Establishment of minimum requirements and management of QA (quality assurance) in an R and D organization

Conference · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6674607

Hughey, C E

Many factors are producing an increasing demand for formal quality assurance programs in RandD organizations. However, successful application of QA to the scientific disciplines and RandD staff is uniquely challenging. This is especially true in the DOE multiprogram laboratories where DOE has mandated formal QA systems based on the ANSI/ASME NQA-1 Standard and where the past culture has tended to be academic and collegiate. This paper describes how a formal QA program, based on NQA-1, has been evolved and effectively implemented in a multiprogram national laboratory. The description covers the obstacles that have to be addressed and discusses the establishment of minimum and baseline standards which marry the basic requirements of NQA-1 with the basic principles of scientific discipline and good management practices. 8 refs., 3 figs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6674607
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-16144; CONF-881077-9; ON: DE89002884
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990100* -- Management
CONTROL
HUMAN FACTORS
MANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCE
PERSONNEL
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
QUALITY ASSURANCE
QUALITY CONTROL
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
STANDARDS