Product Overview

Summary: This Independent Verification Standard Operating Procedure sets out a clear, defensible process for engaging and managing independent verification activities across your operations. It helps Australian businesses demonstrate due diligence, strengthen assurance over critical decisions, and provide transparent evidence for regulators, clients, and senior leadership.

Independent verification is increasingly expected by regulators, clients, and boards as part of a robust governance and assurance framework. This Standard Operating Procedure provides a structured, step-by-step approach for when and how to commission independent verification, how to define the scope, and how to manage verifiers so that the outcomes are credible, consistent, and aligned with Australian regulatory expectations. It covers verification of designs, calculations, safety-critical systems, processes, and key business decisions where an impartial technical or compliance review is required.

By implementing this SOP, organisations can move away from ad hoc, undocumented verification practices to a repeatable, transparent process that stands up to external scrutiny. The procedure clarifies roles and responsibilities, documentation requirements, and acceptance criteria, reducing ambiguity and rework. It supports organisations in demonstrating due diligence under WHS and other legislation, providing clear traceability from the initial verification request through to findings, close-out actions, and final sign‑off. This is particularly valuable for high-risk industries, infrastructure projects, and any business seeking to strengthen its assurance framework and stakeholder confidence.

Key Benefits

• Demonstrate due diligence and governance by applying a clear, auditable verification process.
• Reduce project and operational risk by ensuring critical assumptions, designs, and controls are independently checked.
• Streamline engagement with independent verifiers through standardised scopes, criteria, and documentation.
• Enhance regulatory and client confidence with verifiable evidence of impartial technical review.
• Improve consistency and quality of decision-making across projects, sites, and business units.

Who is this for?

• Quality Assurance Managers
• Engineering Managers
• Project Managers
• Compliance and Risk Managers
• Operations Managers
• WHS Managers
• Technical Directors
• Internal Auditors
• Procurement Managers
• Regulatory Affairs Managers

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions (Independent Verification, Competent Person, Verification Plan, Non-conformance)
• 3.0 Legislative and Standards Framework
• 4.0 Roles and Responsibilities (Management, Requestor, Verifier, WHS and Quality)
• 5.0 Triggers for Independent Verification (Risk-based Criteria and Thresholds)
• 6.0 Selection and Qualification of Independent Verifiers
• 7.0 Planning the Verification (Scope, Objectives, Criteria and Methodology)
• 8.0 Information and Documentation Requirements
• 9.0 Step-by-Step Independent Verification Process
• 10.0 Managing Findings, Non-conformances and Recommendations
• 11.0 Acceptance, Approval and Close-out of Verification Activities
• 12.0 Records Management and Document Control
• 13.0 Interface with WHS Risk Management and Design Review Processes
• 14.0 Communication, Reporting and Stakeholder Engagement
• 15.0 Training, Competency and Awareness Requirements
• 16.0 Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
• 17.0 Appendices (Templates for Verification Request, Verification Plan, Verification Report, Action Register)

Legislation & References

• AS/NZS ISO 9001:2016 Quality management systems – Requirements
• AS ISO 31000:2018 Risk management – Guidelines
• AS ISO 19600 (superseded, but still referenced in practice): Compliance management systems – Guidelines
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth and harmonised state/territory Acts) – due diligence and risk management duties
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 – requirements for verification of control measures and plant where applicable
• Safe Work Australia – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice