During the closing meeting, the lead auditor should do which of the following?

The primary purpose of the closing meeting is to formally communicate the audit's outcomes to the auditee's management and relevant stakeholders. The lead auditor chairs this meeting and is responsible for presenting a clear and concise summary of the audit results. This includes positive findings, observations, nonconformities, and the overall audit conclusion. This ensures that the auditee has a complete and formal understanding of the audit's outcome, which serves as the basis for any required corrective actions.

A. Accept the presentation of objective evidence. The collection and verification of objective evidence occur during the evidence-gathering phase (fieldwork) of the audit, not in the closing meeting.
B. Review the auditor’s qualifications. The audit team's competence and qualifications are typically confirmed and communicated during the audit planning stages or at the opening meeting.
C. Perform a causal analysis with the auditee. Causal analysis for nonconformities is the responsibility of the auditee as part of their corrective action process after the audit has concluded.

1. ISO 19011:2018, Guidelines for auditing management systems, Section 6.4.9, "Conducting the closing meeting." This section states that the purpose of the closing meeting, chaired by the lead auditor, is to "present the audit findings and conclusions." It lists typical activities, including presenting the summary and conclusions of the audit.

2. Russell, J. P. (Ed.). (2021). The ASQ Certified Quality Auditor Handbook (5th ed.). ASQ Quality Press. Chapter 11, "Audit Performance," details the closing meeting process. It specifies that the lead auditor presents the audit summary, including "the audit scope, objectives, overall performance, positive observations, nonconformities, and the audit team’s conclusion" (p. 188).

3. Purdue University, Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). ISO 9001:2015 Internal Auditor Training Courseware. Module 6, "Conducting the Audit." The course materials outline the audit process according to ISO 19011, specifying that the closing meeting is for the lead auditor to "report audit findings and conclusions" and "present the audit report." It clarifies that root cause analysis is a post-audit activity for the auditee.