Quality Assurance is a structured management system based on the Department’s principles and values. Quality Assurance ensures mission achievement, consistency, and the effectiveness of products and services to meet the Department’s missions and goals. All employees use their Quality Assurance management system to provide objective evidence and verification of adequacy, correctness, and continuous improvement. The management system should be tailored to individual missions and goals for each Departmental program element based on the graded approach. The graded approach should be used to develop a Quality Assurance management system that incorporates the applicable requirements aligned with the scope of work, and the level of assurance needed for the intended use of the products and services. The requirements from DOE Order 414.1D, Quality Assurance are to be applied to all work conducted by the employees from both the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration including their contractors.
QA Policy and Directives
The Office of Quality Assurance is responsible for DOE's QA policy and requirements, and for providing assistance with QA implementation. Identifies DOE QA Policy, Regulation, Orders, Guides, and Standards.
Safety Software Quality Assurance
The Department has established rigorous and effective requirements for the application of QA programs to safety software for nuclear facilities.
Safety Software Quality Assurance - Central Registry
Promotes continuous improvement and the sharing of knowledge of safety software quality assurance among interested parties across the DOE complex.
Commercial Grade Dedication (CGD)
Commercial Grade Dedication is an important process for qualifying items and services used at the Department’s nuclear facilities. More information on this process is available in the DOE Handbook, DOE-HDBK-1230-2019, Commercial Grade Dedication Application Handbook. This handbook is available on the DOE Technical Standards Program Webpage.
Suspect/Counterfeit Items/Defective Items (S/CI)
The S/CI requirements are found in DOE O 414.1D, Quality Assurance. A quality assurance program must establish, document and implement effective controls and processes that will:
- ensure items and services meet specified requirements;
- prevent entry of S/CIs into the DOE supply chain;
- ensure detection, control, reporting, and disposition of S/CIs.
High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter Test Facility (FTF)
The Office of Quality Assurance has the responsibility to inspect and test all HEPA filters prior to their installation in a nuclear facility. Applicable DOE Standards and information on FTF reports are maintained by the Office of Quality Assurance.
Quality Assurance Community Of Practice
The Office of Quality Assurance and Nuclear Safety Management Programs hosts the Department's Community of Practice for Quality Assurance. The mission for the Community of Practice is to promote improved communication, consistency, and collaboration in support of effective quality assurance implementation across the Department of Energy. For more information, please contact qualityassurance@hq.doe.gov.