3.5 QUALITY AUDIT

A Quality Audit is a technique that employs a structured, independent review to project and/or product elements.

Any aspect of the project or product can be audited. Common areas for audit include:

• Project processes
• Project documents
• Product requirements
• Product documents
• Implementation of approved changes
• Implementation of corrective or preventive action
• Defect or defi ciency repair
• Compliance with organizational policies and procedures
• Compliance with the quality plan

Additional audit information can include:

• Good practices to share
• Areas for improvement
• Description of defi ciencies or defects

Defects or defi ciencies should include action items, a responsible party, and be assigned a due date for compliance.
Audits should be tailored to best meet the needs of the project.

A Quality Audit is a technique from process 8.2, Perform Quality Assurance, in the PMBOK® Guide—Fifth
Edition. Audits should be tailored to best meet the needs of the project. Results from the audit may necessitate a Change Request, including preventive or corrective action, and defect repair.

You can use the element descriptions in Table 3.5 to assist you in developing a document to support a quality
audit.