Quality Assurance
An ongoing practice of reviewing and improving the processes, methods, and standards that guide quality management on a project, ensuring they remain suitable and effective. These activities are integrated into the day-to-day work.
Key Points
- Focuses on the quality of processes and standards, not on inspecting finished deliverables (that is quality control).
- Performed continuously during execution and embedded in regular team activities.
- Common techniques include audits, process reviews, checklists, and retrospectives.
- Leads to preventative improvements, such as updating procedures, standards, or the team's Definition of Done.
Example
Mid-sprint, a Scrum team reviews its testing and code review workflow. A process audit finds inconsistent peer reviews and flaky tests. The team updates the Definition of Done to require peer review, improves CI checks, and revises coding standards to prevent defects.
PMP Example Question
During an iteration, the team evaluates whether its test and code review process still aligns with organizational standards and updates the Definition of Done accordingly. What is this an example of?
- Quality assurance
- Quality control
- Validate Scope
- Plan Quality Management
Correct Answer: A — Quality assurance
Explanation: The scenario describes assessing and improving processes and standards during the work. Quality control inspects outputs, Validate Scope accepts deliverables, and Plan Quality Management establishes the approach before execution.
