Over the past several posts, we looked at an overview of Context of the Organization; a little bit more detail in terms of Internal Issues and External Issues; and this summary will pull it all together for you.
Context of the Organization requires an organization to determine internal and external issues as discussed in previous posts. By identifying which issues are relevant to your organization, you can then ensure that you have considered them as you move forward.
Context of the organization – how it fits (summary)
Forward to what? There are several other clauses in the standard that build on clause 4.1:
4.3 – Determining scope of the Management System
4.4 – ____________ Management System (Environmental or OH&S)
6.1.1 – Actions to address risks and opportunities
makamuki0 / Pixabay
The key here is that internal and external issues are part of what you are considering when you are addressing risks and opportunities for your organization. You have to be aware of the internal and external forces when you are accurately assessing your negatives (risks) and positives (opportunities)…
Once external and internal issues have been identified and documented, you can update this list on a regular basis (perhaps at strategic planning or budgeting time?) to ensure that actions you’ve taken in the past (to mitigate risks or capitalize on opportunities) are reflected in the updated list.
Contact us if you’d like some assistance in doing this accurately and quickly!