Quality in a Project Environment
Quality is defined in ISO 8402 as the
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'Totality of characteristics of an entity which bear on its
ability to satisfy stated and implied needs' |
Within projects, quality is a question of identifying what it is about the project's products or services that make them fit for their purpose of satisfying stated needs. Projects should not rely on implied needs. These lead to uncertainty and, as such, are of little use.
Quality Management is the process of ensuring that the quality expected by the Customer is achieved. It encompasses all the project management activities that determine and implement the Project's Quality Plan. The various elements of an organisation's quality management interrelate and are as follows:
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A Quality System with an organisation structure, procedures and processes to implement quality management. PROMISE itself forms part of an organisation’s quality system. |
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Quality Assurance, which sets up the quality system and is the means of assuring that the quality system operates to achieve an end product that meets quality and customer requirements. It creates and maintains the quality system, audits and evaluates it. |
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Quality Planning establishes the objectives and requirements for quality and lays out the activities for the application of the quality system. |
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Quality Control, is the means of ensuring that
products meet the quality criteria specified for them. Quality control is
about examining products to determine that they meet requirements. |
Project quality planning must cover the following agreements to ensure that the project delivers to an acceptable level of quality:
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How each product will be tested against its quality criteria |
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When each product will be tested against its quality criteria |
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Who will test each product against its quality criteria? |
The first aspect is performed by Planning Quality at the outset of the project, during Project Kick Off. The last two aspects are performed in the relevant Stage Quality Plans, created in Planning a Stage.
Quality is achieved by a combination of actions. The quality criteria for all levels of product are stated in measurable terms in the Product Descriptions. The process of producing the products and services is controlled during normal project work, i.e. Assessing Progress.
The final aspect is the process of using all the quality checking techniques defined in the Quality System. These split largely into two groups:
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Objective methods, where, after applying them, there is a definitive 'yes' or 'no' answer to whether the deliverable is 'to quality'. |
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Subjective methods, where the criteria involve either judgement or opinion, such as user friendliness, conformance to business strategy and market acceptability. |