---
title: "Quality assurance"
subject: "ICT Project Management"
chapter: 10
key: "semester_7/ict_project_management:quality-assurance"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/quality-assurance
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Quality assurance

ICT Project Management · Chapter 10: Project quality management

- Asked in: year not given
- Video: [Project Quality Management Overview | PMBOK Video Course](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7YJ-_OJIZQ) — David McLachlan
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/quality-assurance
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/ict_project_management/chapter-10

## Question

What do you mean by quality assurance?

## Short answer

Quality assurance (QA) is a process-oriented, preventive activity that audits processes and quality control results to ensure standards are met. It uses quality audits, process analysis, and reviews to build quality into processes and continuously improve.

## Answer

**Quality assurance (QA)** is the process of auditing the quality requirements and the results from quality control measurements to ensure that appropriate quality standards and operational definitions are used (PMBOK, Perform Quality Assurance). It is a process-oriented, preventive activity done during execution, and it gives confidence that the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards.

#### Objectives
- Prevent defects by building quality into the process.
- Make sure the agreed processes are followed.
- Give management and customers confidence.
- Continuously improve processes.

#### Activities / tools
1. **Quality audits**: structured, independent reviews to check compliance with policies and procedures and to find good practices and gaps.
2. **Process analysis**: examine problems and constraints, identify root causes and make improvement plans.
3. **Quality management and control tools**: flowcharts, cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto charts and similar tools are reused.
4. **Reviews and walkthroughs** of requirements, design and code.
5. **Training** and enforcement of standards.
6. **Process improvement** using PDCA and Six Sigma.

#### Outputs
Change requests, updates to the project management plan, updates to project documents and updates to organisational process assets (OPA).

```text
Plan -> Perform QA (audits, process analysis)
      -> Improvements -> Better processes
```

#### QA versus QC
| Basis | QA | QC |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | Process | Product |
| Nature | Preventive | Detective |
| Who | Often an independent QA team, or the whole team | Testers/inspectors |
| When | Throughout | After the work is produced |
| Question | Are we following the right process? | Is the result correct? |

#### Benefits
Fewer defects, lower rework cost, customer confidence, and compliance with standards such as ISO 9001 and CMMI.

**Example:** A QA officer audits several projects to check that requirement reviews and test plans are done as per the company procedure, and suggests improvements.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What is quality assurance?
   A. Testing finished products to find defects
   B. Estimating project costs
   C. Selecting vendors
   D. A process-oriented preventive activity auditing requirements and QC results
   Answer: D. QA ensures appropriate standards and processes are used. (Key point: Definition)

2. Which is a QA tool/activity?
   A. Quality audits and process analysis
   B. Unit testing of modules
   C. Defect repair
   D. Customer acceptance testing
   Answer: A. Audits and process analysis are QA; testing is QC. (Key point: QA tools)

3. Which question does QA ask?
   A. Is the result correct?
   B. Are we doing the right process?
   C. Is the module tested?
   D. How many bugs remain?
   Answer: B. QA examines process; QC checks whether the result is correct. (Key point: QA vs QC)

## Related in ICT Project Management

- [Quality planning](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aquality-planning) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10
- [Project quality](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-quality) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10
- [Total quality management](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Atqm) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10
- [Cost of quality](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Acost-of-quality) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10
- [Quality management plan](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aquality-management-plan) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10
- [Quality audit and approach](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aquality-audit) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10

## Related in other subjects

- [Software quality assurance](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fsoftware_engineering%3Asqa-note) — Software Engineering, chapter 9
- [Differentiate quality control and assurance](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Aqa-vs-qc-differentiate) — Project Engineering, chapter 4
- [Quality control of concrete at site](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fconcrete_technology_and_masonry_structure%3Aquality-control-at-site) — Concrete Technology and Masonry Structure, chapter 5, asked 11×
- [Quality; QA vs QC; site engineer steps](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Aquality-qa-qc-site-engineer-steps) — Project Engineering, chapter 4