A first-party audit is an internal audit conducted by auditors who are employed by the organization being audited but who have no vested interest in the audit results of the area being audited1. The purpose of a first-party audit is to assess the conformity of the organization’s quality management system to the requirements of ISO 9001 and to identify opportunities for improvement2. Therefore, the two auditors who would not participate in a first-party audit are:
•A. An auditor employed by an external consultancy organization: This auditor is not employed by the organization being audited, and therefore does not qualify as a first-party auditor. This auditor may be hired to conduct a second-party audit (if the external consultancy organization is a customer or supplier of the organization being audited) or a third-party audit (if the external consultancy organization is a certification body or registrar).
•F. An auditor from a customer: This auditor is not employed by the organization being audited, and therefore does not qualify as a first-party auditor. This auditor may be hired to conduct a second-party audit, as a customer is an interested party that has specific requirements for the organization being audited.
The other options are not correct, as they could participate in a first-party audit, as long as they are employed by the organization being audited and have no vested interest in the audit results of the area being audited:
•B. An auditor from an interested party: This auditor could be a first-party auditor, as long as the interested party is within the organization being audited. For example, an auditor from the finance department could audit the production department, as long as they are not involved in the production process or affected by its outcomes.
•C. An auditor trained in-house: This auditor could be a first-party auditor, as long as they are employed by the organization being audited and have no vested interest in the audit results of the area being audited. The source of the auditor’s training is not relevant for determining the type of audit, as long as the auditor is competent and qualified to perform the audit.
•D. An auditor trained in the IRCA scheme: This auditor could be a first-party auditor, as long as they are employed by the organization being audited and have no vested interest in the audit results of the area being audited. The IRCA scheme is a professional certification scheme for auditors of management systems, which provides recognition of the auditor’s competence and credibility3. However, being trained in the IRCA scheme does not determine the type of audit, as long as the auditor is competent and qualified to perform the audit.
•E. An auditor certified by IRCA: This auditor could be a first-party auditor, as long as they are employed by the organization being audited and have no vested interest in the audit results of the area being audited. Being certified by IRCA means that the auditor has met the requirements of the IRCA scheme and has demonstrated their competence and credibility as an auditor of management systems3. However, being certified by IRCA does not determine the type of audit, as long as the auditor is competent and qualified to perform the audit.
[References: First Party Audits: The 5 Steps to Success - Sync Resource Inc, ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group, IRCA - International Register of Certificated Auditors, , , , ]
