Auditor Training

Completion of the Excellence Through Stewardship^® Auditor Training Program affirms that an auditor has been trained to understand the Excellence Through Stewardship^® Guides and related Audit Questions and is qualified to conduct independent third-party audits. All eligible applicants must complete the training program course and pass the examination to become qualified to conduct Excellence Through Stewardship^® independent third-party audits. An Excellence Through Stewardship^® "Qualified Auditor" status is good for a 3-year period as of the date of the training course and as defined within the Guide components provided at the course. The Excellence Through Stewardship Office maintains the list of qualified, trained Excellence Through Stewardship^® auditors and it is also available on this website.

To participate in the auditor training program, the following criteria and application process are required.

1. Qualification Criteria
   All auditors shall have education, training and experience commensurate with their responsibilities. Auditors must be certified by a nationally or internationally-recognized certification body (e.g., IRCA, RAB-QSA, EOQ, etc.). Auditors shall have a post-secondary degree and a minimum of 30 audit days experience in the last three years in a technical field such as agriculture, biotechnology, food technology, or a related life sciences discipline. Exceptions to these requirements may be considered by ETS on a case-by-case basis. Auditors shall be free from any interest that might cause them to act in another than impartial or non-discriminatory manner. Auditors are required to attend training as specified by ETS to be subsequently designated as qualified to conduct Excellence Through Stewardship^® audits.
2. Application Process
   Parties interested in becoming an Excellence Through Stewardship^® Qualified Auditor must initiate the application process, described below.
   1. The applicant submits the completed application form that details their qualifications, and previous Excellence Through Stewardship^® Auditor training to the ETS office.
   2. The ETS Executive Director or the Program Manager reviews the application, checks references and credentials, as necessary.
   3. If the applicant's information meets the identified criteria, the applicant is considered eligible to register for the next Excellence Through Stewardship^® Auditor Training Course.
   4. The ETS Executive Director notifies the applicant on the results of the process and ability to proceed with the application.

The applicant completes the registration process for the training course as defined.

To learn more about Excellence Through Stewardship^® auditor training, please contact the ETS office at info@ExcellenceThroughStewardship.org or (202) 312-9271.