Step 5 - Management Review
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The final step in the basic EMS process is to review the EMS itself. The basic requirement in Clause 4.5 of ISO 14001 calls on top management to review the EMS, whenever it seems appropriate, "to ensure the continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness." Management must make sure that it has collected the information necessary for a comprehensive evaluation and that it documents the review. The review looks at the EMS audit results, at changing circumstances, and the organization's commitment to continual improvement and addresses possible changes in policy, objectives, and other EMS elements. Annex A points out that not all components of the EMS need to be reviewed at once and that the review process may take place over a period of time. The Annex also points out that reviews of policies, objectives, and procedures should be carried out by the level of management that defined them.
The "changing circumstances" referred to in the clause can include changes in legislation, varying expectations of interested parties, changes in the organizations products or activities, technological advances, marketing information, and feedback from environmental incidents. To complete the circle of continuous improvement, management should plan corrective and preventive action to improve the EMS and should follow up to ensure the actions were taken and were effective. The results of the management review may dictate changes in the environmental policy, which would trigger change in the EMS itself.
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