2. What is the purpose of an audit program?

In ISO 19011, an "audit program" is defined as a set of "arrangements for a set of one or more audits, planned for a specific duration and conducted for a specific purpose".

The audit program refers to the organization and resources required to carry out an audit assignment, which may involve several audits over varying periods of time. This may involve organizing internal audits for a single-site or multi-site company, over an annual or multi-year period. It may also involve the organization of supplier audits, or even inspire the organization of certification audits over a three-year period. More simply, an audit program may also be necessary for a single audit campaign that is of major importance to a company.

The main aspects taken into account in an audit program are shown in the following diagram.