This checklist checks what is communicated, to whom and by whom, including contingency arrangements with customers.

Effective Audit Checklists

Prepared using the F-Q2A Audit Checklist form template.

The file is supplied in fully editable MS Word format and can be easily customised, with all text in Calibri font for improved readability.
The following document labelling is included in the footer:

• Checklist number and title
• Information-classification
• Version
• Page number / total pages

alphaZ documents - beautifully designed, tried and tested audit checklists. No junk, jargon or unnecessary questions. Simple and usable audit checklists developed over 25 years through practical use in the real world.

Further Reading

Further guidance on communication and internal auditing:

• ISO 9001 Clause 7.4 - Communication
• ISO 14001 Clause 7.4 - Communication
• Worker Consultation and Participation
• Internal Auditing knowledge base

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How to Download

This file is included in the alphaZ subscription. This checklist is also included in the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 toolkits, including the integrated toolkits that combine them, so the toolkit route gives you this file plus everything else you need in one download.

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Communication Audit Checklist Template

A process audit checklist for auditing communication: which communications have been defined, how they are planned, what customers are told about contingency arrangements, and how effectiveness is evaluated. It is set out on the F-Q2A Audit Checklist format, with the scope, criteria, site, participants, auditor and date recorded at the top, and each question alongside the auditee and the evidence viewed, response and findings.

Questions Covered

• Whether the communications relevant to the organisation and the management system have been defined
• Whether it has been considered what, when, with whom, how and who is responsible for each communication
• Whether communication with customers covers contingency actions, including any disruption to the supply of products and services
• Whether the effectiveness of communication is evaluated

Carrying Out the Audit

The checklist suggests reviewing what was communicated during the last change or update to the management system. Following that one change through, from who needed to know to how they were told and whether they understood it, tests the communication arrangements far better than reading the plan on its own. Asking a few people how they heard about the change, and what they understood from it, gives the clearest answer to the last question.

Planning the Audit

Have the communications register or plan to hand, along with the records of a recent change to the management system and any communication with customers about contingency arrangements.

Who Should Carry Out the Audit?

Anyone trained in internal auditing who is independent of the area being audited. The questions are written in plain language, so the checklist also works well for training new internal auditors.

Included in the ISO Toolkits

This checklist is part of the ISO 9001 Toolkit and is also included in the ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 toolkits, including the integrated toolkits that combine them.

Related Documents

Documents that work alongside this checklist:

• F-IMS43 Communications Register
• F-Q76 Communications Planner
• PP-1-12 Communications Policy Procedure
• P-17 Communications Policy

Part of the Process Audit Checklists

This is one of the alphaZ process audit checklists, each covering a single area of the management system, so audits can be spread across the year using the ER11 Audit Schedule. The completed checklist becomes the record of the audit, and the results can be written up using the F-Q31 Audit Report.

Adapting the Checklist

The questions can be edited, added to or removed to suit the way the organisation works, and the scope and criteria at the top changed to match the area being audited. Because every alphaZ audit checklist uses the same F-Q2A layout, audit records look the same whichever area was audited, which makes them easier to review and compare.

Using the Findings

Communications that did not reach the right people, or were never planned, are raised as actions and the communications plan is updated.