APM - Understand quality in the context of a project Flashcards
Define the term ‘quality’
Quality is the fitness for purpose or the degree of conformance of the outputs of a process or the process itself to requirements.
Outline the purpose of ‘quality management’
Quality management is a discipline for ensuring the outputs, benefits and the processes by which they are delivered, meet stakeholder requirements and are fit for purpose.
Define the term ‘quality planning’
Quality planning takes the defined scope and specifies the acceptance criteria used to validate that the outputs are fit for purpose to the sponsor
Define the term ‘quality control’
Quality control consists of inspection, measurement and testing to verify that the project outputs meet acceptance criteria defined during quality planning.
Outline the purpose of ‘quality assurance’
Quality assurance (QA) The process of evaluating overall project performance on a regular basis to provide confidence that the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards
State the purpose of: ‘decision gates’, post project reviews, benefit reviews and project audits
Decision gate is point in the life cycle between phases that is used to review and confirm viability of the work in line with the business case. Alternatively called stage gates or gates.
State the purpose of: decision gates, ‘post project reviews’, benefit reviews and project audits
Post-project review is undertaken after the project deliverables have been handed over and before final closeout, this review is intended to produce lessons learnt that will enable continuous improvement.
State the purpose of: decision gates, post project reviews, ‘benefit reviews’ and project audits
Benefits realisation review is undertaken after a period of operations of the project deliverables. It is intended to establish that project benefits have been or are being realised.
State the purpose of: decision gates, post project reviews, ‘benefit reviews’ and ‘project audits’
A means to provide assurance that enables the sponsor to have confidence that the governance is working and that the project is being managed as intended
State the purpose of quality assurance
Is to create a process for evaluating overall project performance on a regular basis to provide confidence that the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards.
It is a complimentary practice, alongside quality planning and control to assure that the project outputs meet requirements.
Quality assurance is always performed through an independent audit, either external to the organisation or at least external to the project.
The term quality control
As part of quality planning tests plans for quality control will have to be agreed, these include aspects such as
- Sample size of tests, for example, the whole item or percentage chosen at random
- Test protocols, including resources required – people, equipment – third party expertise or facilities
- Independent performance and/or witness testing by a regulator or process owner from business - as – usual.
The term quality planning
• Quality planning starts when there is a defined scope of the project or the next period in the iterative lifecycle
• This then specifies the criteria used to validate that the outputs are fit for purpose and acceptable to the sponsor
• Quality plan is created and agreed by sponsor and wider governance as key part of overall project management plan
• The quality plan documents
- Methods for verifying that the outputs meet requirements
- Pass/fail criteria for each method
- Frequency of the tests , checks or audits that will be carried out
- Requirements for resources needed, e.g. particular test equipment or suitably qualified and experienced staff who may be provided by the delivery organisation or as part of the supply chain, stakeholder approvals.
The purpose of quality management
QM is a discipline for ensuring the outputs and benefits, and the opportunity and the processes by which they are delivered, meet stakeholder requirements and are fit for purpose.
Project quality management includes the processes required to ensure that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken.
The project quality management systems includes all activities of the overall management function that assigns responsibilities for quality and determine the quality objectives by and implements them by means such as quality planning, quality assurance, quality control and continual improvement.
Project quality management must address both the management of the project and the outputs of the project. Failure to meet quality requirements in either dimension can have serious negative effects for some of the project stakeholders.
The purpose of: decision gates, post project reviews, benefits reviews and project audit
The purpose of: decision gates, post project reviews, benefits reviews and project audits
A review is a critical evaluation of a deliverable
Reviews are one of the principle mechanisms by which the quality of deliverables, performance management process and the ongoing viability of the work is reassured.
Decision gates
• Confirm the viability of the work across the chosen life cycle
• Linear -they are event driven at the end of each stage
• Iterative they are they are time bound
Reviews answer four questions • What has been achieved? • What is required for the next stage? • What are the key decisions to be made? • Is the business case still viable i.e. can the desired benefits be achieved for an acceptable level of cost and risk?
Post project review
The PM is responsible for arranging a post project review (PPR) will take place shortly after the project is formally completed at the end of the transition phase.
- The prime objective is to achieve lessons learned.
- Project outputs meets acceptance criteria – time and quality
Benefits review
Will normally take place 6- 12 months after handover and commissioning – did we achieve what we set out to do?
Audit
Normally under taken by an independent from the project, an audits is to provide assurance
