Learn to develop a Quality Management Plan with this post. It’s authored by a PMP certified project manager and it points to tips and a template that align with widely recognized good practices in project management.
What is a Quality Management Plan?
The Quality Management Plan is a component (one part of) the Project Management Plan. It identifies the processes for fulfilling the quality requirements and achieving the quality objectives.
What Are The Three Quality Management Processes?
The three quality management processes are:
- plan quality management,
- manage quality, and
- control quality.
How Do You Develop a Quality Management Plan?
Effective Quality Management Plans are developed by implementing widely recognized good practices in project management. These practices include the following steps:
- Secure a well-considered quality management plan template.
- Identify project roles and define responsibilities, as they pertain to quality management.
- Identify the quality requirements and standards.
- Identify the quality management activities
- Describe processes regarding nonconformance, corrective action, and continuous improvement.
- Identify quality control activities.
- Identify assumptions, issues, and risks as they pertain to quality management.
- Include relevant project documents.
- Obtain Plan approval.
Each of these steps are described below.
Effective Quality Management Plans are developed by implementing widely recognized good practices.
Step 1. Secure a Well-Considered Quality Management Plan Template
Before you begin planning, do yourself a favor. Secure a well-considered Quality Management Plan template. Since the Quality Management Plan is one of several subsidiary management plans within the Project Management Plan, secure a template that is developed in alignment with your Project Management Plan template.
When you begin piecing together project management templates from varying sources, it’s easy to create gaps in your project planning. If you begin with a comprehensive template that aligns with commonly recognized good practices in project management, you might avoid risk. Regardless, you will save time. It’s faster to remove sections, documents , or subsidiary management plans than it is to identify gaps and develop what you need.
(At the end of this post, you will find links to the well-constructed templates you’ll need.)
You will save time by working with a well-considered Quality Management Plan Template.
Step 2. Identify Project Roles and Define Responsibilities
Identify the project roles and define the responsibilities of those individuals who will perform the project work, as it relates to quality management.
Remember to involve others when you develop the Quality Management Plan. By tapping the expertise of project team members, project stakeholders, and the project sponsor, you might gain insight and foster buy-in for the project.
Involve others when you develop the Quality Management Plan.
Step 3. Plan Quality Management – Identify the Quality Requirements and Standards
A most important part of planning quality management includes identifying the quality requirements and standards. Often, they are gathered from multiple sources such as the project charter, a relevant purchase contract, any benchmarked projects, interviews with project stakeholders or subject matter experts, relevant industry standards, and so forth. Quality requirements may regard the project, the product, and related processes.
Next, you must identify how the project will demonstrate that it complies with the quality requirements. Here, the quality requirements are traced to the deliverables. It should be exceedingly clear which quality requirements pertain to which deliverables, and which deliverables are subject to quality reviews.
A most important part of panning quality management includes identifying the quality requirements and standards.
Step 4. Manage Quality – Identify the Quality Management Activities
Identify executable quality management activities that will be performed throughout the project life cycle. For example, identify audit, test, and inspection events. Define their frequencies of occurrence and identify the person(s) who will perform the events and report the results.
Thereafter, describe the procedures for managing quality. Specifically, describe the procedures for dealing with nonconformance, corrective action, and continuous improvement.
The process of identifying executable quality management activities is performed throughout the project life cycle. It is not a one-time planning activity.
Step 5. Manage Quality – Describe Processes Regarding Nonconformance, Corrective Action, and Continuous Improvement.
With this step, you will describe the procedures for dealing with nonconformance, corrective action, and continuous improvement. This is also a part of managing quality.
Our Quality Management Plan template also includes a section for identifying and describing the quality reports that will be issued, the frequency with which they will be issued, and the person by whom they will be prepared.
Step 6. Control Quality – Identify Quality Control Activities.
Identify the quality control processes and activities that will be performed to ensure the project outputs are complete, correct, and meet customer expectations. Specifically, include how the correctness of the deliverables will be verified. Provide details regarding inspections, audits, and tests. Also, identify the work performance information that will be captured and reported on project status reports.
Step 7. Identify Assumptions, Issues, and Risks as they pertain to Quality Management.
Assumptions, issues, and risks may present themselves while planning quality management. If so, document them in the plan and later transfer them to the appropriate location for further management.
Step 8. Include Relevant Project Documents.
It may be necessary to include project documents that will be used during quality management. Our quality Management Plan template includes a section for attaching them. Once inserted into the Quality Management Plan, these project documents become baselined upon Plan approval.
Step 9. Obtain Plan Approval.
Typically, the Project Sponsor formally approves the Quality Management Plan. Our template includes a section to obtain the Approver’s signature.
Good Practices Lead to Development of Effective Plans
“The Practitioner’s Book of Project Management Templates” is an e-book that will guide you in implementing these good practices. It contains 86 editable templates that will expedite your development of an effective Quality Management Plan. The templates in this e-book are designed to work together toward development of a comprehensive Project Management Plan.
Start Planning Now
Ready to start planning? Select the button on the left to learn more about our e-book, “The Practitioner’s Book of Project Management Templates.” It includes the Quality Management Plan template and numerous other subsidiary management plan templates, project document templates, and a Project Management Plan template. Download it and start planning immediately.
Need the Quality Management Plan template only. Select the button on the right to get started.
About the Author
Kimberlin R. Wildman, JD, PMP is a former attorney, a PMP certified project manager, a federal proposal manager, and the founder of MyPM. She has two decades of experience interviewing subject matter experts, spotting opportunities, and leading projects to successful closures. Author Bio
MyPM is a proposal management company. Our professionals average more than 20 years of experience providing proposal services in response to government and business solicitations. In addition, we provide post-award project management support.