The second edition of ISO/IEC 17021 Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems sets new requirements for the auditing of management systems and for auditor competence in order to increase the value of management system certification to public and private sector organizations worldwide.

The requirements of the 2006 edition have not been changed except where they contradict those of the 2011 edition. ISO/IEC 17021 is also being published in an unofficial marked-up edition highlighting the new and deleted text. The new edition is to be reviewed one year after it has been in use to decide whether any first edition requirements need modifying to align them further with the new requirements.

CASCO WG 21 co-convened by Randy Dougherty and Alister Dalrymple started work on this edition in December 2006. The Working Group held 8 meetings and 3 Drafting Group meetings to develop this International Standard.  At the CASCO plenary in November 2010 it was agreed not to disband the group given that ISO/IEC 17021 will be reviewed within 1 year of publication and that CASCO is looking at developing a process to maintain expertise in CASCO after a group has completed its tasks.