ISO 10011-2 Guidelines Translated into Plain English

Guidelines for Selecting Quality Auditors

National Quality Assurance, USA	Bureau Veritas Quality International

This section summarizes ISO 10011-2. It highlights the main points.
It does not present detail. If you need a detailed and complete interpretation
of the ISO 10011-1 standard, please consider purchasing our hardcopy version.

ISO prepared ISO 10011-2 in order to explain how to select a quality auditor.

• Auditors should be educated. Auditors must have at least a high school diploma and be able to write and speak clearly and effectively.

• Auditors should be trained. They should know how to:
  • Use standards to evaluate quality system performance.
  • Collect information, evaluate evidence, and make observations.
  • Plan, organize, and manage an audit.
  • Prepare and deliver an audit report.

• Auditors should be experienced. They should have:
  • Four years of work experience, including two years in Q.A.
  • Participated in at least four audits covering at least 20 days.

• Auditors should be knowledgeable. Their understanding of quality systems, standards, and audit procedures must be current and accurate.

• Auditors should have talent. They should be able to:
  • Think in general terms.
  • Make realistic evaluations.
  • Analyze complex systems.
  • Stay on track and finish the job.
  • Respect the feelings of all participants.
  • Resist the pressure to change the truth.
  • Manage personal and interpersonal stress.
  • Draw rational conclusions based on evidence.
  • Evaluate evidence in a fair and impartial manner.

• Auditors should be competent. To assure competence:
  • Evaluate auditors at least every three years.
  • Confirm that auditors have current knowledge.
  • Make sure that auditors are trained and retrained.

• Auditors should be selected by an evaluation panel. Set up a panel of judges to review auditor qualifications and to select the best candidates.

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