Abstract: . . .  improvement actions, as applicable. Such actions are usually decided and undertaken by the auditee within an agreed timeframe and are not considered to be part of the audit. The auditee should keep the audit client informed of the status of these actions. The completion and effectiveness of corrective action should be verified. This verification may be part of a subsequent audit. The audit programme may specify follow-up by members of the audit team, which adds value by using their expertise. In such cases, care should be taken to maintain independence in subsequent audit activities. 7 Competence and evaluation of auditors 7.1 General Confidence and reliance in the audit process depends on the competence of those conducting the audit. This competence is based on the demonstration of --- the personal attributes described in 7.2, and --- the ability to apply the knowledge and skills described in 7.3 gained through the education, work experience, auditor training and audit experience described in 7.4. This concept of competence of auditors is illustrated in Figure 4. Some of the knowledge and skills described in 7.3 are common to auditors of quality and environmental management systems, and some are specific to auditors of the individual disciplines. Auditors develop, maintain and improve their competence through continual professional development and regular participation in audits (see 7.5). A process for evaluating auditors and audit team leaders is described in 7.6. Page 28 BSR/ ISO /ASQ QE19011-2002 22 Figure 4 --- Concept of competence 7.2 Personal attributes Auditors should possess personal attributes to enable them to act in accordance with the principles of auditing described in clause 4. An auditor should be: a) ethical, i.e. fair, truthful, sincere, honest and discreet; b) open-minded, i.e. willing to consider alternative ideas or points of view; c) diplomatic, i.e. tactful in dealing with people; d) observant, i.e. actively aware of physical surroundings and activities; e) perceptive, i.e. instinc . . .
--3000,1,1500,2126,56959