About Certification

Introduction

If you are new in the world of ISO standards and not sure what is the right qualification for career advancement, you have come to the right place. An accredited certification is an effective way for demonstrating proficiency, dedication, and commitment to excellence (for more information on PECB’s accreditation visit pecb.com/affiliations). PECB offers Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor training courses for a wide range of international standards.

What is the difference between the Lead Implementer and the Lead Auditor courses?

The primary aim of our Lead Implementer training courses is to equip consultants, advisors, and managers with the competence necessary to lead or contribute in the establishment, implementation, management, maintenance, and continual improvement of a management system which is based on an ISO management system standard.

A Lead Implementer training course is based on the Integrated Implementation Methodology for Management Systems and Standards (IMS2), a methodology developed by PECB which provides a high-level roadmap for initiating, executing, and closing a management system implementation project. Apart from this, our Lead Implementer training courses also comprise guidelines and good practices of other disciplines, such as project management.

A PECB Lead Auditor training course, on the other hand, is aimed at professionals wishing to develop the competences necessary to plan, conduct, and close conformity assessment audits of management systems (e.g., determining whether the quality management system is complying with the requirements of ISO 9001). Our Lead Auditor training courses incorporate ISO/IEC 17021-1 requirements, ISO 19011 guidelines, and other good practices of auditing into a comprehensive methodology — Accepted Audit Methodology for Management Systems and Standards (AMS2) — which aims to guide an auditor through all stages of a conformity assessment.

As such, a PECB Lead Implementer focuses on the implementation aspect of a management system, whereas a PECB Lead Auditor focuses on assessing whether a management system has been implemented and is being operated, maintained, and continually improved in accordance with the requirements of a particular management system standard.

A person may be both a Lead Implementer and a Lead Auditor at the same time. However, in order to avoid the risk of impartiality, they are usually not allowed to audit an organization to which they have recently provided consultancy services (e.g., guidance or instructions on the implementation or operation of the management system).