CLR has mature Quality Assurance (QA) procedures, processes, and toolsets for reviewing task order performance and for preparing, inspecting and testing all TO deliverables. Our approach to QA has two components: Quality Control (QC) and Process Improvement. We have assigned a manager who is not directly billable to the contract with QA responsibility for VETS. An appropriate degree of QA oversight will be assigned to each TO. For example, a fifty-person task order may have dedicated QA personnel, while a three-person task order may depend on the QA manager’s staff to provide oversight. The QA manager is responsible for tailoring our standard QA process for each TO. On a specific TO, the QA personnel are responsible for implementing and enforcing the tailored QA process across TO Team resources, schedules and deliverables.
The QC process assures the necessary corrective actions are taken if any inspections, reviews, tests, or demonstration of deliverables fails a set of predetermined quality criteria/gates derived from the TO performance requirements. Each TO is subdivided into manageable sub-tasks that can be tracked using objective performance measurements and completion criteria. Generation of metric data is an inherent part of each sub-task procedure in our standard QA process. Examples of metric data include performance measurements, unit test results, regression test results, peer reviews, product inspection results, progress on meeting Limitation on Subcontracting, etc. Required metric data is specifically identified as an output for each procedure. Automated tools collect and review this metric data at every measurable stage. If an item fails a test or inspection, the failure is immediately “flagged” for QA staff review and analysis to determine the underlying cause of the failure and to develop the necessary corrective actions. Upon PM approval, the corrective actions are implemented and closely monitored to ensure the failure has been corrected.
The second component of QA is defect prevention through process improvement. The goal is to continually improve our TO procedures and standards as a means of preventing defects before they occur. Our approach to corrective actions reflects our commitment to quality improvement. Such actions are not approached as “band-aids”, but rather as carefully crafted procedural changes that drive real quality improvements designed to prevent defects. Our Teammates are committed to following our QA process.
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We recognize that the best method for ensuring success on projects is through the selection of competent and enthusiastic Task Leaders (TLs) and the active involvement of the CLR Management Team. The CLR Team is committed to identifying, empowering, and using highly qualified TLs. We have found that the way to be responsive to our customers is to delegate authority to the TL to fix the problem at the level where the responsibility resides. In those situations where further management attention is required, our PM will have full authority to resolve any and all issues impacting TO completion.
Because of the importance of the VETS contract vehicle, CLR will assign a dedicated senior PM to manage program operations. The senior PM will report directly to the Vice President of CLR. The PM will have complete authority in staffing, recruiting and using independent consultants if required to remediate specific problems.
CLR’s extensive infrastructure is in place to assist the PM. The Human Resources, Contracts, and Quality Assurance functions will provide VETS operations support. Over time, as the number of VETS TOs performed by the CLR Team grows, we will convert the matrixed support of the contract to dedicated staff. In this manner, we keep overhead down while ensuring sufficient staff to be fully responsive to all contractual requirements.
