1
What is Project Quality Management, and what are its three core processes?
Definition + List▾
~15 marks
Definition: Project quality management ensures that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken. Quality itself can be defined in three ways:
- Conformance to requirements — ISO's definition: "the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils requirements."
- Fitness for use — a product/service can be used as it was intended.
- Issue/trouble/bug-free — the product or service is trouble-free.
The three processes:
| Process | Process Group | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Planning Quality Management | Planning | Identifying which quality standards are relevant to the project and how to satisfy them. |
| Performing Quality Assurance (QA) | Executing | Periodically evaluating overall project performance to ensure the project satisfies relevant quality standards; taking responsibility for quality throughout the project life cycle. |
| Performing Quality Control (QC) | Monitoring & Controlling | Monitoring specific project results to ensure compliance with quality standards, while identifying ways to improve overall quality. |
Exam tip: Picture nested circles — Quality Management ⊃ Quality Assurance ⊃ Quality Control. QC is the most detailed, technical layer (charts, sampling); QA is process-oriented; Quality Management is the umbrella covering both plus planning.
2
Explain any five (05) tools and techniques used for Quality Control.
List + Explain▾
5 × 5 = 25 marks
- Cause-and-effect (Fishbone/Ishikawa) diagram — traces complaints about quality problems back to the responsible root cause; often built using the 5 Whys technique.
- Control chart — a graphic display of process results over time; shows whether a process is "in control" or "out of control" using Upper/Lower Control Limits. The seven run rule flags 7 consecutive points above/below the mean, or all increasing/decreasing, as non-random.
- Check sheet — used to collect and tally data (also called a tally sheet), e.g. tracking complaints by source and day.
- Scatter diagram — shows whether a relationship exists between two variables; the closer points lie to a diagonal line, the stronger the relationship.
- Pareto chart (analysis) — a histogram that orders problems by frequency to identify the "vital few" causes; based on the 80/20 rule (80% of problems come from 20% of causes).
Other valid answers: Histogram, Flowchart, Run Chart, Statistical Sampling, Six Sigma, Quality Control Charts — any five with a correct one-line explanation earns full marks.
3
Describe the five (05) cost categories related to the Cost of Quality.
List + Explain▾
5 × 3 = 15 marks
The Cost of Quality = Cost of Conformance + Cost of Nonconformance.
- Prevention cost — cost of planning and executing a project so it is error-free or within an acceptable error range.
- Appraisal cost — cost of evaluating processes and their outputs to ensure quality.
- Internal failure cost — cost incurred to correct a defect found before the customer receives the product.
- External failure cost — cost relating to errors not detected and corrected before delivery to the customer.
- Measurement and test equipment cost — capital cost of equipment used to perform prevention and appraisal activities.
Memory hook: Prevention + Appraisal = Cost of Conformance (doing it right). Internal + External failure = Cost of Nonconformance (fixing what went wrong).
4
Explain Six Sigma and its five-phase DMAIC improvement process.
Definition + Process▾
10 + 15 = 25 marks
Six Sigma is a comprehensive and flexible system for achieving, sustaining, and maximizing business success, driven by close understanding of customer needs, disciplined use of facts/data/statistical analysis, and diligent management of business processes. Its target is no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities (six standard deviations between the mean and nearest specification limit).
DMAIC phases:
| Phase | Description |
|---|---|
| Define | Define the problem/opportunity, process, and customer requirements (tools: project charter, customer requirements, process maps, VOC data). |
| Measure | Define measures, then collect, compile, and display data. |
| Analyze | Scrutinize process details to find improvement opportunities and verify root causes (key tool: fishbone diagram). |
| Improve | Generate solutions and ideas for improving the problem. |
| Control | Track and verify the stability of improvements and predictability of the solution. |
Extra detail: Six Sigma training follows a "belt" system (similar to karate), and adopting Six Sigma is an organization-wide commitment — not just a one-off program.
5
Name three (03) quality experts with their key contribution, and briefly explain the CMMI capability levels.
List + Explain▾
9 + 21 = 30 marks
Quality experts (any 3):
- Deming — famous for rebuilding Japan's industry; created the "14 Points for Management."
- Juran — wrote the Quality Control Handbook; ten steps to quality improvement emphasizing top management commitment.
- Crosby — wrote Quality is Free; advocated for "zero defects."
- Ishikawa — developed quality circles and the fishbone (cause-and-effect) diagram.
- Taguchi — methods for optimizing engineering experimentation; quality should be designed in, not inspected in.
- Feigenbaum — developed the concept of total quality control.
CMMI capability levels: The Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach guiding process improvement across a project, division, or organization.
| Level | Name | Key Idea |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Incomplete | Process not performed or only partially performed; no goals met. |
| 1 | Performed | Specific goals are satisfied, but improvements can be lost over time if not institutionalized. |
| 2 | Managed | Basic infrastructure in place; process is planned, executed, and retains discipline under stress. |
| 3 | Defined | Process is rigorously defined via organization-wide standard processes. |
| 4 | Quantitatively Managed | Process controlled using statistical and quantitative techniques. |
| 5 | Optimizing | Continual improvement through incremental and innovative improvements based on understanding variation. |
Exam tip: If asked for "levels of CMMI," count from 0 (Incomplete) to 5 (Optimizing) — six levels total. Some past papers may only expect 1–5 (five levels), so read the question wording carefully.