Contract Management Using Quality Assurance Methodology

Contracts often state that work must be "to the required standard" without defining the standard, the evidence of conformity or the consequence of failure. Quality plans are submitted but not reviewed, inspections are informal, non-conformances are closed without root cause, and design reviews are treated as a formality. When defects appear, the parties argue over whether they are defects, variations or claims, and the owner's bargaining position has already gone with the payment.

This programme applies quality assurance thinking to the whole contract life cycle. It moves through five stages: writing quality into requirements and contracts, evaluating suppliers and awarding on capability, reviewing designs and quality plans, controlling conformity during delivery, and handling variations, claims and close-out using quality evidence.

Built on recognised practice. The programme references ISO 9001 quality management system requirements, ISO 10005 guidelines for quality plans, ISO 10006 guidance on quality management in projects, ISO 19011 for auditing, and the quality, testing, defects and variation provisions of the FIDIC 2017 contracts. The PDCA cycle and basic quality tools are used throughout.

Decisions this programme improves. What quality requirements and acceptance criteria to write into a contract; whether a supplier's quality system is adequate; whether to approve a design or a quality plan; how to treat a non-conformance; and whether a request for more time or money is a genuine variation or a consequence of poor quality.

How it is delivered. Twenty hours across five sessions, built around one running case: a supply and installation contract for plant or building systems. Participants draft acceptance criteria, review a supplier quality plan, plan a supplier audit, process a non-conformance and evaluate a delay and cost claim against quality records.

In-house option. For organisations, the programme can be tailored to your own contract forms, quality management system procedures and supplier evaluation criteria, and delivered to contracts, procurement and quality teams together.

Who Should Attend

Contracts professionals: contract managers, administrators and contract engineers

Quality professionals: quality managers, quality engineers and supplier quality staff

Procurement staff: procurement officers and buyers responsible for supplier selection

Project staff: project managers and engineers responsible for accepting contracted work

Inspection and technical staff: inspectors and technical specialists who verify deliverables

Objectives

Explain the purpose, requirements and conditions of contracts from a quality assurance perspective

Write clear quality requirements, specifications and acceptance criteria into contracts

Evaluate supplier capability and quality systems before contract award

Review design submissions and design agreements for conformity with requirements

Assess a supplier or contractor quality plan against recognised guidelines

Plan inspections, tests and supplier audits and act on their findings

Manage non-conformances through corrective action and root cause analysis

Ensure and demonstrate compliance with contractual terms using quality records

Prepare and evaluate claims for delay, cost compensation and variation orders

Use contract close-out and supplier evaluation to improve future contracts

Course Outline

Quality as a Contract Requirement: Principles and Purpose

Why quality failures become contract disputes
Purpose, requirements and conditions of contracts
Quality management principles and the PDCA cycle applied to contracts
Quality assurance versus quality control: roles of owner and supplier
Cost of quality and the business case for early control
Specifications, standards and acceptance criteria that can be verified

Awarding Contracts on Capability

Pre-qualification and supplier quality evaluation
Quality criteria in tender evaluation
Contract types and how they affect quality incentives
Quality clauses: inspection rights, testing, defects and warranties
Skills needed to award and manage contracts for projects, products and services
Supplier quality agreements

Reviewing Designs and Quality Plans

Design agreements and design responsibility
Design review, verification and validation
Quality plans under ISO 10005 guidance
Inspection and test plans, hold and witness points
Document submittals, approvals and version control
Digital tools for submittal tracking and quality records

Controlling Conformity During Delivery

Inspection, testing and acceptance in practice
Supplier and contractor audits using ISO 19011 principles
Non-conformance reports, corrective action and root cause analysis
Quality tools: checklists, Pareto analysis and cause and effect diagrams
Quality KPIs and supplier performance reporting
Ensuring compliance with contractual terms

Variations, Claims and Close-Out Using Quality Evidence

Variation orders: distinguishing genuine change from defective work
Preparing and evaluating claims for delay and cost compensation
Using quality records and correspondence as evidence
Defects liability, warranties and final acceptance
Supplier evaluation and lessons learned
Action plan: integrating quality assurance into your contract process

Competencies

Quality requirements and acceptance criteria drafting

Supplier capability and quality system evaluation

Design review and design agreement management

Quality plan and inspection and test plan review

Supplier audit planning

Non-conformance and corrective action management

Contract compliance assurance

Delay, cost and variation claim evaluation

Roma

Elite Academy can deliver its complete portfolio of professional training programs in Rome. With a major European capital combining government, business and international institutions, the destination suits both scheduled learning and tailored arrangements for organizations or individual professionals. As an Elite Academy training destination, Rome provides access to our full portfolio rather than a city-specific set of specializations. The city is a major European capital combining government, business and international institutions, creating a suitable environment for organizations developing their teams and for professionals attending independently. Upcoming scheduled courses are listed on this page, while any other Elite Academy program can also be requested for delivery in Rome, subject to scheduling and delivery requirements. Explore the schedule or browse our training areas to find the right option.