Product and Process Certification Scheme
The Scheme
Certification criteria for Product and Process auditors have been developed by SAATCA to provide confidence to regulatory authorities, accreditation and certification bodies, to business and industry, and indirectly to the public at large that auditors certified to this scheme are competent and provide a credible and accountable auditing process.
The criteria for the scheme have been aligned with the requirements of the International Auditor and Training Certification Association (IPC), based on the guidance given in ISO 19011 and the auditor competence requirements given in ISO/IEC 17021.
Objectives
- To raise the level of professional recognition for Product and Process auditors
- To add value to Product and Process audits by ensuring auditor competence
- That auditors meet or exceed the competence criteria described in ISO19011 and ISO/IEC 17021
- To provide international recognition of auditors certified in Southern Africa
- To assist organisations in selecting appropriately competent and qualified auditors
- To provide a credible Product and Process auditor certification program
About Product and Process auditing
Product and Process certification is not management system certification. Product and Process certification requires both verification of product and process quality as defined within the applicable product or process standard as well as assurance that this product quality is maintained during subsequent production.
Product and Process auditing is the process of certifying that a certain product or process has passed performance and quality assurance tests stipulated in a standard or regulation or that it complies to a national or international standard or regulation governing quality and minimum performance requirements.
The competence requirements for the Product and Process Auditor are also significantly different from a management systems auditor. For Product and Process auditing, the critical auditor competence is based on the auditor having knowledge and experience in the product and process technology; in the detail of the specifications applicable within that technology and in relevant quality management systems to ensure continuity of subsequent production. Product and Process auditors however may also require additional competencies in the operation of management systems where the organization being audited has adopted such systems to assist in meeting customer, national or international standards or regulations governing quality and minimum performance requirements for the product and/ or process.
SAATCA itself, however, does not certify products or processes. SAATCA registers product and process auditors that have demonstrated that they comply with the required competencies to effectively perform audits in accordance with their certification grade and product/ process scope(s).
Criteria for Certification