TS ISO/IEC/TS 17021-3

TS ISO/IEC/TS 17021-3 is a technical specification focused on personnel competence for organizations that audit and certify quality management systems. It complements the general requirements of ISO/IEC 17021 by addressing the specific knowledge, skills, and competence needed by people involved in the quality management system certification process.

In general technical terms, management system certification depends on several distinct activities working together: audit planning, audit execution, evaluation of findings, and certification decision-making. For quality management systems, personnel need more than procedural familiarity; they also need an understanding of quality principles, the process approach, and the operational context in which an organization works.

Why competence matters in QMS certification

This document covers specific competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process. In practice, that includes different roles such as audit team members, reviewers, and decision-makers, each of whom must be able to assess quality management systems with the appropriate level of expertise. The emphasis is on the human competence that supports consistent and credible QMS certification activity.

TS ISO/IEC/TS 17021-3 is not a quality management system standard itself; it does not define how an organization should manage quality. Instead, it extends the competence framework for the bodies that perform certification activities. As such, it is relevant to certification bodies, audit professionals, and conformity assessment specialists who need a clearer understanding of the people behind QMS certification.