ISO 19011 now is "Guidelines for Auditing Management System", now in vesrion 2011, is a guideline to help first, second and third party auditing of management systems. ISO 19011 has been taken out as reference in ISO/IEC 7021 2011, yet it remains halpful to management systems regardless it its ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BS OHSAS 18001, ISO 22000...

Applying ISO 19011 provides organizations with a guidance tool for auditing. Further, it will assist in optimizing the management system for competitiveness and reduction of risk. 

ISO 19011 includes requirements for qualification of auditors and focusing on audit teams. It provides for organizations to qualify and certify auditors in setting competence requirements and related evaluation process. Other areas need be consider, as to enhance the process of auditing, is the combination of audit programs and individual audits in a single guideline-document. And this considers that there is a relationship of individual audits and the effectiveness of a supporting audit program.

ISO 19011 2011 opens the scope of auditing to a more generic model, while competes with numerous other audting guideline documents. It provides guidance for users of small, medium and large size organizations

ISO 19011 covers the issues of auditing within the context of the new standard and which includes:

• Auditor profile - qualifications
• Initiation of the audit
• Document review
• Preparing for auditing
• On-site auditing
• Reporting the audit
• Follow-up
• Closing

The issue of auditor competency is a concern when integrating two managerial systems and opening it for professionals that may have no experience in the field of management systems.

Et al, ISO 19011 2011 is now a generic guideline for auditing.