FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1996-01-24

Ensuring Quality Auditors Offer Quality Services

OTTAWA - The Standards Council of Canada is launching two accreditation programs that will provide enhanced confidence in Canadian quality management system (QMS) auditors.

One program will establish a framework for a national certification service for QMS auditors. The Council's role will be to accredit one or more organizations to operate this service. The second program will involve the accreditation of organizations that provide training courses for QMS auditors.

Together, the two programs will provide assurance that Canadian QMS auditors are properly trained and possess the appropriate skills, experience and expertise to carry out audits of organizations' quality management systems. These audits are central to the achievement of ISO 9000 series registration, an international stamp of quality that is becoming increasingly critical for companies competing in the global market. To date, some 2,000 ISO 9000 registration certificates have been issued to Canadian companies.

"Purchasers around the world must have absolute confidence in the ISO 9000 registration process in Canada," said Michael McSweeney, Executive Director and CEO of the Standards Council. "Trustworthy auditing reports are central to this confidence."

The Standards Council's new accreditation programs will be based on criteria developed by the International Auditor and Training Certification Association (IATCA), an association of some 14 accreditation bodies worldwide. IATCA criteria already exist in draft form, and are expected to be finalized soon.

There are currently several auditor certification programs in place in Canada, as well as a variety of foreign certification programs. However, there is a growing recognition among registration organizations, auditors, quality-conscious companies and quality assurance experts that a single national program would ensure a higher level of recognition for Canadian ISO 9000 certificates. There are also several organizations offering auditor training courses in Canada whose training programs will benefit from Standards Council accreditation.

Both programs will be voluntary, and will operate on a cost-recovery basis. For more information, contact Don Wilson at (613) 238-3222; fax (613) 995-4564; e-mail [email protected].

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