Section 15 - ISO 19011

Generic knowledge and skills of audit team leaders:

Audit team leaders should have additional knowledge and skills in audit leadership to facilitate the efficient and effective conduct of the audit. An audit team leader should be able to:

- To plan the audit and make effective use of resources during the audit

- Represent the audit team in communications with the audit client and auditee

- Organize and direct audit team members

- Provide direction and guidance to auditors-in-training

- Lead the audit team to reach the audit conclusions

- Prevent and resolve conflicts

- Prepare and complete the audit report

Specific knowledge and skills of QMS auditors:

QMS auditors should have knowledge and skills in the following areas:

a) Quality-related methods and techniques to enable the auditor to examine quality management systems and to generate appropriate audit findings and conclusions. Knowledge and skills in this area should cover:

- quality terminology

- quality management principles and their application, and

- quality management tools and their application (for example statistical process control, failure mode and effects analysis, etc)

b) Processes and products, including services to enable the auditor to comprehend the technological context in which the audit is being conducted. Knowledge and skills in this area should cover:

- sector-specific terminology

- technical characteristics of processes and products, including services, and

- sector-specific processes and practices

Specific knowledge and skills of EMS auditors:

Environmental management system auditors should have knowledge and skills in the following areas:

a) Environmental management methods and techniques to enable the auditor to examine environmental management systems and to generate appropriate audit findings and conclusions. Knowledge and skills in this area should cover:

- environmental terminology

- environmental management principles and their application, and

- environmental management tools (such as environmental aspect/impact evaluation, life cycle assessment, environmental performance evaluation, etc)

b) Environmental science and technology to enable the auditor to comprehend the fundamental relationships between human activities and the environment. Knowledge and skills in this area should cover:

- the impact of human activities on the environment

- interaction of ecosystems

- environmental media (e.g. air, water, land)

- management of natural resources (e.g. fossil fuels, water, flora and fauna), and

- general methods of environmental protection

c) Technical and environmental aspects of operations to enable the auditor to comprehend the interaction of the auditee’s activities, products, services and operations with the environment. Knowledge and skills in this area should cover:

- sector-specific terminology

- environmental aspects and impacts

- methods for evaluating the significance of environmental aspects

- critical characteristics of operational processes, products and services

- monitoring and measurement techniques, and

- technologies for the prevention of pollution 

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".