Who is this lead auditor course for?
The course is relevant to auditors, consultants and professionals responsible for quality management arrangements. You should already understand the relevant management-system requirements and basic audit principles so that you can focus on evaluating evidence and leading the audit process.
What will you learn to evaluate?
Examine how an organisation controls its processes, meets customer requirements and uses evidence to improve results.
- Process interactions, responsibilities and risk-based planning.
- Customer requirements, external providers and control of products or services.
- Performance measures, nonconformities and continual improvement.
Five-day training and examination route
The published PECB agenda progresses from the management system and standard to audit preparation, on-site activities, reporting and closing. Day 5 is the certification examination. Exercises develop audit planning, evidence gathering, findings and communication skills.
Does passing the exam make you a certified Lead Auditor?
Passing the exam allows you to apply for the appropriate PECB credential. The full Lead Auditor grade also has professional experience and audit-experience requirements, together with acceptance of the Code of Ethics. A Provisional Auditor route is available where the experience requirements are not yet met.
A training completion attestation, an exam result and a professional credential are different outcomes. Your application should match your documented experience.
Is a quality audit only a document check?
No. Documents show the intended process, but an auditor also samples records, interviews people and follows work from input to output. The aim is to establish whether processes meet requirements and achieve intended results.