client. Any revised audit plan should be agreed to before continuing the audit.

Process Approach to Auditing:

Management systems have to be audited using the process approach to auditing. Processes do not normally recognize departmental or functional boundaries. Each identified process to be audited has inputs, outputs, interactions and objectives with both qualitative and quantative measures of its outputs, So the audits have to be conducted in terms of inputs, outputs and ability to achieve objectives. The understanding of the interaction of the processes of an organization is a key to a successful process audit.

Audit Team Leader:

The audit team leader, in consultation with the audit team, should assign to each team member responsibility for auditing specific processes, functions, sites, areas or activities.

The audit team members should review the information relevant to their audit assignments and prepare auditing work documents as necessary for reference and for recording audit proceedings. Such working documents may include:

- checklists and audit samplings plans, and

- forms for recording information, such as supporting  evidence, audit findings and records of meetings. 

Section 1. ISO 19011 Scope reference and definitions

    Section 2. ISO 19011 Principles of auditing

    Section 3. ISO 19011 Managing an audit program

    Section 4. ISO 19011 Audit program implementation

    Section 5. ISO 19011 Audit activities

    Section 6. ISO 19011 Preparing for onsite activities

    Section 7. ISO 19011 Conducting onsite activities

    Section 8. ISO 19011 What the auditor is looking for

    Section 9  ISO 19011 Audit reporting

    Section 10. ISO 19011 Audit techniques

    Section 11. ISO 19011 Audit path

    Section 12. ISO 19011 Effective communications

    Section 13. ISO 19011 Sampling

    Section 14. ISO 19011 Audit completion and follow-up

    Section 15. ISO 19011 Competence and evaluation of auditors

This represents a summary of the section in ISO 19011:2002. It's suggested that you obtain an copy of "ISO 19011 Explanations and Definitions".