As reported in an earlier posts (ISO 14001:2015 Interpretations Available & Interpretation Process for ISO 14001:2015), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a process to clarify the intent of ISO 14001:2015.
This ISO process allows for interpretations to be provided by each National Member Body (NMB), normally, the standards making body in each country, such as BSI in the United Kingdom & ANSI in the United States. A full list of NMBs can be found here.
ISO has a similar interpretation process in-place for ISO 14001:2015. It is important to note that Interpretations do not change the requirements in ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 but are intended to give users a better understanding of ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015.
This process has resulted in an interpretation of Clause 9.4.8.3 a) in relation to the use of the word “summary” audit evidence.
This Clause reads:
“The report shall also contain:
a) a statement on the conformity and the effectiveness of the management system together with a summary of the evidence relating to:
- the capability of the management system to meet applicable requirements and expected outcomes;
- the internal audit and management review process;”
The interpretation provides that the word “summary” can be read as either a “detailed list of documents” (containing the audit evidence) or “a brief description of the evidence in those documents”.
The reviewed ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 interpretation are available as a PDF for free download here