Quality Management Approach

A Quality Management Approach describes how quality will be managed during the project. This includes the specific processes, procedures, techniques, standards, and responsibilities to be applied. A template is usually provided by the organization and only needs minor changes. This document is created at the initiation stage with the other approach documents and becomes part of the project initiation documentation. The Quality Management Approach also defines the various responsibilities for achieving the required quality levels, during the project.

The quality management approach answers the following questions:

• Which Quality Management System to use, i.e., from customer, supplier, or a mixture?
• What standards will be used?
• What tools and techniques will be used?
• How will quality assurance be carried out?
• Who is responsible for documenting customer’s quality expectations & acceptance criteria?
• Who is responsible for quality assurance, approving the quality management approach, confirming acceptance of the project product?
• Records required and timing of quality activities

Timeline Quality Management Approach

A Quality Management Approach describes how quality will be managed during the project. This includes the specific processes, procedures, techniques, standards, and responsibilities to be applied. A template is usually provided by the organization and only needs minor changes. This document is created at the initiation stage with the other approach documents and becomes part of the project initiation documentation. The Quality Management Approach also defines the various responsibilities for achieving the required quality levels, during the project.

The quality management approach answers the following questions:

• Which Quality Management System to use, i.e., from customer, supplier, or a mixture?
• What standards will be used?
• What tools and techniques will be used?
• How will quality assurance be carried out?
• Who is responsible for documenting customer’s quality expectations & acceptance criteria?
• Who is responsible for quality assurance, approving the quality management approach, confirming acceptance of the project product?
• Records required and timing of quality activities

Timeline Quality Management Approach

• The Quality Management Approach is created in the Initiating a Project process by the Project Manager
• The Project Manager will be aware of the scope and quality requirements of the project as they have just created the Project Product Description
• The Project Manager will normally review a template that is provided by the programme and see if anything needs to be changed.
• The Quality Management Approach may be updated during the project to reflect any agree changes to the way the quality will be management in the project.

Source data for the Quality Management Approach

• Quality Management Approach template which should already include most of the following information
  • Organizational standards;
  • Configuration management requirements
  • Change control requirements
  • Corporate or programme strategies;
• Project management team structure (for Roles and responsibilities),
• Project Product Description (for the customer’s quality expectations and acceptance criteria)
• Supplier and customer quality management systems

Format of the Quality Management Approach

• This document can take a number of formats
• However, it will normally be a stand-alone document (Word / PDF)

Quality Criteria for the Quality Management Approach

• Clearly define how the customer’s quality expectations will be met
• Responsibilities for quality are defined up to a level that is independent of the project and Project Manager
• The strategy conforms to the supplier’s and customer’s quality management systems
• The strategy conforms to the corporate or programme quality policy
• The approaches to assuring quality for the project are appropriate in the light of the standards selected.

Tips from Frank

• Decide which approach to use for quality: Customer or Supplier
• Get an up to date Quality Management Approach template from the programme or customer
• Review the Project Product Description before you review the Quality Management Approach template