Overview/Description
The ultimate measure of success for any project is whether the results satisfy the project customer. After all, it's the project customer who determines whether the results of a project were worth the time and money that went into it. However, project managers can't wait until a project is complete to find out whether the results meet the customer's needs. At the scheduled conclusion of a project, both the customer and the performing organization have too much at stake to risk failure.
The American Society for Quality defines quality as "the characteristics of a process, product, or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs." The quality of a project has to be built into each step of a project--every process, every procedure, and every deliverable. Project managers employ two sets of processes to manage the quality of projects: quality assurance and quality control. The Perform Quality Assurance process involves a set of activities that examine the processes, procedures, and policies used in a project and ensures that they contribute to the desired outcomes. This process ensures the project is managed in a way that will fulfill the customer's requirements.
The Perform Quality Control process monitors the output of projects and measures whether the results of a project meet customer requirements. This course prepares project managers to perform both Project Quality Management processes. It provides a foundation for executing the quality management plans for individual projects and creating continuous improvement of processes from one project to the next.
This course is aligned with "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge" (PMBOK® Guide) - Third Edition, published by the Project Management Institute (PMI®), Inc., 2004. Copyright and all rights reserved. Material from this publication has been reproduced with the permission of PMI®.
Target Audience
Project managers who are seeking to further their project management skills to more advanced levels