Fulfilling the role of Quality or Compliance Auditor can be a very satisfying and rewarding activity. However just as in any activity or vocation practice makes perfect and it is necessary to understand develop and perfect your craft or skills.
Sofema Aviation Services www.sassofia.com and EASAonline www.easaonline.com offer EASA compliant courses which have been created by industry professionals and are focused on the objective of providing the best possible user or delegate experience.
A recent question asked by an aspiring auditor was the following – “If I complete your quality auditing course will I qualify as an auditor”?
The SAS or EOL Quality Courses are designed to provide EASA compliant fundamental understanding and awareness regarding the basic elements of effective auditing. However a short course does not make you a fully competent person in a given area of expertise.
I was asked to explain in detail how a person may become an auditor and this is what I advised:
i/ Complete basic courses in Auditing Techniques and Root Cause Analysis.
ii/ Observe a number of audits being performed by colleagues (how many – depends on experience could be from 5 to more than 7).
iii/ Perform the role of member of an audit team under the guidance of a lead auditor (how many again depends on experience could be from 3 to more than 5).
iv/ When you are ready you will perform an audit on your own with an observer performing an independent assessment of your competence – this will typically be carried out by the Quality Manager or other qualified person.
On completion of (iv) above and satisfactory demonstration of auditing skills within the context of the organisations Quality Assurance System you may then be considered by the organisation as a competent auditor.
In summary it is essential that your learning path is supported and ideally managed by a competent person who is able to support your objective of developing competence in a given subject.
Moreover there is an ongoing need to maintain competence throughout your career with periodic evaluations and assessments of your ability and skills including soft skills development. If we understand that we are on a learning path and that we should continue to acquire skills and knowledge as we progress through our career, then we have the opportunity to develop into strong and effective aviation auditors.
To finish by wishing you good luck and a successful career in the field of aviation quality and compliance auditing for additional comments or questions please email office@sassofia.com
