Overview
ISO/IEC TS 17021-12:2020 specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in auditing and certifying Collaborative Business Relationship Management Systems (CBRMS). It complements the generic requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1 and is applicable where certification is based on ISO 44001. The technical specification clarifies expected knowledge and behaviours for audit teams, report reviewers and certification decision-makers to ensure consistent, rigorous certification outcomes.
Key Topics
The document sets out domain-specific competence elements that certification bodies shall take into account when defining role-based requirements (referenced to ISO/IEC 17021-1). Core topics include:
- Collaborative business relationship management premise, terminology and principles - understanding the drivers, complexity and interdependencies of collaborative relationships as described in ISO/TR 44000 and ISO 44001.
- Visions and values - recognising how organizational vision and values affect collaboration effectiveness.
- Collaborative leadership and behaviour - knowledge of leadership principles and skills that enable collaborative performance.
- Trust and commitment - appreciation of the role of trust and commitment across relationship lifecycles.
- Information and knowledge sharing - the effects of information and knowledge management on collaboration.
- Risk management - competence to assess risks within the lifecycle of collaborative relationships.
- Exit strategy and contractual arrangements - awareness of termination planning and contract elements that impact collaboration.
The specification requires the audit team as a whole to possess the necessary collective competence; individual auditors need not all hold identical skills, but the team must be able to meet audit objectives.
Applications
This specification is intended for use by:
- Certification bodies to define and document competence criteria for audit teams, report reviewers and decision-makers for CBRMS certification.
- Auditors and lead auditors preparing to perform CBRMS audits to identify knowledge gaps and training needs.
- Accreditation assessors evaluating whether a certification body has appropriately implemented competence requirements for CBRMS.
Practical benefits include:
- More consistent and credible CBRMS certifications aligned with ISO 44001.
- Improved audit rigour through clearly defined competence expectations.
- Better alignment of audit team composition with the complexity and maturity of collaborative arrangements.
Related Standards
- ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 - Generic requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems; TS 17021-12 complements these requirements.
- ISO 44001:2017 - Requirements and framework for collaborative business relationship management systems (CBRMS).
- ISO/TR 44000 - Principles for successful collaborative business relationship management.
Note: Annex A of the technical specification provides an informative overview of the specific knowledge areas relevant to auditing and certification of CBRMS. Certification bodies should refer to the referenced clauses when developing role-based competence profiles.