---
artifact_id: A09
name: Quality Management Plan
template_version: 1.0.0
status: Template · Active
category: Quality Planning
authority: "PMBOK8 Guide §2.7 Delivery Performance Domain; Table 2-1 Plan Quality Management"
source_type: PMI-derived
file_path: artifacts/quality/A09-quality-management-plan-template.md
---

# A09 — Quality Management Plan Template

**Artifact ID:** A09  
**Artifact Name:** Quality Management Plan  
**Template Version:** 1.0.0  
**Status:** Template · Active  
**Authority:** PMBOK8 Guide §2.7 Delivery Performance Domain · Table 2-1 Plan Quality Management  
**Source Type:** PMI-derived  
**File Path:** `artifacts/quality/A09-quality-management-plan-template.md`

> **Usage note:** Create this plan when planning begins and the project has defined deliverables. Update when scope changes introduce new quality standards, when quality performance data reveals the current approach is not working, or when regulatory requirements change. This plan governs both quality assurance (process-level, preventive) and quality control (output-level, inspection). It is a subsidiary plan within A14 — Integrated Project Management Plan.

---

## Section 1 — Project Reference

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| **Project Name** | [FIELD: Project name] |
| **Project ID** | [FIELD: Project ID] |
| **Quality Plan Owner** | [FIELD: Name of the person responsible for maintaining this plan] |
| **Quality Assurance Owner** | [FIELD: Name of the person responsible for quality assurance activities] |
| **Quality Control Owner** | [FIELD: Name of the person responsible for quality control activities] |
| **Last Updated** | [FIELD: YYYY-MM-DD] |
| **Version** | [FIELD: e.g. 1.0] |

---

## Section 2 — Quality Standards and Objectives

### 2.1 Applicable Quality Standards

[FIELD: Identify all quality standards that apply to this project — organizational, regulatory, contractual, and industry. Add rows as needed.]

| Standard ID | Standard Name | Type | Applicability to This Project |
|---|---|---|---|
| QS-01 | [FIELD: Name of standard or policy] | [FIELD: select from Organizational / Regulatory / Contractual / Industry] | [FIELD: Which deliverables or processes this standard governs and why it applies] |
| QS-02 | [FIELD: Name of standard or policy] | [FIELD: select from Organizational / Regulatory / Contractual / Industry] | [FIELD: Which deliverables or processes this standard governs and why it applies] |
| QS-03 | [FIELD: Name of standard or policy] | [FIELD: select from Organizational / Regulatory / Contractual / Industry] | [FIELD: Which deliverables or processes this standard governs and why it applies] |

### 2.2 Quality Objectives

[FIELD: Define measurable quality objectives for this project. Each objective must have an observable or numeric target. Link to the relevant deliverable or process.]

| Objective ID | Description | Measurable Target | Linked Deliverable or Process |
|---|---|---|---|
| QO-01 | [FIELD: What quality outcome is being pursued?] | [FIELD: Numeric or observable target — e.g. defect rate < 2%, 100% acceptance on first review] | [FIELD: Deliverable name or process name] |
| QO-02 | [FIELD: What quality outcome is being pursued?] | [FIELD: Numeric or observable target] | [FIELD: Deliverable name or process name] |
| QO-03 | [FIELD: What quality outcome is being pursued?] | [FIELD: Numeric or observable target] | [FIELD: Deliverable name or process name] |

---

## Section 3 — Quality Roles and Responsibilities

[FIELD: Assign quality responsibilities to named individuals where possible. All roles must be filled; if a role is shared, note the split.]

| Role | Name (if known) | Responsibilities | Escalation Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Quality Plan Owner** | [FIELD: Name] | [FIELD: Maintains the quality plan; coordinates quality activities; reports quality status] | [FIELD: Who this role escalates to] |
| **Quality Assurance Owner** | [FIELD: Name] | [FIELD: Designs and executes process audits; identifies process non-conformances; recommends corrective action] | [FIELD: Who this role escalates to] |
| **Quality Control Owner** | [FIELD: Name] | [FIELD: Conducts inspections and tests; verifies deliverables against acceptance criteria; records defects] | [FIELD: Who this role escalates to] |
| **Project Manager** | [FIELD: Name] | [FIELD: Accountable for overall quality performance; approves corrective actions; escalates unresolved quality failures] | [FIELD: Who this role escalates to] |
| **Sponsor** | [FIELD: Name] | [FIELD: Final escalation authority for quality failures that affect scope, cost, or strategic outcomes; signs off formal acceptance] | [FIELD: Who this role escalates to] |

---

## Section 4 — Quality Assurance Activities

Quality assurance is process-oriented and preventive — it verifies that the project is following its defined processes correctly.

