Internal Auditor in Accordance with
ISO 9001:2026
Level: Advanced
Introduction
Quality management systems have entered a new phase with the publication
of the international standard ISO 9001:2026 on 16
September 2026. It is the most widely adopted management system standard in the
world, with more than 1,064,000 valid ISO 9001 certificates
worldwide according to the 2024 ISO Survey. The new edition does not require
rebuilding the system from scratch, but it raises expectations in specific
areas, most notably quality culture and ethical
behaviour, proactive management of risks and opportunities, planning of
changes, climate considerations, and organizational knowledge, with a
transition period of approximately three years for organizations certified to
the previous edition.
Internal audit is the primary requirement an organization relies on to
identify gaps between its current practices and the requirements of the new
edition before certification bodies identify them. Hence, this advanced course
prepares internal auditors to manage risk-based audit programmes in accordance
with the ISO 19011:2018 guidelines, audit newly introduced requirements that
are difficult to audit using traditional methods, such as quality culture and
ethics, and employ artificial intelligence tools to enhance audit efficiency
and accuracy, while confidently leading the organization through the transition
from the 2015 edition to the 2026 edition.
Target Audience
•
Quality managers, management
system coordinators, and management representatives for quality.
•
Experienced internal auditors
seeking to update their skills in line with the new edition.
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Heads of internal audit,
compliance, governance, and risk units.
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ISO 9001:2026 transition project
teams in certified organizations.
•
Process owners and middle managers
responsible for implementing quality management system requirements.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
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Identify the key changes in ISO
9001:2026 compared with the 2015 edition, and prepare a gap analysis checklist
of no fewer than 20 items covering the new requirements, by the end of Day 1.
•
Design a risk-based annual
internal audit programme in accordance with ISO 19011, defining the audit
scope, frequency, and auditor selection criteria for all organizational
processes, by the end of Day 2.
•
Prepare an audit plan and a
process-based checklist for at least one process, and apply interviewing and
sampling techniques to audit quality culture and change management in a
simulation exercise, by the end of Day 3.
•
Write at least five
nonconformities with their three elements (requirement, evidence, and
statement), classify them, evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions, and
prepare a complete audit report, by the end of Day 4.
•
Use at least two artificial
intelligence tools to review documents and analyze data while observing
confidentiality and verification controls, and conduct a complete simulated
audit from the opening meeting to the closing meeting, by the end of Day 5.
Course Outline
1st Day: ISO 9001:2026 and Gap Analysis for the Transition
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The philosophy of the new edition:
evolution, not revolution, and the harmonized structure of management system
standards.
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Context of the organization,
climate considerations, and expectations of interested parties.
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Leadership, quality culture,
ethical behavior, and accountability.
•
Proactive management of risks and
opportunities: analysis, prioritization, and action planning.
•
Planning and controlling changes,
organizational knowledge, and competence.
•
Transition requirements and
timeline, and what certification body auditors expect.
•
Practical exercise: building a gap
analysis checklist between the 2015 and 2026 editions and applying it to a
practical case.
2nd Day: Managing a Risk-Based Internal Audit Programme in
Accordance with ISO 19011
•
The seven principles of auditing
and their application in the auditor’s day-to-day practice.
•
Determining audit programme
objectives, scope, and frequency based on risks, process performance, and
previous audit results.
•
Auditor competence and its
evaluation, and ensuring independence, impartiality, and the avoidance of
conflicts of interest.
•
Remote and hybrid auditing: when
they are appropriate and how to control their risks.
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Indicators for measuring,
reviewing, and improving audit programme performance.
•
Practical exercise: designing an
annual internal audit programme for a hypothetical multi-site organization.
3rd Day: Audit Planning, Evidence Collection, and Auditing New
Requirements
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Document review, preparing the
audit plan, and assigning tasks to the audit team.
•
Process-based checklists using the
turtle diagram.
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Sampling techniques and tracing
trails from inputs to outputs.
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Advanced interviewing skills: open
questions, listening, and dealing with resistance.
•
How to audit quality culture and
ethics: indirect evidence and behavioural indicators.
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Auditing risk management, change
control, and organizational knowledge with objective evidence.
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Role play: simulated audit
interviews with a process owner and a department manager.
4th Day: Nonconformities, Reporting, and Follow-Up
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Writing nonconformities: the
requirement, objective evidence, and the nonconformity statement.
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Distinguishing between major and
minor nonconformities, opportunities for improvement, and observations.
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Evaluating the root cause analysis
submitted by the auditee: the 5 Whys and the fishbone diagram.
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Verifying the effectiveness of
corrective actions and closing nonconformities.
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Preparing the audit report,
managing the closing meeting, and handling objections.
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Linking internal audit results to
management review and continual improvement.
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Applied exercise: analyzing the
evidence of a real-life case and writing nonconformities and the audit report.
5th Day: Artificial Intelligence in Auditing and the Integrated
Simulated Audit
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Using artificial intelligence to
review documents and compare them against the requirements of the standard.
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Analyzing big data, complaints,
and performance records to identify audit focus areas.
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Preparing checklists and audit
plans with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewing them
professionally.
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Limits of using artificial
intelligence: information confidentiality, output verification, and the role of
the auditor’s professional judgment.
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Comprehensive exercise.
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Why The Only Solution for Training and Consulting?
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Content built directly on the new
ISO 9001:2026 edition, with a particular focus on the transition requirements
that certification bodies will look for.
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An applied methodology based on
simulated audits, role-play, case studies, and ready-to-use templates.
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The option to design and customize the programme according to the
organization’s sector and processes.
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Certificates of attendance for
each participant from The Only Solution for Training and Consulting and from
Cambridge Training College Britain.
Outcomes
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An in-depth understanding of the
changes in ISO 9001:2026 and the ability to lead transition audits.
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A ready-to-use gap analysis
checklist between the 2015 and 2026 editions.
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A risk-based annual internal audit
programme applicable within the organization.
•
Process-based checklists and
templates for the audit plan and report.
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Professional skill in writing
nonconformities and verifying the effectiveness of corrective actions.
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A set of practical applications of
artificial intelligence in auditing, with controls for their use.
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Course completion certificates.