Questions and answers
INform answers some common queries about continuing professional development (CPD)
Putting in the hours
IRCA requires auditors to complete 45 hours of CPD, but I find this
very difficult. I am not sure what subjects I should be studying.
CPD is a framework that encourages you to continuously update your professional knowledge, skills and competencies to make you more effective and to make the auditing profession more credible. The value that CPD contributes is recognized throughout all professions. IRCA's role is not to spoon-feed auditors CPD, but to work to identify CPD areas and to provide auditors with information on these topics.
A good example of this is IRCA's work with the IAG (ISO 9001 Advisory Group) auditing practice subgroup, which has identified a whole range of areas in which auditors can usefully improve. We have then communicated these aspects to our auditors, including the advice documents that the group has produced.
INform is running a series of articles exploring these aspects and we would encourage certification bodies (registrars) in general and IRCA OEAs in particular to include these topics as key elements of their ongoing programme of development for auditors.
Pick a number
Why
did IRCA decide on 45 hours as the requirement for CPD?
Of course, 45 hours is an arbitrary number, but it is the number that is now generally accepted and required within the auditor certification industry. You will find that most other auditor certification bodies require 45 hours. The amount of CPD that an individual auditor should do depends on how much change is going on in the industry or sector, and what skill or knowledge gaps have been identified by the individual as part of the normal assessment processes (annual review, appraisal, witnessed audits etc).
As an example, the move from the 1994 version to the 2000 version of ISO 9001 required a huge shift in approach and the development of a whole new set of skills for some. In this instance, IRCA effectively mandated CPD by requiring completion of an ISO 9001:2000 auditor transition course. In the case of an auditor working in the dynamic field of food safety, we would expect to see the individual keeping up-to-date on food safety issues, changes in legislation and so on through membership of relevant environmental health or food industry bodies, reading the associated professional journals and attending events when necessary.
Finding out more
Does
IRCA offer CPD courses? If so, where can I find out about them?
IRCA does not certify or recognize CPD courses at the moment, but there is a range of industry journals, conference events and training courses available. However, IRCA recently ran short auditor conferences in Japan, Korea and Thailand that have proved very successful - it is considering expanding this initiative.
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