Quality Management Plan Instructions

The quality management plan establishes minimum standards for quality planning, quality control, and quality assurance for the program’s components, as well as responsibilities for quality assurance and control at the program level. It is prepared in the plan program quality process in the Standard for Program Management—

Second Edition (2008).

The quality management plan will include the following:

Purpose: A brief introductory statement defining the purpose of the quality management plan, such as:

The quality management plan describes the program’s quality require-ments that cross the various components of the program. It also provides requirements to assist the program components as project managers in the program prepare their quality management plans.

It should be noted that the program’s quality management plan does not replace the quality management plans to be prepared by each of the project managers working in the program. Instead, its purpose is to specific quality standards and policies, as well as oversights, designed to ensure that the pro-gram realizes the benefits it is to achieve. This plan also serves to ensure that there is consistent application of specific quality requirements across the vari-ous components (projects and other work) in the program.

It is prepared in the plan program quality process in the Standard for Program Management—Second Edition (2008).

Organizational quality standards: This section states the performing organi-zation’s quality standards and policies. It also should note quality standards and policies of the program’s customers. If the program is a joint venture, the program management team will need to set specific standards and policies to be followed in the program. Note that standards are established norms, methods, policies, and practices. The quality policy sets forth the intended direction of the organization with regard to quality.

Overview of the program’s benefits: This section presents an overview of the benefits the program is designed to achieve. It can show a link to the pro-gram’s benefits realization plan. With a complete understanding of the scope

118  Implementing Program Management: Templates for Success

and nature of the benefits from the program, the program manager then can more effectively design appropriate quality standards and measures.

Quality planning tools and techniques: This section describes the tools and techniques the program management team will use as they prepare the pro-gram’s quality management plan. Examples of tools and techniques that may be used include cost-benefit analysis, benchmarking, checklists, and determi-nation of the total cost of program quality.

Requirements for quality planning, quality assurance, and quality control for the program’s components: This section describes the minimal require-ments each of the program’s components must follow concerning quality planning, quality assurance, and quality control. It specifies the minimal quality standards and testing standards for the components. The purpose is to ensure that the quality management activities of the program components support the overall quality policy and standards at the program level.

Program-level roles and responsibilities: This section describes roles and responsibilities at the program level for quality assurance and quality control.

Quality assurance responsibilities may include audits of the program’s overall commitment to quality management or an audit of a specific component’s quality management activities to ensure appropriate standards are used, and there is compliance as required with regulations. These responsibilities also focus on continuous process improvement for the program. Quality con-trol responsibilities may include methods to monitor and record results of executing activities to assess performance and to recommend preventive or corrective actions. Note that both quality assurance and quality control are performed throughout the program.

Quality metrics: This section describes quality metrics that will be used in quality assurance and quality control. These metrics assist in comparing actual practices to planned practices to ensure program requirements are met successfully, and rework is not required. These metrics show compliance as well with the program’s standards and any applicable regulations.

Approvals: This section contains the written approval of the quality man-agement plan by the program sponsor, program manager, program manage-ment office, members of the program board or governance board, and other stakeholders.

quality Management Plan Template

<Insert Program Name>

Quality Management Plan

Program name:

Program manager: PM’s email address here as a hyperlink

The Program Setup Phase  119

Program sponsor:

Actual start date:

Approved end date:

Program no.:

Revision history:

Business unit:

A. PurPoSe

A brief introductory statement defining the purpose of the quality management plan, such as:

The quality management plan describes the program’s quality requirements that cross the various components of the program. It also provides require-ments to assist the program components as project managers in the pro-gram prepare their quality management plans.

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B. orGAnIzATIonAl quAlITy STAnDArDS

This section states the performing organization’s quality standards and policies. It also should note the customer’s quality standards and policies. If the program is a joint venture, the program management team will need to set these standards and policies.

_____________________________________________________________________

C. overvIeW oF The ProGrAM’S BeneFITS

This section presents an overview of the benefits the program is to achieve in order to more effectively design program quality standards and metrics. A link to the program benefits realization plan may be included.

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D. quAlITy PlAnnInG ToolS AnD TeChnIqueS

This section describes the tools and techniques the program management team will use as they prepare the program’s quality management plan.

120  Implementing Program Management: Templates for Success

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e. requIreMenTS For quAlITy PlAnnInG, quAlITy ASSurAnCe, AnD quAlITy ConTrol For The ProGrAM’S CoMPonenTS This section describes the minimal requirements each of the program’s compo-nents must follow concerning quality planning, quality assurance, and quality control in order that the quality management activities of the program compo-nents support the overall quality policy and standards at the program level.

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F. ProGrAM-level roleS AnD reSPonSIBIlITIeS

This section describes roles and responsibilities at the program level for quality assurance and quality control. These roles and responsibilities are performed throughout the program.

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G. quAlITy MeTrICS

This section describes quality metrics that will be used in quality assurance and quality control at the program level to ensure program requirements are met successfully, rework is not required, and there is compliance with the program’s standards and any applicable regulations.

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h. APProvAlS

This section contains the approval of the quality management plan by the pro-gram sponsor, propro-gram manager, propro-gram management office, members of the governance board, and other key stakeholders.

SignatureSand date approval obtained

Program manager ____________________________________

Program sponsor ____________________________________

The Program Setup Phase  121

Program management office director ____________________________________

Governance board chairperson ____________________________________

Governance board member 1 ____________________________________

Governance board member 2 ____________________________________

Governance board member N ____________________________________

Stakeholder 1 ____________________________________

Stakeholder 2 ____________________________________

Stakeholder N ____________________________________

In document The Standard for Program Management (Page 136-140)