Registrar Auditor Qualifications


QuEST Forum specifies the under mentioned qualifications for registrar auditors, effective August 16, 2006.

Quality Management Systems Auditors
Auditors of quality management systems shall, at a minimum, meet the education, training, work experience, audit experience of ISO 19011-2002. This includes:

  1. Auditing Experience. Participate in at least four audits for a minimum of 20 days that cover all the elements of the ISO 9001:2000 standard within the last three years and have the ability to cover all the elements as determined by the audit program manager or equivalent person.
  2. Continuing Education. Conform to the registrar&aposs requirements for maintenance of qualifications, which must include the current version of the TL 9000 Quality Management System Requirements Handbook and TL 9000 Quality Management System Measurements Handbook.

TL 9000 Qualified Auditors

  1. Meet the requirements for Quality Management Systems Auditors as noted above
  2. Successfully complete and pass QuEST Forum sanctioned TL 9000 Quality Management System Auditing Training, including any prerequisite e-learning courses

TL 9000 Qualified Auditors to lead TL 9000 audits

  1. Meet the requirements for TL 9000 Auditors as noted above
  2. Qualify to meet the Certification Body&aposs requirements for leading audits

Registrar Auditor Classifications
Upon successful completion of the above requirements, auditors are classified in the following categories based on work and/or auditing experience:

  1. Telecom Industry Experience Auditor (TIEA). This classification covers TL 9000 qualified auditors who have one of the following:
    1. At least two years (within the last 15 years) of relevant workplace experience (as defined by the appropriate Nomenclature des Activities Economiques [NACE] code or equivalent method used by the registrar) in the telecommunications industry directly involved in engineering, design, manufacturing, quality and/or process control for at organization
    2. Acted as Lead Auditor in a minimum of 10 TL 9000 audits (certifications, re-certifications, or surveillances) within the past 5 yea

Telecom Industry Experience Auditors (TIEA) shall maintain their qualification by:

    1. Participating in at least six TL 9000 audits per three-year period, acting as audit team leader in at least two of those audits
    2. Completing a minimum of fifteen Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours in topics related to the telecommunications industry per three-year period, including any additional courses required by the QuEST Forum, and participation in the QuEST Forum Conference and/or work group meeting
  1. Lead Auditor (LA). This classification covers TL 9000 qualified auditors who have not yet met the TIEA classification requirements, but who have acted as the audit team leader on an audit witnessed by a TIEA.

TL 9000 Lead Auditors (LA) shall maintain their qualification by:

    1. Participating in at least six TL 9000 audits per three-year period, acting as audit team leader in at least two of these audits
    2. Completing a minimum of fifteen CPD hours in topics related to the telecommunications industry per three-year period, including any additional courses required by the QuEST Forum, and, if desired, participation in the QuEST Forum Conferences and/or work group meetings
    3. Acting as the audit team leader in an audit witnessed by a TIEA during the first 12 months of each new three-year perio
  1. Auditor (A). This classification cover TL 9000 qualified auditors who have completed the required training but who have not yet acted as the audit team leader on an audit witnessed by a TIEA. A TL 9000 Auditor may participate on TL 9000 audit teams but may not audit alone until reaching the level of TL 9000 Lead Auditor.

TL 9000 Auditors shall maintain their qualification by:

    1. Participating in at least three TL 9000 audits per three-year period
    2. Completing a minimum of fifteen CPD hours in topics related to the telecommunications industry per three-year period, including any additional courses required by the QuEST Forum, and, if desired, participation in the QuEST Forum Conferences and/or work group meetings

Auditor qualifications and maintenance of qualifications is the responsibility of the Certification Bodies and oversight by the Accreditation Bodies.

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