What is ISO/IEC 17021-Overview

ISO/IEC 17021 is a standard that was created for assessing certification bodies to ensure that they are competent and that they conform to all types of management systems. These organizations are usually called Certification Bodies (CBs) or registrars. A new version of ISO/IEC 17021 was published in 2015. The standard helps promise that CBs are impartial and that the results of their audit are consistent.

History of 17021

The original ISO/IEC 17021 was published in 2006. According to this first publication, accredited IAF MLA management system certification bodies were given two years from the first date of publication to conform to the standard. In 2011, there was a revision that was focused on competence, and all Certfification Bodie were given two years to conform to the new standard.

ISO/IEC 17021-2: 2016 Competence requirements for auditing and certification of environmental management systems

• ISO/IEC 17021-1: 2015 Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems (Part 1: Requirements)
• ISO/IEC TS 17021-2 (2012 & 2016) Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems (Part 2: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of environmental management systems)
• ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 -Resource Requirements:
  Determination of competence criteria (Environmental technical area)
  a) Annex A specify knowledge and skills that CB shall define for specific functions
  - Application review
  - Audit report review & certification decision
  - Auditing and leading audit team
  b) Additional specific competence criteria established in TS 17021-2
• ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 -Table of knowledge and skills:
  - Knowledge of business management practices
  - Knowledge of audit principles, practices and techniques
  - Knowledge of specific management system standards / normative documents
  - Knowledge of certification body’s processes
  - Knowledge of client’s business sector (A 2.5)
  - Knowledge of client products, processes and organisation
• ISO/IEC 17021-2:
  - Clarifies requirements for the competence of personnel set out in 17021-1, Annex A
  - The guiding principles in 17021-1, Clause 4.3 remain the basis for 17021-2
  - All EMS auditors should possess the generic competencies in 17021-1 as well as the specific EMS knowledge described in 17021-2
  - CB shall identify the specific team competence for scope of each audit. Selection of team will depend on EMS technical area, client organisation, its environmental aspects and site where these aspects occur
  - Defined competence requirements for other CB personnel

ISO 17021-2 What’s been changed?

• The updated ISO 14001:2015 edition means new competencies needed to audit the management system:
  - It reflects the greater focus of the ISO 14001 on expected outcomes.
  - The difference between sustainable development and sustainability has been clarified.
  - More information on understanding the “context” of an organization.
  - New competency requirements for auditing the reliability of client communications about their EMS.

ISO TS 17021-2 - Structure
Clause 5: Competence requirements for EMS auditors

• All personnel involved in EMS auditing shall have a level of competence that includes the generic competencies (17021-1) as well as the EMS knowledge described in 5.1 to 5.14 (new).
  - Note 1: Environmental risk and complexity related to an organisation and its products or services are other considerations when deciding the level of knowledge
  - Note 2: The collective competence of the audit team needs to be sufficient to achieve the audit objectives.

Revision of ISO 17021-2 and ISO 17021-3

Both ISO 17021-2, Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems – Part 2: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of environmental management systems and ISO 17021-3, Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems – Part 3: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems are in the process of being revised. A significant factor in both revisions is the impact of the new Annex SL language.

The Draft International Standard (DIS) of ISO 17021-2 was issued for comment on May 5, 2016 and the DIS of ISO 17021-3 was issued for comment on July 19, 2016. The comment period on both standards is now closed and revisions of both standards are expected to be published before the end of 2016.


Drafting of ISO 17021-10

ISO is currently in the process of drafting Part 10 of ISO 17021 which will define the competence requirements of OHS management system auditors (and other audit personnel).
The title of this standard is Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 10: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of occupational health and safety management systems.
This standard is being developed in parallel with the development of ISO 45001, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use. It is expected that ISO 17021-10 will be published at the same time as ISO 45001.




For more information, kindly visit the dedicated Web page on ISO management system standards (www.iso.org/management-systemstandards) or contact our national ISO member from NAORAS Organization