Webinars

Risk management is no longer something that should happen only when problems arise. ISO/IEC 17020:2026 requires inspection bodies to consider the risks and opportunities associated with their inspection activities and to take proportionate action.

This webinar explores how risk-based thinking can be integrated into everyday operations, decisions and management system processes. Participants will learn how to identify risks that could affect impartiality, competence, consistent operations and the validity of inspection results. We will also consider how opportunities can strengthen performance, improve services and support future growth. The session will provide practical guidance on planning actions, integrating them into the management system and evaluating whether those actions are effective.

Even the strongest inspection body will encounter mistakes, deviations and situations where requirements are not fulfilled. What builds confidence is not the absence of problems, but the ability to recognise them, respond appropriately and prevent recurrence.

This webinar unpacks the requirements of Clause 8.5 for identifying and managing nonconformities, including inspection activities that do not conform to procedures or agreed client requirements. Participants will explore immediate correction, consequence management, significance evaluation, impact analysis on previous results, root cause analysis and effective corrective action. The session will also examine decisions about affected inspection work, client notification, the recall or withdrawal of results and authorisation for work to resume.

A management review should be more than a meeting held to satisfy an accreditation requirement. It should give leadership a clear and honest view of whether the inspection body remains competent, impartial, consistent and capable of achieving its objectives.

This webinar explores how to plan and perform an effective management review that converts information into meaningful decisions and action. Participants will examine the required inputs and outputs, the importance of evaluating trends and the role of leadership in assessing system effectiveness, resource needs, risks, opportunities and improvement priorities. The session will also address common weaknesses that reduce management reviews to administrative exercises and demonstrate how the process can

: Trust in inspection results begins with impartiality, confidentiality and an organisational structure that supports independent and competent decision making.

Part 1 of the internal audit series explores how to audit the general and structural foundations of an inspection body. Participants will learn how to evaluate impartiality risks, independence arrangements, confidentiality commitments, legal responsibilities, contractual matters, organisational relationships and the authority assigned to key personnel.

The webinar will focus on moving beyond document review to determine whether these controls are genuinely understood and applied. Practical audit questions, evidence sources and audit trails will help participants identify weaknesses that may compromise objectivity, accountability or confidence in inspection activities.

The credibility of an inspection conclusion depends on competent people, suitable resources and effective control over externally provided products and services.

Part 2 explores how to audit the resource requirements supporting inspection activities. Participants will learn how to evaluate competence criteria, selection, training, authorisation, monitoring and the ongoing performance of inspectors and other personnel.

The session will also consider facilities, equipment, calibration, maintenance, access controls and the suitability of resources used during inspections. Attention will be given to externally provided products and services, including how providers are selected, evaluated and monitored. The focus will be on gathering evidence that resources are not merely available, but remain suitable and effectively controlled.

A reliable inspection process begins before the inspection takes place and continues until complete, accurate and traceable records have been retained.

Part 3 follows the inspection process from the review of requests, tenders and contracts through to inspection methods, procedures, handling of items and inspection records. Participants will learn how to follow an audit trail through actual inspection assignments and evaluate whether requirements were understood, appropriate methods were selected and inspections were performed consistently.

The webinar will also examine the identification and protection of inspection items, management of abnormalities and the records needed to demonstrate what was inspected, by whom, using which methods and on what basis the conclusion was reached.

Inspection information must remain accurate and secure, reports must communicate results clearly and concerns raised through appeals or complaints must be handled fairly.

Part 4 explores how to audit the controls protecting inspection data, information and final reporting. Participants will learn how to evaluate information systems, calculations, data transfers, access controls, report content, authorisation and the issue of amended reports or certificates.

The session will also examine the distinct processes for appeals and complaints, including receipt, validation, investigation, decision making, communication and record keeping. Practical audit trails will help participants determine whether these processes protect confidentiality, impartiality and the rights of clients and other interested parties.

Every credible inspection result is supported by a management system that provides direction, control, accountability and the ability to anticipate what could go wrong.

Part 5 explores how to audit the management system requirements of ISO/IEC 17020:2026. Participants will learn how to evaluate leadership commitment, policies, objectives, responsibilities and the control of documented information.

The session will also examine how risks and opportunities are identified, assessed and addressed across inspection activities. Rather than confirming only that documents and risk registers exist, participants will learn how to determine whether the management system is understood, implemented and effective in supporting competence, impartiality, consistent operations and valid inspection results.

A management system becomes stronger when it can recognise failure, learn from evidence and convert oversight into meaningful improvement.

The final part of the series explores how to audit the processes that enable an inspection body to correct, evaluate and improve its performance. Participants will learn how to assess the management of nonconformities, root cause analysis, corrective actions and effectiveness reviews.

The webinar will also examine whether the internal audit programme is risk informed, objective and capable of identifying meaningful weaknesses. Finally, participants will evaluate whether management reviews consider the required information and result in clear decisions, actions and resource commitments. This session brings the complete internal audit cycle together and shows how its different elements should support continual improvement.