Examining Personnel Competencies

Why competence?

We have come a long way!

• We used to say we required a qualified person– years of experience gave us confidence

• Then we said an experienced person could achieve competence– After a period of time they could be eligible for examination of competence

• Now we say demonstration of a prescribed set of tasks to specific outcomes gives us confidence– Seeing is believing

Why competence?

Why the change?• Confidence is determined by perception of a persons ability

– When you task a person “to do a job” you innately trust that they can do it• Human nature is to capitalize on trust to establish lasting relationships

– Work, social, partners• Trust is diluted when risk increases

– Safety, health, money• In “our” industry trust has become diluted

– Application or understanding of competence– Application of risk management– Understanding of risks created by staff as well as the auditor– Promotion of value behind ISO 17024

Current approach to defining and examining competence

• Under our current ISO 17024 accreditation competence is:– Examining knowledge;– Evaluating personal attributes; and– Examining skill of performance to tasks

• This gives us and the customer of conformity assessment services a higher level of assurance that Certification Body (CB) personnel are performing to a range of conditions and standards including:– ISO19011 and ISO17021-2

Where’s the catch?

Where’s the catch?

• Interpretation of examination generates repetition of standards– Onsite skill exam for auditing of standards

• Do you go onsite to audit skill of administering an audit; knowledge and attribute, or just auditing skills?

• Possibility you are reproducing what CB’s are doing under 17021-2– Does CB self declaration satisfy customer confidence or is third party PCB

examination and certification the safest bet

• Is the requirement to demonstrate to a third party PCB (what personnel have been practising in industry) perceived as alienating the customer?– Who is the customer to a PCB and who should be satisfied

• PCB’s have two customers the certification holder (customer) and the scheme owner (consumer)

– Both may have competing interests

How do we interact with the conformity assessment community?

The solution to the question raised lies in the PCB interacting with its customer to highlight the needs of the consumer

• Can be done by invitation to development of an industry scheme– Facilitates discussion between CB and consumer

• Through representation at industry associations• Ensure the needs of the CB are heard and balanced with the needs of the

consumer

How do we interact with the conformity assessment community?

• Through representation at international forums of conformity assessment– International Accreditation Forum (IAF), International Personnel Certification

Association (IPC)• Highlight the needs of a consistent approach to examination of competence to

an international audience• Attempt to prevent, control or eliminate multiple examinations of competence for

certification

Where should 3rd party certification of persons be focussing?

In our existing market of conformity assessment:• Assisting CB’s with a solution to 17021-2

– Examining and/or administering in part or in whole the process of demonstrating competence

– Providing the tools for assessment; and then providing the risk management components including surveillance and recertification

• Work with Accreditation Bodies (AB’s) to identify the most efficient, effective and productive methods of examination of competence– How can the principles of knowledge, skill, attribute be better examined

• Raising the profile of quality industry professionals to a professional pursuit– CPA as a role model

Where should 3rd party certification of persons be focussing?

EXTRACT FROM MYCERTCOMPETENCE RISK MANAGEMENTKNOWLEDGE SKILLS ATTRIBUTES

AUDIT AND ASSESSMENT (atleast one of the following)

STANDARDS (atleast one of the following)

TECHNICAL AREAS (atleast one of the following)

(atleast two of the following)

(atleast one of the following)

AU - AUDITING IS0 14000 Agriculture, forestry and fishing WITNESSED AUDIT SKILLS PAAS - PROFESSIONALTL – TEAM LEADER ISO 9000 Mining and quarrying VERIFIED AUDIT SKILLS -

ACCREDITATIONEXEMPLAAR - LEADERSHIP

AA- ACCREDITATION ASSESSMENT OHSAS18000, BSI18000, Z-10

Food products, beverages and tobacco

VALIDATED AUDIT SKILLS – INTERNAL AUDIT

HOGANS - RISK

AM – AUDIT MANAGEMENT ISO22000 Textiles and textile products SURVEILLANCE - ONLINE

AS – ASSESSMENT ISO27001 Leather and leather products LLN – CORE LANGUAGE LITERACY NUMERACY SKILL

SE – SKILL EXAMINER ISO17011 Wood and wood products

PT - TRAINER ISO17021 Pulp, paper and paper products

ISO17024 Publishing companies

AS9000 – 9100 SERIES

Printing companies

Where should 3rd party certification of persons be focussing?

In other markets:

• Working with industries that need to demonstrate a level of confidence to the consumer– Where the customer experience can be impacted by poor management or

enactment of a task• GFSI (Europe)• Pharmacy Guild and AGPAL (Australia)• Organics (Japan and America)• United Fresh (America)• Health Sector (New Zealand)• Engineers (China)

Where should 3rd party certification of persons be focussing

From your feedback:

• Internal affairs of the CB• Audit Program Managers• Recruiters• Trainers• Technical Review Committee Personnel

• Customer level• Management Representatives