Can the person creating/updating the plan also approve the plan?
Hello,
I'm currently reviewing all documents for our facility and i have a question regarding created/updated by and approve by. We are not currently going through SQF audits and i'm working on updating all our documents for the eventual move to SQF.
Can the person creating or updating a plan be the same person that approves the plan?
For example:
I've updated our food defense plan recently, but i'm also listed as the person who approves all documents. Could i also approve this plan?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jesus
Normally the person that creates a plan/document, etc is not the same person that approves it.
Currently working with a client here this week - the QAM is creating the documents and the presidents and/or operations manager will be handling the approval.
Hello Glenn,
Thank you for the quick reply. I understand that normally it's not the same person. Is it a no/no from an auditor perspective if it was the same person?
This is a good question.
I've been wondering this as well. Under BRC, I used to sign off on my HACCP plan, and our SOPs. I never had an auditor make any comments/observations/non-conformances for my lone signature on these documents.
I did actually add a second sign-off to the HACCP Plan, because I revised it to meet "Food Safety Plan" requirements for FSMA as well. FSMA has more specific wording on the ownership of food safety, so I added the highest company officer to sign-off on that document specifically.
Other than that, the SOPs were always signed by me. Having worked now with other organizations, I've heard that the person that creates the documents shouldn't sign off on them, but have not seen this specifically in writing.
I generally default to the person in charge of the facility as the approval authority for SOP's, etc.
I have our Food Safety Plans/Food Defense Plans/IA Plans signed by all the members of the appropriate "team", which includes the person in charge of the facility.
BRC is moot on "who" can/should authorize documents, other than to say that "The company shall have a procedure.........This shall include..........the method or identification and authorization of controlled documents...."
No idea about the SQF requirements.
Marshall
Hello Glenn,
Thank you for the quick reply. I understand that normally it's not the same person. Is it a no/no from an auditor perspective if it was the same person?
I can't find anything about it being a no no, however from practical experience as an SQF Auditor there are certain things that come up during an audit which are many times red flags, not really by the book kind of stuff, but when you see people approving their own work you begin looking a bit more critical at other things. So, in general I would not create and then approve my own work. Interesting enough after we create an SQF documentation for a client I have an experience SQF Auditor review my work so I know it is on task and will be great at audit time.
We usually follow like this,, "Prepared by", "Reviewed by" and "Approved by". Coz some one has to verify/review documents as the person who prepares may not find any mistakes in the document, so reviewer will verify it then final approval will be done by the Top authority.
Thank you all for your feedback.
SQFConsultant - you make a lot of sense when it comes to approving your own work and the auditor taking a harder look at things because of it. I appreciate the feedback from an auditor's perspective.
Thanks!
Our system SOPs are all approved by the authorities to which they are related. Contract creation and approval SOP is approved by the VP of Sales, Quality SOPs by the QM, Specific machine operation SOPs by the Department Heads. We have the person most familiar with the process involved approve them and review them annually for validation purposes.