Steve Bentley MD of SAS www.sassofiaa.com offers the following for consideration
The behaviour of the auditor can make or break the audit in terms of the effectiveness of the actual audit which is delivered.
Make no mistakes audits have a cost and the payback for the investment in the audit is to either
a) confirm compliance or
b) identify non conformities
Auditor Personal Attributes
Auditor should demonstrate a number of personal attributes
Auditors should always behave in an ethical way, to be fair and objective to avoid any tendency of bias towards pre conceived expectations.
Auditors should be able to communicate in an effective way which means they can ensure the other party has understood the message (this is a key requirement in delivering effective audits and the communication process is often found to be weaker than it should be).
Auditors should have a degree of self-confidence which enables them to communicate with anyone throughout the business from a junior member of the team to the chief executive.
Auditors must be focused on achieving the required audit outcomes to be assertive but never “rude”.
Auditors should be well dressed and presentable and to be mentally fit for the role to be performed.
It is essential for the auditor to be discreet for a number of reasons
a) Not to share any confidential information which is viewed or exposed as part of the audit
b) Not to cause any embarrassment to the auditee
c) To be able to maintain an appropriate perspective throughout the audit
Auditor Training and Prerequisites
Auditors need to have sufficient background education typically to the level which equates to a university education or Piloting Qualification or Certifying Engineer together with several years of practical experience within the aviation industry.
Auditors should have a deep understanding of the regulatory environment, in particular all the relevant “regulatory requirements” which are applicable or connected in some way with the performance of the audit.
Auditors should have attended training which is focused on understanding the fundamentals of EASA compliance auditing processes and techniques.
Auditors should also have sufficient knowledge to understand the underlying process which is being audited as well as the roles and responsibilities of the persons who are being audited.
Auditors should have a flexible approach and willingness to take a wider view, often it is necessary to consider exposure and risk as a counterbalance to determining a specific compliance. (not every audit finding can be understood in “Black & White”.
Sofema aviation Services offers more than 30 Different Quality & Safety courses for details please see www.sassofia.com or email: office@sassofia.com
