SC QUALITY GUILDAuditor competence evaluation
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Build a competence profile for an auditor role, rate the auditor against it with recorded methods and evidence, and plan development actions for each gap.
ON THE EXAM · CQA II.A.2, III.A, IV.A.3 · FREE · NOTHING YOU TYPE LEAVES YOUR BROWSER
Q-BotClick for an explanation of this tool.For educational use. This page is a study aid. The method behind it has far more depth and detail than one page and one tool can cover, and what you see here is not everything the method offers or everything this site offers. For full understanding and application, use the governing standards and texts, and seek further education, training or qualified advice. Results depend on the data you enter, so check them before relying on them.
What auditor competence covers
ISO 19011:2018 clause 7 deals with the competence and evaluation of auditors. In summary, an auditor needs:
- Personal behavior: qualities such as being ethical, open-minded, diplomatic, observant, decisive and self-reliant, which let the auditor act professionally.
- Generic knowledge and skills: audit principles, processes and methods, management system standards, the organization and its context, and applicable legal requirements.
- Discipline and sector knowledge: enough understanding of the activity being audited to judge whether it meets the criteria.
- Team leader competence: for those leading audits, planning, directing a team, managing conflict and representing the team.
These are achieved through a combination of education, work experience, auditor training and audit experience. The program sets the required level for each, based on the processes, risks and standards it has to audit.
Evaluation methods
ISO 19011 describes several methods and expects them to be combined: review of records, positive and negative feedback, interview, observation, testing and post-audit review. Records show that training happened; observation and post-audit review show whether the skill is used. Behaviors are best judged by watching the auditor at work and by feedback from auditees and team leaders.
Development and maintenance
Each gap gets a development action: a course, coaching, auditing under supervision or co-leading with an experienced team leader. Competence also has to be kept up through continued audit activity and periodic re-evaluation. The 0 to 4 rating scale in this tool is a convention; use your program's own scale if it has one.
On the CQA exam
Expect questions on the personal attributes of an effective auditor, which evaluation method fits a situation, how competence is built and maintained, and why the program, not the auditor, sets the required competence.