ISO 19011 - Section 4
Explanations in Plain English
ISO 19011 - Section 4 - Implementing an Audit Program
Document the Audit Program
Audit program implementation needs to be carefully planned and then documented.
Why? The standards require certain things in the audit program be documented. And, if your company is going for
it's certification, the certification body auditors will need to review these issues. Here are a few of the things
that need to be considered:
a) Communicating the audit program to relevant parties;
b) Coordinating and scheduling audits and other activities relevant to the audit
program;
c) Establishing and maintaining a process for the evaluation of the auditors and
their continual professional development;
d) Ensuring the selection of audit teams;
e) Providing necessary resources to the audit teams
ISO 19011:2002 contains a more extensive description and should be reviewed before
implementing the audit program. It's better to plan for all contingencies than have to fix something after it goes
bad.
Audit program records
You need to keep records of the program implementation for your third party
auditors to review, as well as your management team. Be sure to keep the audit plans, audit reports, nonconformity
reports, corrective action reports, audit follow-up reports.
Don't forget. The audit program also needs to be audited. This audit should be
performed by an auditor that has NOT performed other audits in the program that could possibly bias the results.
Keep the records of the audit program review.
You should have records related to auditor competence and performance, audit team
selection and, maintenance and improvement of competence.
These records should be retained and safeguarded from damage for at least 3
years.
Audit program monitoring and reviewing
The implementation of the audit program needs to be monitored and reviewed to
assess whether its objectives have been met and to identify opportunities for improvement. The results must be
reported to top management.
Some of the performance indicators that a company can use include:
- the ability of the auditors to implement the individual audit plans they are
assigned
- overall conformity with the audit program and schedule, and
- feedback from audit clients, auditees and auditors
The audit program review should consider, for
example,
- Results and trends from monitoring
- Conformity with procedures
- Evolving needs and expectations of interested parties
- Audit program records
- Alternative or new auditing practices, and
- Consistency in performance between audit teams in similar situations.
The reviews of the audit program can lead to corrective or preventive action and
improvement of the audit program. It is always better that the company find any weaknesses in their audit program
in lieu of their 3rd party auditor finding the weaknesses.
The links below are
excerpts from the our e-book
"Explanations and
Definitions for ISO 19011:2002" 
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 a copy of our ebook to refer to when auditing.
EBook "Explanations and Definitions for ISO 19011:2002
What are Quality Management
Systems?
What is ISO 9000?
What is ISO 9001?
What is ISO 9004?
What is ISO 19011?
ISO 9001-2008 Changes
Online ISO
9000/9001 Overview Course
Auditor Training: Online
Auditor Training
Courseware
Additional Information
Resources
| 
