What is Lead Auditor Training?
Lead Auditor training courses are for professionals who want to work as auditors for certification bodies or accreditation boards.
Similarly, they also work for those who want to become consultants for organizations that need ISO Management System Certification
What do Lead Auditors do?
When the expression ISO Auditors or Lead Auditors is used, it refers to an auditor who leads an ISO management system audit, usually independent of the organization being audited.
That is, a lead auditor of a Certification Body providing an independent third-party assessment of the level of compliance by an organization with the requirements of ISO 9001 (a QMS Audit) or another specified ISO Standard.
Upon successfully passing an audit, and based on an Audit Report produced by the Lead Auditor, the Certification Body issues a Certificate of compliance.
Where do Lead Auditors Work?
The Finance profession tends to use expressions like internal auditor and lead auditor as if they applied to the finance function only.
ISO Management System Standards apply to any functions – quality, environment, energy, medical device manufacture, food safety, occupational health and safety, information security, etc. Therefore, career options for internal auditors and lead auditors are practically endless.
It’s best, however, to refer to ISO Internal Auditors and ISO Lead Auditors regarding these Standards.
How Does Lead Auditor Training Vary Per Standard?
An auditor trained in the requirements of ISO 9001, the quality system standard, is not equipped to audit against the requirements of, say, ISO 14001, the environmental management system standard,
This is for the simple reason that the two standards have very different objectives and significantly different detailed requirements.
So, an ISO 9001 Lead Auditor would need additional training (an ISO 14001 Lead Auditor Extension Course) before they were capable of conducting an ISO 14001 audit.
How Can You Become an ISO Lead Auditor?
It’s not about getting a Certificate!!! ISO training on its own is not sufficient.
Once upon a time, it was – certification equals competency – and organizations like IRCA built a recognized Register of Lead Auditors.
As ‘the only game in town’ lead auditor training was taken not only by Certification Body Lead Auditors but also by Consultants and QHSE Managers (especially in their role as Audit Program Managers) wishing to develop their skills and expertise.
Since 2011, a Lead Auditor Certificate alone is no longer acceptable as proof of competency as ISO 19011, Guidelines for auditing management systems, made clear. It defined competence as the ‘ability to apply knowledge and skills to achieve intended results’.
Registers of Lead Auditors are redundant. And they are redundant because they are pointless as they do not demonstrate competency.
What are the Competencies Required to be an ISO Lead Auditor?
ISO 19011 sets out 5 headings in determining auditor competence, namely,
- Personal behavior: a range of personal attributes and professional behaviors are needed including ethical, open-minded, diplomatic, observant, perceptive, tenacious, decisive, culturally sensitive, ability to act with fortitude, etc.
- Knowledge and skills: to successfully complete an audit generic competence (incl. auditing skills) and a level of discipline and sector-specific knowledge and skills (i.e. of the applicable ISO Standard and the economic sector being audited) are required
- Achieving Auditor Competence: after ISO Auditor Certification, you can build experience by participating in several audits in the role of Team Auditor.
- Achieving audit team leader competence: with sufficient experience, being able to successfully lead an audit team, interact with the auditee, and carry out the associated administrative tasks (audit findings, audit conclusion, audit report, etc.)
What are Lead Auditor Courses?
These courses are training solutions for management professionals. They’re specifically designed for those who wish to gain the necessary skills and certifications to programme and manage internal audits of their organisation’s management system.
Lead auditor training also works for those who wish to carry out supplier audits.
What is on-demand self-paced Online Training?
Usually, if you want to train and become certified as an internal auditor, you would need to undergo training at a designated centre.
Doing this can be inconvenient if you are an individual learner and your location is a good distance away from the nearest training centre. It can also be a bit costly for an organization that wishes to send several people for training and certification.
We know how much of a challenge this can be at times. To help ease this problem, deGRANDSON Global offers online training courses that you can take whenever and wherever you want.
Not only that, but you can also take them using any device that you feel most comfortable using.
We also offer internal auditor courses for both individual and group learners. This way, you and your team can decide whether you would take it on your own or with your colleagues.
What ISO Course Options Can I Choose From?
Individuals wishing to undergo Lead Auditor training can choose from any of the following options:
- ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems (QMS)
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS)
- ISO 13485 Medical Devices Management System (MDMS)
- ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS)
- ISO 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS)
- ISO 17025 Test and Calibration Laboratory Management System (TCLMS)
See a quick overview of what each course has to offer by clicking on their individual buttons down below.
ISO Lead Auditor Extension Courses
If you are already an ISO Lead Auditor but would like to extend the scope of your certification, deGRANDSON Global also offers extension courses that would help you upgrade your skills.
See our Extension courses to learn about a cost-effective way to add new standards to the scope of your auditor certification.
More Information on ISO Auditing
For more in-depth information, we recommend you read ISO 19011:2018, especially:
- Part 7: Competence and evaluation of auditors, and
- Annex A: Additional guidance for auditors planning and conducting audits.
