What is meant by an SQFI Validation Audit?
Can anyone tell me what the SQFI Validation Audit is all about? Is it an audit that is conducted in addition to the annual re-certification audit? I wanted to contact SQF and our CB about this but the employer and practitioner told me not to. The site had an audit last year wherein the auditor was being audited. This means the auditor was being shadowed. I personally had no problem with this (I"m the alternate practitioner and have passed my Basic HAACP course and earned the certificate). However, the practitioner and manager refused to have such an audit again this year. And when they heard me voice questions about the Validation Audit they said if contacted they will refuse. I was told not to call SQFI or the CB to inquire about it.
The site has not retained an outside consultant who could answer these questions.
This is not what I consider transparency. Since I cannot call SQF from the office to confirm what they mean by "Validation Audit" I'm coming here. You can see the description here: https://www.sqfi.com...lidation-audits
Any input is greatly appreciated.
Why not call them from home?
In my days as an auditor it was called a witness audit.
I doubt they could refuse one but some people do feel like they are being doubled up on when an audit is witnessed and that is the requireme t to be a new SQF Auditor.
Glenn Oster: Thanks for the reply. I am going to do that. And thanks for clarifying it for me. The audit last year was called a Witness Audit by the CB. This year's recertification audit was also going to be a Witness Audit but the practitioner and management pushed hard back against it. The CB dropped it this time.
I allowed it once and would never allow it again
I ended up having to argue 3 NCR due to the insufficient training of the new auditor AND the technical manager who should have stepped in at the time to correct the trainee
We all pay a non insignificant sum of money to be audited, and in exchange there needs to be value for service an additional 4 weeks of back and forth is not worth it to me
From your description of the events, I'm going to guess the primary auditor has been the same person for both of these Witness audits and may serve a training role for the CB to acquire more auditors.