Summary
In short
- A certification gap analysis is an assessment used in KnowComply that identifies what is missing before a first certification attempt. It is built against ISO 19011 and forms part of the Internal Audit and Certification programme.
- Run before starting a certification project. Carried out by the compliance lead or a consultant.
- The template holds 43 fields across 4 sections, with gaps repeating for each entry.
- Scoring is gap count by clause, where high is bad.
- ISO 19011 is auditing management systems. How to plan, run and report an audit, and how to judge auditor competence. Not certifiable, it is the method.
- It connects to the rest of the library: links Clause Register.
What it is
What it is
What is a certification gap analysis?
A certification gap analysis is an assessment used in KnowComply that identifies what is missing before a first certification attempt. It is built against ISO 19011 and forms part of the Internal Audit and Certification programme.
When is a certification gap analysis completed?
A certification gap analysis is completed when the task, area or population being assessed is new or has materially changed. Run before starting a certification project.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This assessment is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.
Use it for
- The event or activity this assessment covers has occurred, or is about to
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form CGA-2026-000
- You are running the Internal Audit and Certification programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: links clause register
Not for
- ISO 45001 Readiness Audit, which audits the occupational health and safety management system against ISO 45001 ahead of certification or surveillance.
- ISO 14001 Readiness Audit, which audits the environmental management system against ISO 14001 ahead of certification or surveillance.
- External Audit Record, which records a certification body or customer audit, including findings and the response required.
- Anything outside KnowComply, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Standards
What it is built against
ISO 19011Auditing management systems
How to plan, run and report an audit, and how to judge auditor competence. Not certifiable, it is the method.
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the certification gap analysis template based on?+
It is built against ISO 19011. ISO 19011 is auditing management systems. How to plan, run and report an audit, and how to judge auditor competence. Not certifiable, it is the method. ISO is international Organization for Standardization. A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
What sections does the certification gap analysis contain?+
There are 4 sections: header, gaps, summary, plan. Together they hold 43 fields, 35 of which are required.
How often is a certification gap analysis raised?+
A new record is raised when the task, area or population being assessed is new or has materially changed. Each one is given an ID in the form CGA-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the certification gap analysis belong to?+
It is part of Internal Audit and Certification. Findings closed on root cause rather than on correction, and readiness held every day.
How is a certification gap analysis scored?+
Scoring is gap count by clause. High is bad. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the certification gap analysis template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.
The agents
What the agents do with it
The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.
Holds the certification gap analysis library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.
Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowComply — audit and governance. Audit programmes, legal register, management review, risk and certification.
Sources
Sources
- ISO 19011 — Auditing management systems
- ISO — International Organization for Standardization