BS EN ISO/IEC 17021-3:2018

What is ISO 17021‑3-Requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems about?  

ISO 17021 is an international standard on conformity assessment that discusses the requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems. ISO 17021‑3 provides competence requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems for efficient QMS audits. 

ISO 17021‑3 is the third part of a multi-part series that specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for quality management systems (QMS) and complements the existing requirements of ISO 17021-1. 

ISO 17021‑3 applies for auditing and certification of a QMS based on ISO 9001. It can also be used for other QMS applications. 

Who is ISO 17021‑3-Requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems? 

ISO 17021‑3 on requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems is relevant to: 

• Internal and external auditors 
• Management bodies 
• Certification bodies 
• Any entity involved in the QMS audit. 

Why should you use ISO 17021‑3-Requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems?  

Certification bodies have a responsibility to interested parties, including their clients and the customers of the organizations whose management systems are certified, to ensure that only those auditors who demonstrate the relevant competence are allowed to conduct quality management system (QMS) audits. Certification bodies need to identify the specific audit team competence needed for the scope of each QMS audit. 

ISO 17021‑3 clarifies the requirements for the competence of personnel involved in the certification process. 

ISO 17021‑3 assists to meet the requirement of the client and regulatory body and the objective of the standards are attained by the trained team of the organization. 

ISO 17021‑3 assists by providing you with the procedures of QMS and how to develop the certification process by management bodies for an efficient QMS audit. 

With competence and obedience to ISO 17021‑3, you can enhance the efficacy of quality management systems (QMS) audit. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

ISO 17021‑3:2018 supersedes ISO 17021-3:2016, which is withdrawn. ISO 17021‑3:2018 includes some technical changes compared to ISO 17021-3:2016. These include: 

Addition of new requirements of ISO 9001:2015, which require additional competence to audit 

• Expansion of fundamental concepts and quality management principles and their application 
• Inclusion of the knowledge of the role of leadership of an organization about its quality management system 
• Inclusion of knowledge of the application of risk-based thinking, including the determination of risks and opportunities 
• Inclusion of competence criteria for the auditor to understand the context of the organization