GQA (Government Quality Assurance)

GQA stands for Government Quality Assurance. In Canadian defence policy, it is the application of quality-management principles by the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), as set out in DAOD 3009-0, Quality of Materiel and Services.

In procurement practice, GQA is government activity carried out by an inspection or quality-assurance authority to verify that a contractor's product, service or quality system conforms to the technical and contractual requirements. The CanadaBuys Supply Manual glossary describes it as including the monitoring or observing of work at the contractor's plant before delivery to verify compliance with the contract.

Where GQA comes from in DND policy

GQA is used mainly in defence and materiel procurement, where the government needs to confirm conformity before it accepts or takes delivery of goods or services. The policy home for the concept is the DAOD 3009 series. The specific instrument is DAOD 3009-2, Government Quality Assurance (GQA).

On the buyer side, the CanadaBuys buyer's guide section on standards and quality assurance tells clients to state GQA requirements clearly in the requisition or in the attached procurement documentation. The statement should identify the inspection authority and the point of inspection.

The DQA and the Quality Assurance Representative

In DND solicitations, GQA is administered by the Director of Quality Assurance (DQA) or by a designated Quality Assurance Representative (QAR). The QAR is the person who deals with the contractor on the ground. Contract clauses give the QAR an unrestricted opportunity to evaluate the contractor's quality-system procedures and to validate product conformity, as seen in a DND request for proposal posted on CanadaBuys.

What GQA clauses require of a contractor

GQA appears in defence requests for proposals and resulting contracts for materiel, equipment, components, repair and related work. Typical clauses state that all work is subject to GQA at three places:

• the contractor's facility;
• subcontractor facilities; and
• the installation site.

The same clauses can require the contractor to do the following:

• provide the QAR with the accommodation, facilities, assistance and access needed to perform GQA;
• permit the QAR to evaluate quality-system procedures and validate product conformity;
• provide access to contractor, subcontractor and lower-tier supplier sites;
• make necessary equipment available for validation;
• perform the inspections and tests needed to substantiate conformity; and
• flow down the applicable GQA requirements to subcontractors or external providers.

Contract documents can also tie GQA to other quality requirements. They may name a quality standard, require a quality-assurance system, require evidence of conformity, or require samples for approval.

What GQA does not do

GQA does not replace the contractor's own quality responsibilities. A DND statement of work posted on CanadaBuys, for an improved galley requirement, states that government quality assurance does not relieve the contractor or its subcontractors of their QA responsibilities. The contractor remains accountable for the quality of what it delivers, and GQA is the government's means of verifying it.

What GQA means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

If you bid on DND or other defence solicitations, read the quality assurance clauses before you price the work. Check which inspection authority is named, where the point of inspection is, and whether GQA applies at your plant, at subcontractor sites and at the installation site.

The CanadaBuys buyer's guide states that the required level of GQA depends on the contract's technical requirements and the offeror's performance history. Your quality record can therefore shape how much government verification a contract carries.

Plan for access and flow-down. You will need to give the QAR access to your facilities, and your subcontractors and lower-tier suppliers must accept the same access and requirements. Build inspection and test activities into your schedule, and keep your own quality system in good order, because GQA sits alongside it and does not stand in for it.