Internal Audit Schedule & Verification Schedule are they the same?

Afternoon,

                       Is internal audit schedule the same as 2.5.3 verification schedule? or are they different?

Thanks,

To me internal audits and verifications are different things.

Internal audits are an audit of your system to ensure the system as designed meets the policy/standard you are working to and that the procedures allow the operatives to complete the work to meet that standard/policy. For example an audit of pest control systems would include ensuring a licensed contractor is in place, a contract detailing scope of service is in place, site maps in place, SDS for all pesticides are in place etc

Verification is checking that your system is being completed as required - ie that the paperwork is completed correctly and meets the standard defined. For example in your pest control system this would be checking the inspection paperwork has been completed for each pest control visit and actions raised signed off.

I run both internal audits and verification schedules.

However having said that in my experience the SQF auditors I have had do not recognize a difference and usually they are only expecting the verification part.I still do both anyway as I feel both are necessary.

S

Sometimes they are the same--sometimes they are different.  Depends on how your system is set up.  Verification can be part of an audit or it done in other ways as well. 

I can understand the confusion:  auditing can be a verification activity, and verification can be an auditing activity.

This is one way of interpreting the differences:

Verification is a supervisor checking and initialing that activities within that department are being done and recorded.  This is more activity oriented.

Auditing is having someone outside the department checking that all documents and activities are in place to meet the food safety standard.  This is more systems oriented.