- A lead
auditor is the one who is responsible for leading
the audit team in an organization. He or she prepares
the audit plan, delivers meetings and
submits audit report at the end of quarter or year. Conducting
audits is the main responsibility of a lead auditor and that
needs to be done on a daily basis.
Audit Plan
- Developing
the audit plan, including determining the audit objectives, scope and
criteria with the audit client
- Confirming
any requirements for the audit such as PPE (Personal Protective
Equipment), transport, access and resources
- Communicating
the audit plan to the audit team as well as the audit client
Audit Timetable
- Detailing
roles and responsibilities of audit team members
- Communicating
to the audit team as well as the audit client
Communication with
the auditee
- Contacting
the auditee and managing all communication and correspondence prior,
during and after the audit
- Ensuring
the logistic requirements are acceptable and understood by the auditee
Opening meeting
- Chairing
the opening and meeting
- The
opening meeting should confirm the audit plan and timetable and any
changes noted
- The
opening meeting is where the audit team sets the scene for the audit and
put the auditees at ease
Audit Team meeting
- Planning
a final team meeting prior to the closing meeting to ensure that, as an
audit team, the findings are collated and nonconformances and conformances
are identified
- Preparing
these findings by coming to agreement in preparation for presentation at
the closing meeting
- It
is always beneficial to consider having regular catch ups with the audit
team member/s to determine how they are tracking with regards to the
timetable and whether any changes need to be made
Closing meeting
- Chairing
the closing meeting
- The
closing meeting is where the team leader will present all of the findings
of the audit and discuss any applicable follow-up
Audit report
- Completing
and distributing the audit report
- Collecting
audit notes from the audit team member/s for inclusion in the audit report
- If
you review all of the above points again, you can see that essentially an
audit team leader needs to be an excellent communicator with both the
audit team members and the auditee. While an audit team member needs
to be aware of all of these elements of an audit, it is the team leader
who takes responsibility and provides direction throughout the audit.
- To
attain your Audit Team Leader qualification we recommend our Management
System - Lead Auditor course. For those with an existing Management
Systems - Auditing qualification, you can upgrade your existing
qualification to include Team Leader here.
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