57086 Contract and Project Management15David Sowden, The University of Hull

1557086 Contract and Project Management

Quality in a project environment

David Sowden, The University of Hull

Overview

• Quality in a project environment– Purpose– What is Quality?– Quality Management– The quality path– Making project quality work

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Purpose

• Meet business expectations• Enable the desired benefits to be achieved

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What is Quality?

• Quality defined in ISO 8402 as:‘Totality of characteristics of an entity which bear on its ability to satisfy stated and implied needs.’

(also see ISO 9000 )

• Alternative definition: ‘fit for purpose’• Project approach:

• Quality System: form both customer /supplier

• Quality Assurance: setting up of project quality system

• Quality Planning: part of project planning process

• Quality Control: product QA

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Quality Management

• Quality management is defined as the coordinated activities to direct and control an organisation with regard to quality.

• A quality management system is the complete set of quality standards, procedures and responsibilities for a site or organisation. These include:– Quality planning– Quality control (QC)– Quality assurance (QA)

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Quality planning

To control anything, including quality, there must be a plan.

– define the product(s) required for the project• quality criteria for each product(s)• quality methods used• quality control• product(s) acceptance• responsibilities.

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from customer project response

Quality components

Customer’s quality expectations

Acceptance criteria

Project Product Description

Quality Management Strategy

Product DescriptionQuality criteria and

tolerances

Quality Methods

Quality responsibilities

Quality Register

PRODUCT

Quality and approval records

Acceptance records

Qua

lity

plan

ning

Quality

control

The Quality audit trail

Quality Control

Focuses on the operational techniques and activities used by those involved in the project

• Fulfil the requirements for quality (for example, by quality inspections or testing)

• Identify ways of eliminating causes of unsatisfactory performance.

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Quality expectations

The quality expectation for a water pump in a remote village is that it is robust enough to ‘last a lifetime’, whereas because the oil pump in a racing car needs to be light as possible, it may only need to last the duration of one race.

10© Tony Matthews

EXAMPLE

Acceptance criteria

If a customer’ quality expectation for a water pump is that it ‘lasts a lifetime’, the acceptance criteria should focus on those measures that provide sufficient indication or confidence that the pump is capable of lasting a lifetime (defined as a number

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of years) This may include complying with certain engineering standards relating to product durability.

EXAMPLE

Acceptance criteriaA prioritisation technique - The MoSCoW Method

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Must have requirement

Should have if at all possible

Could have but not critical

Would be good to have... (Won’t have the time to do it now, but maybe later)

MSCW

Project Product Description

The Project Product(s) Description(s) includes:• The overall purpose of the product(s)• its composition• The customer’s quality expectations• Acceptance criteria, methods and responsibilities• Project level quality tolerances.

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The relationship between Project Assurance and QA

Project Assurance Quality Assurance

What they do

Provide assurance to the project’s stakeholders that the project is being conducted appropriately and properly.

Provide assurance to the wider corporate or programme organisation that the project is being conducted appropriately and properly and complies to relevant standards and policies.

How they differ

Must be independent of the Project Manager, support and project teams.

Responsibility of the Project Board, therefore undertaken from within the project.

Performed by personnel who are independent of the project.

Responsibility of the corporate or programme management organisation, therefore external to the project.

How they relate

Quality assurance as a corporate or programme management function could be used by the Project Board as part of its Project Assurance regime.

Quality assurance would look for (or require) effective Project Assurance as one of the indicators that the project is being conducted properly.

TASK

Review your Quality plans