3rd party audit issues - No audit agenda received a week before the audit

My company's 3rd party audit (Surveillance 1) is coming up in less than a week.
However, I have not heard any word from the visiting auditor or the scheduler from the certifying body.
This includes any audit plan, scheduling, core processes to be covered.
What recourse does my company have to get any information to prepare, or push back so that we can be adequately prepared for the site audit?

Thank you for your advice.

Lazrebeans said:

What recourse does my company have to get any information to prepare, or push back so that we can be adequately prepared for the site audit?

Thank you for your advice.

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You are obviously entitled to receive formal confirmation of the audit date(s), receive an audit agenda in a timely manner and know who the auditor is. Have you reached out to the CB office? The CB, if "properly accredited" must comply with the ISO 17021-1 standard themselves which requires the following:


If you feel strongly about it, you can file a complaint with the CB themselves and you could even escalate that to the accreditation body overseeing the CB, but very few have the fortitude to do so.

Lazrebeans said:

My company's 3rd party audit (Surveillance 1) is coming up in less than a week.
However, I have not heard any word from the visiting auditor or the scheduler from the certifying body.
This includes any audit plan, scheduling, core processes to be covered.
What recourse does my company have to get any information to prepare, or push back so that we can be adequately prepared for the site audit?

Thank you for your advice.

Click to expand...

Call them and tell them that until you receive an audit plan and hear from the auditor, they are unwelcome, pending a complaint to the accreditation body…

Lazrebeans said:

This includes any audit plan, scheduling, core processes to be covered.

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Just in case, have you checked your last report?

Sidney is right with his information, I'll add this to it
"ISO 17021 - 9.1.8 Communication of audit plan
The audit plan shall be communicated and the dates of the audit shall be agreed upon, in advance, with the
client organization"

I'd go another step and ask them for the duration justification especially if you've had a certificate for 6 years or more, non-applicable clause's (exclusions) or another certified MS or an integrated system.

Update- this morning I received the audit plan, as I was drafting the email to send to the CB

Lazrebeans said:

Update- this morning I received the audit plan, as I was drafting the email to send to the CB

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Just for reference: when I was involved with a major global CB, our policy for that was 30 days prior to the audit, the audit agenda/plan should be sent to the registrant, saving extenuating circumstances. 30 days. And we did monitor adherence to the policy by each individual auditor, as it was CLEARLY a contributing factor to the management of the client expectations and satisfaction.

Lazrebeans said:

Update- this morning I received the audit plan, as I was drafting the email to send to the CB

Click to expand...

I’d still send it!

Sidney Vianna said:

Just for reference: when I was involved with a major global CB, our policy for that was 30 days prior to the audit, the audit agenda/plan should be sent to the registrant, saving extenuating circumstances. 30 days.

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As is one I've been associated with to include email/phone contact with the client 30 days out. Our reports also, without fail (at least for the standards I'm involved in) must have the 3 year program imbedded and the next audit plan or a reasonable idea that's based on the 3 year schedule