Chapter 8: Quality

Question 1

What is the purpose of the Quality theme?

Answer 1

The purpose of the Quality theme is to define and implement the means by which the project will verify that products are fit for purpose.

Question 2

Define Quality.

Answer 2

Quality is the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of a product, service, process, person, organization, system or resource fulfils requirements.

Question 3

Define Quality Management.

Answer 3

Quality Management is the coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with regard to quality.

Question 4

What PRINCE2 Principle is the Quality theme connected to?

Answer 4

The “Focus on products” Principle.

Question 5

What does PRINCE2 mean by “Customer’s quality expectations”

Answer 5

A statement about the quality expected from the project products, captured in the project product description.

Question 6

Define Acceptance Criteria.

Answer 6

Acceptance Criteria is a prioritized list of criteria that the project product must meet before the customer will accept it.

Acceptance criteria are measurable.

Question 7

Define Quality Criteria.

Answer 7

Quality Criteria are descriptions of the quality specification that the product must meet, and the quality measurements that will be applied by those inspecting the finished product.

Question 8

What is the difference between Quality Criteria and Acceptance Criteria?

Answer 8

(I think)

Acceptance criteria define what the product must do to satisfy the user, while quality criteria specify how the product should be built and perform.

Acceptance criteria are more broad, while quality criteria are very specific and in detail about the product.

Question 9

What is meant by Quality Planning?

Answer 9

Quality Planning is about defining the project product and its components, with the restrictive quality criteria, quality methods and quality responsibilities of those involved.

Question 10

What is meant by Quality Control?

Answer 10

Quality Control focuses on the operational techniques and activities used by those involved in the project to:
* check that the products meet their quality criteria (e.g., by quality inspections, testing or reviews)
* identify ways of eliminating causes of unsatisfactory performance (I think by gathering feedback and improving the product in due time)

Question 11

Who in the project team carries out Quality Assurance?

Answer 11

Nobody. it is a task carried out independently from the Project Team.

Please note that quality assurance is about independently checking that the organization and processes are in place for quality planning and control.

Question 12

What are the minimum requirements for the Quality theme?

Answer 12

A PRINCE2 Project must:
Define its quality management approach. This approach should minimally cover:
* the project’s approach to quality control
* the project’s approach to project assurance
* how the management of quality is communicated throughout the project lifecycle
* the roles and responsibilities for quality management.

Specify explicit quality criteria in their product descriptions.

Maintain records to provide evidence that the planned quality activities have been carried out, and summarize those activities in a Quality Register.

Specify the customer’s quality expectations and prioritize acceptance criteria for the project in the project product description.

Use lessons to inform quality planning, the definition of quality expectations and quality criteria.

Question 13

Where are Acceptance Criteria recorded (final place)? Who is requesting them and who is refining them?

Answer 13

In the Project Product Description.

The customer (senior user) is providing the acceptance criteria, while the project manager takes them and refines them, makes sure they are measurable and achievable, and records them in the project product description.

Question 14

What are the two documents that are produced and maintained within the Quality theme?

Answer 14

1. Quality Management Approach - describes how quality will be managed on the project
2. Quality Register - a quality register is used to summarize all the quality management activities that are planned or have taken place, and provides information for the end stage report and end project report.

Question 15

When is the Quality Management Approach created?

Should it be reviewed and updated?

Answer 15

The Quality Management Approach should be created during initiating a project process and updated at the end of each management stage.

Question 16

What is a Quality Register?

Answer 16

It is a diary of the quality events planned and undertaken (e.g., workshops, inspections, testing, pilots, audits, acceptance).

Question 17

Who prepares the Quality Management Approach? Who approves it?

Answer 17

The Project Manager creates it.

Approves: the Executive, the Senior User, the Senior Supplier.

Question 18

Who prepares the project product description? Who approves it?

Answer 18

The Project Manager (with users).

Approves: the Executive, the Senior User, the Senior Supplier (if appropriate).

Question 19

Briefly describe the split of responsibilities within the quality theme.

Answer 19

The Project Manager prepares the “starting documents”: the Quality Management Approach, the Project Product Description (together with users), and the Board approves it.

Team Manager builds the product according to the product description, manages quality controls (involves other people) and keeps records.

At the end, the senior users check the product with the help of the Acceptance Criteria and verify if they are met. In which case, they approve the product.

All the quality activities are recorded in a Quality Register. All test/inspection/reviews results are recorded in Quality records.

Question 20

Although PRINCE2 does not address Quality Assurance, they recommend it is included in the project quality management approach. What is it?

Answer 20

The independent check that the organization and processes are in place for quality planning and control.

Question 21

When should the customer’s quality expectations be agreed on?

Answer 21

In the starting up a project process.

(later edit: I am not 100% sure; in the Quality Theme, it says that it’s in the starting up a project process, but when I ask ChatGPT, it tells me that it’s in the initiating a project process)

Question 22

What should the customer’s quality expectations cover?

Answer 22

• the key quality requirements for the project product
• any standards and processes that will need to be applied to achieve the specified quality requirements
• any measurement that may be useful to assess whether the project product meets the quality requirements (e.g., existing customer satisfaction measures)

Question 23

TRUE or FALSE:
The customer’s quality expectations are often expressed in broad terms as a means to gain common understanding of the general quality requirements. These are used to identify more detailed acceptance criteria later on.

Answer 23

TRUE

Question 24

TRUE or FALSE:
Acceptance Criteria can change during the duration of a project.

Answer 24

TRUE

In the starting up a project process when acceptance criteria are decided upon, there may be little understood about the project’s products.

Acceptance criteria in a project can change during its course due to factors like stakeholder feedback, scope modifications, or evolving information.

YET, they can only be changed with the approval of the project board. i.e., acceptance criteria are subject to change control

Question 25

TRUE or FALSE:
Quality tolerances for a product can be specified in a quality criteria by defining an acceptable range of values;

Answer 25

TRUE

Question 26

Explain in-process and appraisal quality methods.

Answer 26

The quality methods section of the product description is used to specify the quality activities to be implemented during the development of a product, for review and approval on completion.

There are two types:
In-process - when the quality can be built into the products as they are developed. e.g., Six Sigmas, Lean Manufacturing

Appraisal - assess finished products for completeness and fitness for purpose. e.g., Product Testing, Software Code Review

Question 27

Why should you create a Quality Record document?

Answer 27

To ensure stakeholders that the products really are complete, that they met their associated quality criteria and are fit for purpose, that the agreed processes have been conducted, approval authorities and key stakeholders are satisfied and that planned audits have been conducted and reported.

+ give opportunity for future projects to “learn from experience” (PRINCE2 Principle)

Question 28

What is an Acceptance Record?

Answer 28

It’s a document of any kind that records that some key stakeholders have given (or not) the ultimate approval of the project product.

There might be some cases where there are concessions, in which case it may be necessary to recommend follow-up actions for later improvements or remedies for the products concerned.

Question 29

PRINCE2 recommends a quality review technique. It starts on page 89.

Answer 29

Read about it.

Question 30

Who manages quality control and assemble the quality records?

Answer 30

The Team Manager.

Question 31

TRUE or FALSE:

Quality tolerances can be specified in quality criteria as intervals/ranges.

Answer 31

TRUE