What the clause requires
Clause 7.2 deals with a simple question: do the people who affect quality actually know how to do what they do? The company has to determine the competence necessary for each role that affects the performance and effectiveness of the quality management system, make sure those people are competent on the basis of appropriate education, training or experience, and take action where something is missing. The scope covers anybody working under the company control, which is why contractors and temporary staff belong in this clause too.
Taking action does not only mean running a training course. The standard accepts other routes: mentoring by somebody more experienced, moving a person to a different role, hiring somebody who already has the competence. What cannot be missing is the evaluation of the effectiveness of the action taken: the company has to verify that the person acquired the competence, not merely that the person attended the course. An attendance sheet proves attendance; it does not prove competence, and auditors stopped accepting it as though it did a long time ago.
Finally, the company retains appropriate documented information as evidence of competence: certificates, training history, practical assessments, a verified CV. The most widely used route is a competence matrix by role, which shows on one axis what the role requires and on the other what each person has demonstrated, leaving the gaps visible so they can turn into a training plan. Kept up to date, that single sheet answers most of what an auditor will ask, and it also makes the training budget defensible, because every course on it points back to a gap somebody identified.
What changes in ISO 9001:2026
In ISO 9001:2026 awareness (clause 7.3), the neighbour of this clause, now also covers quality culture and ethical behaviour. In practice, induction and training programmes will have to cover those subjects as well. See everything that changed in the revision.
What the auditor asks to see
- A description of what each role requires: education, training, experience and skills
- Evidence that each person meets what the role requires, or a plan to close the gap
- Evaluation of training effectiveness through a practical test, observation at the workstation or an indicator
- Certificates, training records and induction records filed for each employee
- Coverage of contractors and temporary staff performing activities that affect quality
Where companies most often get it wrong
- Effectiveness evaluated with a satisfaction questionnaire ("did you enjoy the course?")
- Job descriptions out of date or with no competence requirements at all
- A new operator working unsupervised before being assessed
- Training recorded with no link to the gap that prompted it
- Contractors performing critical work outside the competence controls
Example of a nonconformity
- Requirement
- ISO 9001, 7.2 c): where applicable, take actions to acquire the necessary competence and evaluate the effectiveness of the actions taken.
- Evidence
- Technical drawing interpretation training was delivered in 03/2026 to 6 machining operators; the only record is the attendance sheet. Two of the nonconformities raised in 06/2026 were caused by a dimension being misread.
- Finding
- The effectiveness of the training was not evaluated, and there is evidence that the competence was not acquired.
How to comply using PrismaBiz
Ready-made templates for this clause
Frequently asked questions
Does every role have to be in the competence matrix?
Every role that affects the performance and effectiveness of the quality management system has to be covered. In practice that includes production, inspection, purchasing, technical sales and supervision; roles with no bearing on the product can be left out.
Does experience count as competence?
It does, provided it is evidenced: time in the role, a practical assessment, a verified reference. "He has been doing this for years" with no record convinces nobody.
How do I evaluate the effectiveness of training?
Pick something observable: a practical test at the workstation, supervisor observation over a few weeks, a fall in an indicator linked to the subject. Allow enough time for the person to apply what was learned.