The credibility of an audit depends on the proper management of the audit activities using the quality assurance procedures and record keeping
The purpose of quality assurance procedures is to ensure that all audit tasks are carried out consistently and accordingly to the site established audit plan and according to the audit schedule.
At the beginning of each audit, the lead auditor shall prepare a quality plan identifying the quality assurance procedures to be undertaken. The plan should contain:
- a record of the actions required for ensuring quality work
- verification by team leaders responsible for that required actions have been undertaken
- the people who will review the work
- the expected time for the review.
The plan ensures consistency through a structured process of peer review. An example of a quality assurance plan :
RECORD KEEPING
The purpose of record keeping is to ensure the proper and systematic recording of information and observations collected during a compliance audit. Good record keeping and filing procedures will ensure that all supporting documentation and observations are kept for future reference. All audit information should be stored in a file and a new file opened for each Compliance audit. Each file should contain a number of subsections to store the audit information in an orderly manner.