[FIELD: Define the planned quality assurance activities. Add rows as needed. Link each activity to the process being audited.]

| Activity ID | Activity Description | Scheduled Timing | Owner | Process Being Audited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QA-01 | [FIELD: Describe the activity — e.g. process compliance audit, peer review of planning outputs, phase gate quality check] | [FIELD: When this activity occurs — e.g. end of planning phase, monthly, prior to each phase gate] | [FIELD: Role or name responsible for executing this activity] | [FIELD: Which project process or procedure this activity is auditing] |
| QA-02 | [FIELD: Describe the activity] | [FIELD: Scheduled timing] | [FIELD: Owner] | [FIELD: Process being audited] |
| QA-03 | [FIELD: Describe the activity] | [FIELD: Scheduled timing] | [FIELD: Owner] | [FIELD: Process being audited] |

---

## Section 5 — Quality Control Activities

Quality control is output-oriented and inspection-focused — it verifies that deliverables meet defined acceptance criteria.

[FIELD: Define the planned quality control activities for each key deliverable. Acceptance criteria are sourced from A08 — Scope and Requirements Decision Record. Add rows as needed.]

| Activity ID | Deliverable or Process | Control Method | Frequency | Acceptance Criterion (from A08) | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QC-01 | [FIELD: Name of deliverable or process being controlled] | [FIELD: select from Inspection / Test / Review / Sampling] | [FIELD: When or how often — e.g. upon completion, weekly, at each milestone] | [FIELD: Reference the specific acceptance criterion from A08 that governs this deliverable] | [FIELD: Role or name] |
| QC-02 | [FIELD: Name of deliverable or process] | [FIELD: select from Inspection / Test / Review / Sampling] | [FIELD: Frequency] | [FIELD: Acceptance criterion from A08] | [FIELD: Owner] |
| QC-03 | [FIELD: Name of deliverable or process] | [FIELD: select from Inspection / Test / Review / Sampling] | [FIELD: Frequency] | [FIELD: Acceptance criterion from A08] | [FIELD: Owner] |

---

## Section 6 — Quality Metrics

[FIELD: Define the metrics that will be used to measure quality performance on this project. Each metric must have a defined measurement method, frequency, target, and escalation trigger. Add rows as needed.]

| Metric ID | What Is Measured | Measurement Method | Measurement Frequency | Target Threshold | Escalation Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QM-01 | [FIELD: What is being measured — e.g. defect rate, rework hours, first-pass acceptance rate] | [FIELD: How the measurement is taken — e.g. defect log count, inspection checklist score, test pass rate] | [FIELD: How often — e.g. weekly, per deliverable, monthly] | [FIELD: The acceptable target — e.g. ≤ 2% defect rate, ≥ 95% first-pass acceptance] | [FIELD: The threshold that triggers escalation — e.g. > 5% defect rate in any sprint] |
| QM-02 | [FIELD: What is being measured] | [FIELD: Measurement method] | [FIELD: Frequency] | [FIELD: Target threshold] | [FIELD: Escalation trigger] |
| QM-03 | [FIELD: What is being measured] | [FIELD: Measurement method] | [FIELD: Frequency] | [FIELD: Target threshold] | [FIELD: Escalation trigger] |

---

## Section 7 — Acceptance Criteria Process

[FIELD: Describe the step-by-step process for verifying and formally accepting deliverables on this project. Acceptance criteria are sourced from A08 — Scope and Requirements Decision Record. Adapt each step to reflect the actual roles and tools used on this project.]

**Step 1 — Criteria confirmation.** Before work begins on a deliverable, [FIELD: role] confirms that acceptance criteria for that deliverable are documented in A08 and are understood by the delivery team.

**Step 2 — Completion declaration.** When the delivery team considers a deliverable complete, [FIELD: role] formally notifies [FIELD: role] that the deliverable is ready for inspection or review.

**Step 3 — Verification.** [FIELD: Quality Control Owner name or role] conducts the quality control activity defined in Section 5 for that deliverable, checking it against the acceptance criteria recorded in A08. Results are recorded in [FIELD: name of log or tool used to record results].

