About Us
The EPA Quality System provides the framework for planning, implementing,
documenting, and assessing work performed by the Agency and for carrying
out required quality assurance and quality control activities. Oversight
for EPA’s Quality System is delegated to the Director of the Quality
Staff within the EPA Office of Environmental Information. The Quality
Staff consists of approximately 17 professionals who work in the areas
of Policy and Evaluation, Operations and Outreach, and the Information
Quality Guidelines process. Learn more about us through our vision,
mission, and functional statements.
The Quality Staff Vision... |
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...is to lead the Agency in assuring the use of reliable
data and information in all programs, products, and services
to protect human health and the environment.
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The Quality Staff
Mission... |
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...is to promote quality management practices in the
collection, use, and dissemination of data and information
products by EPA and its partners.
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Specific Quality Staff Functions:
- Oversee the development and implementation of EPA’s Quality
Assurance-related polices and procedures.
- Develop, update, and revise Agency-wide quality assurance-related
polices and procedures
- Oversee the development, approval, and implementation of Quality
Management Plans
- Provide technical support to organizations developing or revising
Quality Management Plans
- Assess the Quality Systems of EPA’s organizations and provide
feedback.
- Determine system effectiveness
- Examine conformance with EPA requirements and documentation.
- Ensure valuable support of environmental decisions.
- Evaluate the performance of EPA’s quality management systems
to ensure continuous improvement.
- Develop results-oriented performance measures to evaluate the effects
of organizational quality management systems.
- Provide instructions of Quality Assurance Annual Report and Work
Plan (QAARWP) reporting based on EPA strategic planning and EPA performance
system priorities
- Review performance results from organizational QAARWP reports and
provide an Agency report on progress.
- Implement the Information Quality Guidelines
- Lead Agency-wide implementation of EPA’s Information Quality
Guidelines (EPA IQG) to assure awareness and application
of quality criteria defined by the Information Quality Act (IQA)
for disseminated information.
- Manage the administrative process for responding to public requests
for correction of EPA’s disseminated information.
- Build capacity through guidance, training and technical assistance
- Create and implement capacity-building guidance and tools that
improve the Quality Systems aspects of all Agency product and services.
- Provide training opportunities to maintain the effectiveness of
the Agency Quality System, making use of state of the art technology.
- Serve as a resource to Agency Quality Systems for technical and
policy assistance.
- Collaborate with Agency programs and partners
- Collaborate efficiently within the Agency and with stakeholders
- Raise awareness for Quality Systems through education and outreach
- Build coalitions with external partners