Test the decision, not the memory of the slide
Imagine a UAE fabrication workshop introducing a new inspection gauge. The inspector attends a toolbox talk and signs the register. During the next job, however, the person selects the correct gauge but cannot identify that its verification status has expired. The training occurred; the required decision was not yet demonstrated.
This is an illustrative scenario, not a reported LETA client result. Define the task in operational terms: identify the current instruction, select suitable equipment, perform the check, interpret the result, preserve the record and escalate an abnormal condition. Avoid turning competence into a vague personality judgment.
Use demonstrate, observe and decide
Demonstrate: ask the person to perform or explain the real task using the information and tools available at the point of work. Observe: compare the method and result with the organisation's approved criteria, including safety, quality and authority limits. Decide: record whether the person is authorised, needs supervised practice, requires another action or should not yet perform the task independently.
The evidence can be proportionate: an observed task record, reviewed work sample, practical assessment, supervisor sign-off supported by criteria, or a combination. A generic quiz may support knowledge evidence but rarely shows the whole capability needed for a complex operational decision.
Treat retraining as an action—not automatic closure
When an NCR leads to retraining, first determine whether lack of competence contributed to the problem. If the actual cause was obsolete information, conflicting priorities, poor access control or unclear authority, repeating the same presentation will not fix the system. Match the action to the cause.
After a relevant interval, sample a later task or result. Check whether the person used the correct input, made the expected decision and escalated appropriately. If the result still fails, reconsider the competence criteria, supervision, resources or process design rather than collecting another signature.
Keep the transition evidence proportionate
ISO's public 2026 overview highlights greater emphasis on people and awareness of quality culture and ethical behaviour. The demonstrate-observe-decide check is LETA's practical method, not a mandatory form or copied ISO requirement. Confirm exact requirements using an authorised copy of ISO 9001:2026.
The ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group competence paper can provide useful background on determining competence, actions and effectiveness, but it predates ISO 9001:2026 and is not transition criteria. LETA can help define practical competence evidence and evaluate implementation; an independent certification body assesses conformity and decides certification.