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Value-Added Attributes of the QA Requirements


  1. Senior Management Ownership
    Senior management must take full ownership of the quality assurance program. These managers should establish policies and objectives focused on achieving the organization's mission while improving the quality of the organization's products and services. They must create an environment that promotes quality and the improvement of quality throughout the entire organization.
  2. Line Organization Responsibility
    People who perform the work have the greatest affect on item and process quality. They should be empowered. They determine the extent to which management's objectives are met. Individual employees should seek ways to improve the quality of their work by suggesting product and process improvements.
  3. Effective Assessment
    The self-assessment process consists of three types of assessments: worker, management, and independent. Worker assessment deals with the individual taking responsibility for their work as part of their work ethic. As work is performed, workers should critically assess their efforts and determine if they have accomplished what they set out to do, that is, meet management's objectives.
    Management assessment identifies, corrects and prevents management problems that hinder the achievement of the management's objectives. The assessments focus on broad categories of management issues to determine the effectiveness of the integrated management system.
    Independent assessment expands traditional audit techniques to include a myriad of tools that allow independent assessment personnel to better focus on real issues that affect the organization's performance. In their role of assessing item quality and process effectiveness, independent assessment personnel act on behalf of and as an advisor to, senior management. Personnel performing assessments should be technically qualified and performance-oriented.
  4. Quality Results
    A measure or the success of an organization is the quality of the services and products it provides. Product and service quality, rather than rigorous programs, procedures, and documentation, is the organization's primary measure of success.
  5. Cost and Schedule
    To achieve quality products and services, managers must take into account resource considerations, such as cost and schedule. These considerations must be an integral part of management's decision-making process.
  6. Training and Qualification
    Every individual must be capable of doing his/her job. The Order requires that all personnel, including managers, receive the appropriate training to ensure they are capable of performing their assignments.
  7. Quality Improvement
    Problem prevention is more desirable than problem correction. The Order emphasizes that DOE and DOE contractor management is responsible for continuously pursuing enhancements to their products and services--not just complying with the minimum set of requirements. Everyone must strive to find new and innovative ways to ensure that the quality of products and services are continually improved. Process and product problems must be identified, documented, and corrected with the goal of promoting higher levels of quality.
  8. Graded Approach Not all items, processes and services have the same effect on safety and reliability. The rigor with which the QAP should be applied must be determined using a graded approach. Specific information should be considered, such as the relative importance of safety, safeguards, and security; the management of any hazard; life cycle stage; programmatic mission; characteristics of the facility; consequences of failure; complexity or uniqueness of design or fabrication; special controls; ability to demonstrate functional compliance; quality history; degree of standardization; impact on the environment; and impact on cost or schedule or both.

For additional information regarding this page or feedback on its content, please contact:

Colette Broussard, Director, Quality Assurance Policy and Assistance, colette.broussard@hq.doe.gov



This page was last updated on January 15, 2013