Underlying Quality Principles

These principles are consistent with Integrated Safety Management Policy, P 450.4A and support ISM implementation.

1. Define Policies and Objectives--Ensure they are Understood and Accepted.

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   Management must set expectations for the organization as a whole before employees can do their jobs, satisfy their customers, and strive to improve the quality of their work. This is accomplished by developing and implementing specific policies and objectives that reflect the operating philosophy of the facility's management. Once these policies and objectives have been established, all managers must take the necessary actions to ensure that each employee shares their vision of the organization's purpose.
2. Specify Roles and Responsibilities--Ensure they are Understood and Accepted.

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   Each employee must take responsibility for the work they perform. Everyone contributes to the quality and to meeting the performance objectives established by management. It is management's obligation to ensure that the employees understand what is being asked of them. Individual and team performance is the key to achieving management's objectives.
3. Specify and Communicate Expectations--Identify and Allocate Resources to Achieve Them.

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   Management must identify resources and capable individuals for carrying out the organization's work. Management must provide employees with the material and training necessary to accomplish their tasks. Before taking responsibility for their work, employees must possess the following:

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   1. knowledge of management's expectations
   2. knowledge of why the task is being performed
   3. empowerment to carry out assigned tasks
4. Strive to Improve.

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   Management is responsible for creating an environment that encourages employees to improve the quality of the work and work processes with which they are associated. Employees must consistently seek new, more innovative ways to increase quality, efficiency, and effectiveness.
5. Ensure People are Competent at the Work They Do.

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   Management must ensure that each employee is capable of performing his/her assigned tasks. Employees should be afforded the appropriate education and training, including professional development and on-the-job training.
6. Ensure the Right People have the Right Information at the Right Time.

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   Decision-making must be based on accurate information. Information that is the basis for the decision-making process must be available to employees when they need it.
7. Seek and Use Relevant Experience.

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   Management must make use of information, such as new technology or lessons learned, from internal and external organizations that could potentially affect its operations. By recognizing the failures and successes of the past, management will be better prepared to promote a culture committed to excellence.
8. Plan and Control the Work.

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   Work must be carefully planned and controlled to ensure that management's objectives are met. This requires needs to be thought out, organizational goals identified, lines of communication established, and required manpower provided.
9. Use the Right Material, Tools, and Processes--Control any Changes to Them.

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   Management must ensure that the right material, tools, and processes are in place and are used so that the organization's products and services are of the highest possible quality.
10. Assess Work to Ensure It Meets Expectations.

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    All employees must critically assess their efforts and determine if they have accomplished what they set out to do as part of meeting management's expectations. As a way of providing additional assurance that the product and service quality has been attained, a system of assessments must be established and implemented by management. In carrying out these assessments, work performance should be measured against defined standards. The assessments must be performed by competent individuals who are performance-oriented and focused on improving the product and service quality.
11. Identify and Remedy Errors and Deficiencies.

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    All problems must be identified, documented, analyzed, resolved, and followed up. Management must be committed to preventing problems where problems are viewed as opportunities for improvement.
12. Periodically Review Management Processes to Improve Effectiveness and Efficiency.

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    Management, at all levels, must continually assess its systems and processes. These management assessments should be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the management process, rather than establishing compliance with organizational and statutory requirements. They should address broad categories of management issues, such as the mission of the organization, employee understanding of the mission and of management's objectives, customer expectations, and if the expectations are being met in the most cost-efficient manner.