Control Quality, Validate Scope and Quality Assurance are three terminologies which keep bugging every new PMP Aspirant. In the following article, I tried to make the two terms clear and then you might want to read the other one to be crystal clear with these terminologies.
Control Quality
Control Quality is the process of supervising and recording outcomes of executing the quality management practices to evaluate the overall performance and make sure the project outputs are complete and meet the client expectations.
The Control Quality process takes place internally to ensure that deliverables meet the stated requirements. In this process, you will be given the specifications of deliverables that will be compared with designed specifications. Accordingly, the corrective actions will be taken to meet all defined quality requirements. This is particularly crucial in project management since it makes sure that all activities are in the scope of project planning. Also, it helps in formulating recommendations, if important. The significant benefits of control quality include validating the deliverables, determining poor product quality, meeting the client’s requirements, and recommending actions required to eliminate concerns associated with quality. To execute control quality, it is crucial to use the right inputs from the project management plan, quality checklist, accepted change requests, deliverables, and quality metrics.
Example:
Consider a situation where you will receive a contract of building 100 km road. You will perhaps hire a quality control engineer to monitor the quality of construction. They will be responsible for evaluating the quality of deliverables at each phase of construction such as the dimensions of road, alignment of the footpath and quality of raw materials.
Control Quality ensure that the deliverables meet the quality requirements as given in the quality management plan. It focuses on the accuracy of the deliverables and is typically performed by the quality control department. On the other hand, Validate Scope is all about formalizing the acceptance of deliverables under project scope management. It focuses on the acceptance of deliverables and is typically performed by the client or sponsor. In the Validate Scope process, the project manager holds multiple meetings with the client to review the deliverables and make sure they meet the defined requirements. Validate Scope and Control Quality are implemented as an important part of the monitor and control process group. However, Validate Scope can also be performed at the end of every project phase to verify the deliverables. Though both Control Quality and Validate Scope practices can lead to change requests.
Validate Scope
Validate Scope is the process of reinforcing acceptance of the finished project deliverables.
The project team achieves the allocated activities to complete the project scope and the project deliverables. As soon as the deliverables are finished, they are evaluated by the client. A deliverable is accepted once the client approves it after performing the validate scope process. The process aims to ensure that the client approves the product officially. The key benefit of the process is the increased objectivity and likelihood of the success of the final product. During the stakeholder assessment in the planning phase, every stakeholder identifies the approved and disapproved deliverables. As the evaluation results are submitted, the project manager must review the list to ensure all deliverables meet project criteria and changes are made where required.
Example:
Suppose you have completed 40 km out of 150 km of the road construction. Subsequently, you invite the client to review the completed part of the road. If they officially accept it, you will be paid. On the contrary, if the client figures out that the requirements are not met. He will have a detailed analysis of the road dimensions. Once the client is fully satisfied, he will assign an acceptance letter. This process is known as the validate scope. It is essential that the validate scope process is performed at the end of the project.
The differences between the Control Quality and Validate Scope
- Control Quality is inward looking Process whereas Validate Scope is Handshake i.e outward looking process
- Control Quality makes the product right i.e conformance of requirement and Control Quality makes sure that Product is right i.e Acceptance of the project.
- Control Quality belongs to Project Quality management and Validate Scope is a Project Scope Management process.
- You have QC team doing the Control Quality and Project manager/Sponsor does the Validate Scope after the successful passing of Product from Control Quality Process.
Further Readings
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