Quality Assurance and Quality Control--Powerful Tools of Risk Management

Frank Winters has more than 30 years of consulting and Information Technology experience serving as a project/program manager, consultant and IT service industry executive.

  PMO  

This article introduces another exercise in what some will call semantics. However, I believe it is important to distinguish between these important concepts; doing so will clarify our understanding. If we can clarify the definitions of Quality Assurance and Quality Control as well as introduce some risk management concepts--while at the same time getting some additional discussion going--the time will have been well spent.

We have had a discussion thread in the PMO department on the differences and similarities between Program Management and Project Management for several months. One thing they share is they are both tools of risk management. Two other tools--Quality Assurance and Quality Control--are also related to and often confused with each other.

Risk Management
Program Management's role in risk management is simple at the highest level--because the goal is to ensure that the work being done is aligned with and supportive of the business goals of the organization.

·         Program Management controls the risk of doing the wrong thing.

Project Management, on the other hand, is focused on the completion of tasks according to specifications and plans, on time and within budget. So?

·         Project Management is a tool for managing the risk of poor execution.

Strategy and Tactics (again)
You might say that Program Management is strategic while …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.