Learning to Become an FSC Auditor: Objectivity, Interpretation, and Mastery

Oct 3, 2026

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This paper opens the black box of auditing for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management standard by tracing early steps in becoming an FSC auditor. It examines two auditor training sessions in northern Europe using participant observation and unstructured interviews. A dramaturgical analysis shows how objectivity is performed and taught, and how objectivity and subjectivity function as co-supportive parts of audit mastery. The study argues that compromising either reduces audit capacity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background: Auditing and informational governance

Training and methods

Participant observation and interviews

Dramaturgical analysis of objectivity

Learning to Become an FSC Auditor: Objectivity, Interpretation, and Mastery Science and Technology Studies Cook, W.C. ; Turnhout, E. ; Bommel, S. [https://doi.org/10.23987/sts.60766](https://doi.org/10.23987/sts.60766) This article is made publicly available in the institutional repository of Wageningen University and Research, under the terms of article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, also known as the Amendment Taverne. This has been done with explicit consent by the author. Article 25fa states that the author of a short scientific work funded either wholly or partially by Dutch public funds is entitled to make that work publicly available for no consideration following a reasonable period of time after the work was first published, provided that clear reference is made to the source of the first publication of the work. This publication is distributed under The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) 'Article 25fa implementation' project. In this project research outputs of researchers employed by Dutch Universities that comply with the legal requirements of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act are distributed online and free of cost or other barriers in institutional repositories. Research outputs are distributed six months after their first online publication in the original published version and with proper attribution to the source of the original publication. You are permitted to download and use the publication for personal purposes. All rights remain with the author(s) and / or copyright owner(s) of this work. Any use of the publication or parts of it other than authorised under article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright act is prohibited. Wageningen University & Research and the author(s) of this publication shall not beheld responsible or liable for any damages resulting from your (re)use of this publication. For questions regarding the public availability of this article please [contact](contact openscience.library@wur.nl)[ ](contact openscience.library@wur.nl)[openscience.library@wur.nl](contact openscience.library@wur.nl) Learning to Become an FSC Auditor: Objectivity, Interpretation, and Mastery William Clark Cook Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands/ william.clark. [cook@gmail.com](cook@gmail.com) Esther Turnhout Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands Séverine van Bommel Strategic Communication Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands Abstract This paper aims to open the black box of auditing for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management standard. Specifically, we delve into the early steps of becoming an FSC auditor by examining two auditor training sessions in northern Europe. Using a mix of participant observation and unstructured interviews, the paper subjects the trainingsto a dramaturgical analysis that focuses on the ways in which objectivity was performed and on how it was taught to be performed. Alongside being an exploratory piece on FSC auditor training, this article highlights how objectivity and subjectivity are co-supportive components. Instead of being something to shy away from, auditors are implicitly taught the values of auditing even if they compromise the objective claims of the auditing process. Furthermore, the paper establishes that both interpretive and objective aspects are necessary, and that to compromise either is to diminish the capacity of the audit process. Keywords: FSC, auditing, dramaturgy Introduction The first image of an auditor is that of an outsider, an interloper who swoops in to scrutinise and criticise. It is an image of ledgers, numbers, checklists, and cold, hard facts. It is also an image of faceless devotees busy ferreting away until the truth is finally revealed. These images are not so easily aligned with the daily practices of auditors as they try to make sense of the world; to reconcile what is ob

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the paper?

The paper opens the black box of auditing for the FSC forest management standard by investigating how people become FSC auditors, focusing on early training steps.

How does the paper analyze auditor training?

It uses participant observation and unstructured interviews and applies a dramaturgical analysis to examine how objectivity is performed and taught.

What does the paper conclude about objectivity in auditing?

Objectivity and subjectivity are co-supportive, and auditors are implicitly taught auditing values even when they compromise strict objective claims. Compromising either interpretive or objective aspects diminishes the audit process.

Oct 3, 2026

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