Audit Readiness
Thinking about CHS Certification or Independent Verification – but unsure if you're ready?
HQAI’s new Audit Readiness Training & Assessment is designed exactly for when your organisation is considering a CHS audit but wants clarity before committing.
This entirely voluntary service helps you better understand the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) on Quality and Accountability, the CHS audit process, quality management principles, assess your audit readiness, and identify potential non-conformities before the formal audit begins. It does not guarantee a positive quality assurance decision after the audit but indicates whether your organisation is ready to undergo the audit. This service is available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.
What is included?
> E-learning - Learn the essentials of the CHS, HQAI audits, ISO 9001, quality management principles, and risk-based thinking. This self-paced module includes:
- An overview of HQAI audit principles, methodologies, approaches, and processes – from preparation to audit results
- A deep dive into Quality Management Systems (QMS): terminology, key definitions, core principles, and the concept of risk-based thinking
- An explanation of the role of QMS in CHS audits
- An introduction to the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), including how to use the CHS Verification Framework and CHS Guide to prepare for an audit, apply the CHS to your organisation’s work, and understand its relevance for partnership-based operations, faith-based organisations, and development actors
> Audit Feasibility & Risk Assessment - Conducted by your organisation (Package A) or with an HQAI auditor (Package B), this practical assessment helps you identify gaps and areas of risk related to potential non-conformity or audit feasibility. This module contains three assessments:
- Profiling Risk Assessment, helping you identify potential strengths and gaps in your main management systems in areas such as governance, risk management, resource management, safeguarding, complaints handling, work with partners, environment, onsite security, and programme quality assurance.
- Feasibility Risk Assessment, helping you identify any risk that may impact HQAI's ability to conduct and complete the audit.
- Non-Conformities Risk Assessment, helping you identify risks of non-conformities through the lens of coherent organisational approaches.
Learning objectives - What You’ll Walk Away With
By the end of the e-learning and the assessments, you will:
- Feel more confident navigating CHS audits
- Be able to engage in informed discussions on audit and quality management terminology
- Understand how CHS and quality frameworks apply to your organisation
- Understand the readiness of your organisation to undergo a certification or independent verification audit (feasibility assessment)
- Have identified strengths and gaps in your main management systems (risk profiling) and potential areas of non-conformity with the CHS (non-conformity risk assessment)
- Know what auditors expect and how the certification process works
- Be equipped to make a sound, informed decision about whether and when to begin a CHS certification or verification audit
- Reduce the risk of failure by identifying and addressing potential gaps beforehand
- Strengthen your organisation’s internal capacity for managing audit processes
Informed decision-making: This e-learning and the readiness assessments will ultimately support your preparation and decision-making prior to committing to a CHS Certification or Independent Verification process.
Package A
Self-Guided Option
- Includes: E-learning + Assessment tools (completed by your organisation)
- Time investment: 2-3 full days (around half a day for the e-learning modules and around 2 days for the assessments)
- Fee: 300 CHF
Package B
HQAI-Assisted Option
- Includes: E-learning + Assess to Assessment tools that the organisation can complete on its own + Assessments conducted jointly with an HQAI auditor
- Time investment: 3-4 full days (around half a day for the e-learning modules ; around 2 days for the assessments ; around 1 day for meetings, Q&A sessions with an auditor)
- Fee: 1500 CHF
- Value-added for this package:
- You will benefit from direct access to an experienced auditor for discussions, meetings, and Q&A, ensuring clarity on the process and expectations. At the end of the engagement, you will receive an Auditor Feasibility and Non-Conformity Risks Report, providing valuable insights to help you make informed decisions about moving forward.
- If your organisation decides to proceed with the audit within 6 months, Scoping & Profiling activities (the first step of the audit) will be streamlined / significantly reduced
| Contents | Package A – Self Assessment | Package B – Auditor-Guided Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months E-learning modules access | ✔ | ✔ |
|
Embedded Risk Assessments Tools: • Profiling Risk Assessment • Feasibility Risk Assessment • Non-Conformity Risk Assessment |
✔ | ✔ |
| Q&A meetings with an HQAI auditor | ✘ | ✔ |
| Auditor Feasibility and Non-Conformity Risks Report by an HQAI auditor | ✘ | ✔ |
| Access to the focal point e-learning | ✔ | ✔ |
| Access to HQAI’s working environment (Cloud System) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Expedited application to a HQAI CHS audit within 6 months after the end of the e-learning | ✘ | ✔ |
| Free application to a HQAI CHS audit within 6 months after the end of the e-learning | ✘ | ✔ |
| Nr. of accesses to the e-learning & assessment tools | 4 | 10 |
Questions or ready to start?
Contact us at: quality@hqai.org
Disclaimer: This Audit Readiness Training & Assessment is designed strictly as an informational and preparatory service. In line with HQAI’s role as an accredited Conformity Assessment Body (CAB), the service does not provide consulting or advice on how to conform with the CHS, and it does not guarantee audit results or outcomes. The training focuses on understanding audit processes, quality management principles, and risk awareness to support informed, independent decision-making. Moreover, by keeping the training structured and non-prescriptive, HQAI ensures that participants retain full ownership over their quality management systems, enabling them to develop solutions that are best suited to their unique operational realities, governance structures, and cultural contexts. HQAI maintains full compliance with accreditation requirements to safeguard the integrity, objectivity, and impartiality of its audit and certification services.