Minor nonconformity: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)
A minor nonconformity (French: non-conformité mineure) is a genuine deviation from an ISO 53001 requirement that does not, on its own, undermine the ability of the SDG management system to achieve its results. It calls for a corrective action plan, which the certification body must accept.
Updated: · edition covered: ISO/UNDP 53001:2026
In an ISO/UNDP 53001 audit
Typical examples include internal audit minutes that were not kept, an indicator filled in late for one period, or awareness sessions missed in one department, provided each remains an isolated case.
At a later visit the auditor checks that the announced actions were carried out and had the intended effect. A minor nonconformity that recurs, or is left without follow-up, can be upgraded to major. That judgement rests on evidence and on the consequences of the lapse, never on a mechanical scale. See the ISO/UNDP 53001 standard.
What the action plan must show
The organisation sends its action plan within the deadline set in the certification rules. The plan names the correction, the cause identified and the action decided, each with an owner and a date. The certification body checks that the plan is credible before accepting it; an action that merely restates the finding in reverse is sent back.
See also
- Major nonconformity: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)A major nonconformity (French: *non-conformité majeure*) is a lapse that undermines the ability of the SDG management system to achieve its intended results.
- Corrective action: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)A corrective action (French: *action corrective*) removes the cause of a nonconformity so that it does not happen again or appear elsewhere.
- Observation: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)An observation (French: *observation*), sometimes called an area of concern, is a finding in an audit report that is not a nonconformity but flags a weak point that could become one.