During Initiating a Project, the Project Manager is required to clarify and document the Quality Management Approach as part of the Project Initiation Document (PID). The Quality Management Approach describes how the project will manage quality — what it will do to ensure that the project's products are fit for purpose.
The document should answer five core questions:
1. Process and Procedures
What quality processes will the project use? Consider:
- What standard procedures apply to this project, and what deviations are required?
- How will approvals be tracked and recorded?
- What quality standards, regulations, or customer requirements apply?
- What templates must products conform to?
2. Tools and Techniques
What methods will be used to check quality? Consider:
- Interview, prototype, and workshop techniques for requirements validation
- Review and testing methods for product acceptance
- How the Quality Register will be maintained and updated
3. Reporting
How will quality activities be reported? Specify:
- What quality information will be reported, to whom, and at what frequency
- Whether quality results will be included in Highlight Reports or reported separately
4. Activity Timing
When will quality management activities take place? Identify:
- Which quality reviews occur during initiation vs. each delivery stage
- Whether quality activities are planned in Stage Plans or managed more informally
- Any external audit or assurance activities and their timing
5. Roles and Responsibilities
Who is responsible for quality on this project? Clarify:
- Who has approval authority for each category of product
- Who owns the Quality Register
- Whether a Project Assurance role covers quality oversight
- How quality responsibilities are divided between the project and the customer organisation
See the Quality practice for the full PRINCE2 quality framework, including the Quality Review technique and Quality Register.