CHANGING THE IMAGE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

The traditional image of quality assurance (QA) in a research and development (R&D) institution has been that of paper work. QA was often perceived as focusing on documentation rather than on contributions to productive work. The recent emphasis on regulation by outside groups and independent verification of QA systems has created an opportunity to reevaluate and change this image. The desired change is to create an understanding that when properly utilized, QA is essential to good project management and fully contributes to the success of technical programs. The change is being accomplished by sharpening the definition of QA systems for improved understanding by line organizations, developing a project QA plan structure that allows selective use of the NQA-1 standard, formation of a graded approach that simplifies QA for R&D projects, and an intense campaign to communicate the value of QA to laboratory personnel .