**Step 4 — Review and decision.** [FIELD: role] reviews the verification results and decides:
- **Accept** — the deliverable meets all acceptance criteria and is formally accepted.
- **Conditional accept** — the deliverable meets primary criteria but requires minor corrections within [FIELD: timeframe]; the corrections are tracked in [FIELD: log or tool].
- **Reject** — the deliverable fails one or more acceptance criteria and is returned for rework. A non-conformance is raised per Section 8.

**Step 5 — Sign-off.** Formal acceptance is recorded by [FIELD: role] in [FIELD: name of sign-off record, tool, or system — e.g. acceptance register, signed acceptance form, JIRA ticket status]. The sign-off record includes: deliverable name, version, date accepted, name of person signing off, and reference to the applicable acceptance criteria from A08.

**Step 6 — Failed acceptance.** If a deliverable fails acceptance, the Quality Control Owner raises a non-conformance per Section 8. The deliverable is returned to [FIELD: delivery team or role] with documented reasons for failure. [FIELD: Timeframe and process for rework and re-inspection]. The Project Manager is notified if rework is expected to affect schedule or cost.

---

## Section 8 — Non-Conformance and Corrective Action Process

[FIELD: This process applies whenever a deliverable fails acceptance criteria or a process audit identifies a compliance failure. Complete all owner and escalation fields for this project.]

| Step | Description | Owner | Escalation Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| **1 — Detection** | The non-conformance is identified through a quality control inspection, process audit, stakeholder feedback, or test failure. | [FIELD: Role that detects and reports the non-conformance] | [FIELD: Any detection of a critical defect or regulatory non-compliance escalates immediately to the Project Manager] |
| **2 — Recording** | The non-conformance is recorded in [FIELD: name of log or system] with: description, date detected, deliverable or process affected, severity, and detecting party. | [FIELD: Quality Control Owner or Quality Plan Owner] | [FIELD: Severity classification that triggers escalation — e.g. any High severity item is escalated within 24 hours] |
| **3 — Root Cause Analysis** | [FIELD: Role] conducts root cause analysis using [FIELD: method — e.g. 5 Whys, cause-and-effect diagram] to determine the underlying cause. Root cause is documented in the non-conformance record. | [FIELD: Quality Assurance Owner] | [FIELD: Escalate to Project Manager if root cause cannot be identified within defined timeframe] |
| **4 — Corrective Action** | A corrective action plan is developed by [FIELD: role], reviewed by [FIELD: role], and approved by [FIELD: role]. The plan specifies: action, owner, due date, and expected outcome. | [FIELD: Responsible owner for corrective action] | [FIELD: Any corrective action that affects scope, schedule, or cost must be submitted as a change request via A12] |
| **5 — Verification** | After corrective action is implemented, [FIELD: Quality Control Owner] re-inspects the deliverable or re-audits the process to verify that the non-conformance has been resolved. | [FIELD: Quality Control Owner] | [FIELD: If re-inspection fails, escalate to Project Manager and Sponsor] |
| **6 — Closure** | The non-conformance record is closed in [FIELD: log or system] with: resolution summary, date closed, and verifying party. Lessons learned are captured per Section 9. | [FIELD: Quality Plan Owner] | [FIELD: Open non-conformances older than defined threshold are escalated to the Project Manager] |

---

## Section 9 — Continuous Improvement Approach

[FIELD: Define how quality lessons and improvement opportunities will be identified, captured, and acted upon during this project.]

| Mechanism | Frequency | Owner | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| [FIELD: Mechanism name — e.g. quality retrospective, lessons learned review, process improvement workshop] | [FIELD: How often — e.g. end of each phase, monthly, after each major deliverable acceptance] | [FIELD: Role or name responsible] | [FIELD: What is produced — e.g. updated quality checklist, revised process step, lessons learned entry in A25] |
| [FIELD: Mechanism name] | [FIELD: Frequency] | [FIELD: Owner] | [FIELD: Output] |

---

## Section 10 — Review and Update Log

| Date | Updated By | Trigger | Key Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| [FIELD: YYYY-MM-DD] | [FIELD: Name] | [FIELD: What triggered this update — e.g. phase gate, scope change, quality failure, regulatory change] | [FIELD: Summary of what changed in this version] |

---

## Change Log

| Version | Date | Author | Change Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | 2026-05-31 | Phase B2 Batch 3 | Initial template |

---

*Template for: A09 — Quality Management Plan*  
*Authority: PMBOK8 Guide §2.7; Table 2-1*  
*See definition file: `artifacts/quality/A09-quality-management-plan.md`*
