How can you maintain quality outcomes despite program changes and uncertainties?

2 Monitor and control quality

The second step to ensure quality outcomes is to monitor and control quality regularly and systematically. You should use appropriate tools and techniques to collect, analyze, and report quality data, such as audits, reviews, inspections, tests, surveys, and dashboards. You should also compare the actual quality performance with the planned quality criteria, and identify any gaps, issues, or risks. You should then take corrective or preventive actions to address any quality problems or deviations, and update your quality plan and baselines accordingly.

3 Manage change requests

The third step to ensure quality outcomes is to manage change requests effectively and efficiently. Change requests are formal proposals to modify the program scope, schedule, budget, quality, or risks. They can originate from internal or external sources, such as your team, stakeholders, customers, sponsors, or regulators. You should have a clear and consistent process to evaluate, approve, reject, or defer change requests, and to communicate the impact and implications of the changes to all affected parties. You should also track and document the status and outcome of each change request, and update your quality plan and baselines accordingly.

4 Manage risks and issues

The fourth step to ensure quality outcomes is to manage risks and issues proactively and reactively. Risks are uncertain events or conditions that can have a positive or negative effect on the program quality. Issues are problems or conflicts that have already occurred and need to be resolved. You should have a systematic process to identify, analyze, prioritize, mitigate, or exploit risks, and to escalate, resolve, or close issues. You should also monitor and review the effectiveness of your risk and issue management strategies, and update your quality plan and baselines accordingly.

5 Engage stakeholders

The fifth step to ensure quality outcomes is to engage stakeholders continuously and collaboratively. Stakeholders are individuals or groups that have an interest or influence on the program quality. They can include your team, customers, sponsors, suppliers, partners, regulators, or end-users. You should identify and analyze your stakeholders' needs, expectations, preferences, and feedback, and tailor your communication and engagement strategies accordingly. You should also involve them in quality planning, monitoring, control, and improvement activities, and seek their input, feedback, and approval on the program quality.

6 Learn and improve

The sixth and final step to ensure quality outcomes is to learn and improve constantly and consistently. You should use various methods and sources to capture, analyze, and share lessons learned and best practices on the program quality. These can include surveys, interviews, workshops, reports, or databases. You should also use the lessons learned and best practices to identify and implement opportunities for quality improvement, innovation, and optimization. You should also celebrate and recognize your team and stakeholders' achievements and contributions to the program quality.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?