Quality Assurance Plan

A Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) is a documented plan, submitted by a contractor, that describes how it will conform to the quality requirements specified in a contract. It also sets out how the required quality activities will be performed, including, where applicable, quality assurance of subcontractors.

In Canadian defence procurement, the Department of National Defence (DND) asks bidders and contractors for this plan to show how quality will be controlled across the work. NATO uses a different name for the same kind of requirement: the Deliverable Quality Plan, governed by AQAP 2105, NATO Requirements for Deliverable Quality Plans. Suppliers will see both terms, and they should read the solicitation closely to see which one applies.

What a DND Quality Plan must cover

A DND solicitation sets out what the plan must do. According to the DND request for proposal for Leopard 2 track suspension components, the plan must:

• Explain how the contractor will conform to the contract's specified quality requirements.
• Specify how the required quality activities will be carried out.
• Include quality assurance of subcontractors.
• Identify all processes involved in product realization for the contract.

ISO 10005:2018 and the 30-day deadline

The same solicitation names the standard to use. The plan is to be prepared according to the latest issue, at the contract date, of ISO 10005:2018, Quality management systems: Guidelines for quality plans. The contractor submits the plan to DND for acceptance no later than 30 days after the effective date of the contract.

This timing matters. The plan is a post-award deliverable in this solicitation, so a supplier needs its quality processes, and those of its subcontractors, documented well enough to write the plan quickly once the contract takes effect.

Government Quality Assurance requirements on CanadaBuys

Quality plans sit within the wider framework of Government Quality Assurance (GQA). CanadaBuys buyer guidance on standards and quality assurance says the client must clearly state GQA requirements in the requisition or attached procurement documentation. Those requirements may call for:

• Compliance with a specified quality standard.
• Establishment and maintenance of a contractor quality-assurance system.
• Demonstration by the offeror or contractor that the requirements have been met.

The guidance adds that the documentation should describe the technical and GQA requirements completely and identify the inspection authority and the point of inspection. CanadaBuys also describes a division of responsibilities between Public Services and Procurement Canada and DND for quality assurance of materiel and services acquired for DND.

The NATO equivalent: Deliverable Quality Plans

NATO usually expresses the requirement as a Deliverable Quality Plan. AQAP 2105 sets requirements for quality plans supplied to a contracting authority. It sits alongside AQAP 2110, which covers NATO quality-assurance requirements for design, development and production. Allied contracting materials treat the plan as a deliverable that the authority reviews and accepts, and it can be incorporated into the contract once agreed.

What a Quality Assurance Plan means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

Check the solicitation for the exact quality clauses before you price or write the bid. Note the name used (Quality Plan, Quality Assurance Plan or Deliverable Quality Plan), the standard referenced, the due date for the plan and any GQA requirements, including the inspection authority and inspection point.

Build the plan around the contract's quality requirements, map every product realization process, and extend it to your subcontractors. If the solicitation cites ISO 10005:2018, follow that guidance and plan for DND acceptance within the stated deadline.