To maintain Fertcare Accredited Advisor (FAA) status, an individual must participate in an approved audit program. The audit is a quality assurance process to ensure that competence is being routinely applied and provides mechanisms to improve and rectify any under-performance. 

For those advisors who use a Fertcare assessed nutrient decision support system, the audit arrangements will vary depending on the level of Fertcare service your System Manager provides.

Audit arrangements for advisors who do not use a Fertcare assessed nutrient decision support system are outlined in section 3.3 of the FAA Participant Manual.

Fertcare Full Service System

Full Service (FS) System Managers will arrange an audit of the recommendations you have made in the previous two years. If deficiencies are identified, the System Manager will agree with you what steps need to be taken to improve the advice provided to farmers, and then seek evidence that changes have been made. System Managers providing FS will also administer the FAA license fee which they may choose to pass on to system users. They will also arrange for renewal of the FAA certificate and updating of the Fertcare database.

Talk to your level FS System Manager about how their internal audit program operates and the expectation of system users.  

 

Fertcare Qualifying and Interpretation Systems

FAA’s using Qualifying and Interpretative systems are required to engage a Fertcare approved auditor within two years of gaining initial FAA status and then subsequent audits (by a Fertcare approved auditor) at least once every four years. You will be notified of the audit by Fertcare approximately three months prior to the due date. For a list of Fertcare approved auditors Click Here. You are free to approach any of the Fertcare approved auditors to undertake your Fertcare audits. Some Fertcare approved auditors may charge a fee for this service.

Fertcare approved auditors will recommend one of three outcomes:
• FAA status is renewed, and the next audit due in four years. This would apply if the Fertcare approved auditor is satisfied that an advisor is following good process, creating high quality recommendations and meeting the FAA Performance Standards consistently.
• FAA status is renewed, and the next audit due in two years. If the auditor identifies issues in interpretations and recommendations that do not meet the FAA Performance Standards. Corrective Action Request (CAR) are raised and resolved.
• The auditor may recommend FAA status be suspended if the auditor identifies issues in interpretations and recommendations that do not meet the FAA Performance Standards and CAR are not resolved.

Four year FAA license fee are $176 +GST per person

Two year FAA license fees are $88 +GST per person

To download the Fertcare audit checklist and instructions Click Here.  

If a Fertcare approved auditor recommends a two year audit interval, the two year audit can be undertaken by either a peer auditor or a Fertcare approved auditor at the auditees discretion. A peer auditor can be any person who has been a FAA for at least 5 years and works in a similar mix of agricultural industries as the person being audited. Auditors should refer to previous audit reports when preparing the next audit.


For details on approved audits, refer to the FAA Participant Manual