SeaPort-e

QA PLAN

ANI Team Quality Management

 


 

All Native, Incorporated (ANI) is ISO 9001:2008 certified. The requirements of our Quality Management System (QMS) flow down to all operational locations and our management approach to integrate professional support services, all management and operational areas of Task Order performance. Our Quality Control Plan (QCP) is a repeatable and verifiable process, with individuals given the responsibility and authority to accomplish/approve each step in the flow. The QMS is subject to annual third-party surveillance audits and regularly scheduled internal audits. The ANI team will provide a draft QCP in SeaPort-e Task Order proposals and will provide updates monthly.

Draft Quality Control Plan (QCP) – Key Benefits

ANI Team offers U.S. Navy  a proven approach to quality using our proven practices

  • Our benchmark for client success is superior performance through attention to detail, early identification and correction of deficiencies, and cost consciousness to demonstrate quantifiable dependability.
  • Our processes have been repeatedly proven through successful use on comparable contracts, earning our Team high marks for our services and support.
  • Our commitment to continue and improve our record in every aspect of our performance enables us to take our clients from “Where they are today” to “Where they want to be in the future.”

The ANI Team implements and enforces quality at all levels and includes allocation of resources, schedules, and all deliverables. Each employee is charged with the responsibility for performing work in accordance with contractual and Task Order requirements and established quality control policies and procedures. Reviews include a record of performing work on-time without recorded deficiencies. Our Navy Seaport-e specific approach is highlighted below:

Quality Control Principle

Navy Seaport-e Technical Services Support
QCP Approach
Technical Processes

Methods of service must be well conceived and reliably and efficiently meet or exceed applicable standards.

Schedules and priorities must be consistent with quality performance.

The ANI Team Program Manager will ensure products and services are in compliance with DOD, U.S. Navy  and  Marine Corp directives and instructions.

All levels of management ensure the workforce is aware of the client’s priorities and scheduled events required for performance including travel.

Adherence to Standards

Specific standards must be followed in PWS performance and providing deliverables.

Copies of all standards must be available for reference.

The ANI Team Program Manager will ensure deliverables meet established standards prior to submittal.

Standard templates for deliverable requirements are made available to all.

Staffing/Supervision

Personnel must be selected based on competence, experience, and qualifications.

Must foster good work habits, reward quality, and identify poor performers for counseling, training, or replacement.

The ANI Team Program Manager will ensure deliverables meet established standards prior to submittal.

The ANI Team Program Manager will continuously monitor personnel performance to identify problems early.

Performance Standards

Performance incentives must be clearly defined, equitable, and timely awarded.

Standards of service quality must establish goals that are challenging but achievable, measurable, and demonstrable.

Staff performance evaluations are conducted annually and become the bases for compensation increases.

Service quality is determined by the client and we engage QAEs on a regular basis to determine the level of satisfaction received. ANI Team’s performance objective is to always receive “Exceptional” ratings.

Training

Personnel must be thoroughly trained prior to assignment.

Personnel must periodically receive updated training to reinforce. established techniques and to take advantage of improved methods and technology.

Personnel not meeting standards must complete specialized training focused on weak performance areas.

The ANI Team Program Manager will ensure all required training is complete prior to employment.

The ANI Team Program Manager will ensure all required periodic training is accomplished. Personnel training requirements are monitored by the appropriate support staff functional area (security, HR, contracts, etc.).

The ANI Team Program Manager will ensure personnel requiring specialized training for sub-standard performance will receive the training or be replaced.

Integration with Overall Management Approach: The ANI Team QCP is tightly integrated with our overall management approach. The ANI Team Program Manager has overall responsibility for execution of the contract. The PM/Leads assigned on a Task Order will provide execution and supervision. The QC Manager ensures compliant QCPs are developed to support Task Orders and they provide independent audit and inspection. The QC Manager reports results to the corporate QMS Director and Senior Leadership. The QMS Director ensures our overall approach is compliant.

Quality Management integrates planning, scheduling, budgeting, and performance metrics to track actual progress against planned requirements. Task progress is reported up the management chain through regular status reviews, with potential problems flagged for corrective action. Task status is tracked and reported after every pay period. To manage labor resources, minimize conflicts, identify shortfalls/surpluses, and promote cross-utilization, we establish and maintain an Integrated Schedule and Staffing Plan (ISSP), which we use to ensure proper manning and skills mix for each task. The ISSP provides a long-range labor forecast and a means to track, report, and allocate personnel resources.

ANI briefs subcontractors on work requirements as well as the requirements specified in the contract plans and subcontract documents to ensure they are aware of contract compliance requirements that apply to their work, performance schedule and all required reports (QC reports, labor reports). The PM/Leads monitors day-to-day performance and resolves issues regarding subcontractor performance with the subcontractor’s management representative.

Inspection System Integrated into Overall Management Approach: Metrics are collected and communicated to the entire team. If corrective action is necessary, a corrective action plan is developed and implemented. As the program proceeds, the effectiveness of the corrective actions for prevention of recurrences is monitored. Meetings will occur as follows:

  • Monthly task reviews, including assessments of QCPs by Director and PM/Leads.
  • Formal quality meetings will be held quarterly, or as required, with the Government.
  • Quality meetings with task teams and PM/Leads (impromptu basis, as requested).
  • Performance against the QCP is monitored by the QMS Director and reported quarterly.

The ANI Team uses SharePoint throughout our organization for project management and collaboration, team management and coordination, and communications with employees, team members, and our customer. It is also used for monitoring and managing program and task deliverables and action item tracking. All metrics collected and
task_order_level3data from customers and users in drafts, reports, recommendations, and actions taken regarding quality will be maintained in SharePoint. This use is only for unclassified information.

QA is an on-going effort and an integral part of our Team’s approach to the contract. We constantly review processes, procedures, and guidelines, through our Continuous Process Improvement Program, to improve what we do and how we do it. Our approach to Quality Assurance begins with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), developed from our ISO-compliant Quality Program. The QASP serves as the foundation of our quality efforts and follows the guidance and philosophy of our corporate Quality Program.

ANI will document as needed to establish complete and accurate audit trails and historical records. Upon Task Order award, our Team will develop governing plans describing our approach and processes to start. We have management tools to help us collect data and generate reports, thus facilitating our initial audit trails. Our tools include the following fields:

  • Task Log: This is a historical document that reflects every task assigned throughout the contract. This database provides us the flexibility to sort and compile data for scheduled and ad hoc reports to depict the status of the program. It will identify tasks as open, closed, or in progress, the priority assigned to the task, information regarding the staff who assigned the task, the task description, and suspense date. It also reflects who the task was assigned to for execution and any miscellaneous notes required to explain any abnormal activity associated with the task.
  • Issues Log: The Issues Log identifies issues that arise in the performance of the contract that could affect program support and provides distinguishing information about who identified the issue, who was tasked to resolve it, what the issue was, how it was resolved, and other pertinent information. The Issues Log can be crucial if similar issues arise by providing a blueprint on how to potentially resolve the issue that arises.
  • The Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) reported ANI had the highest scores in the nation for management of an IT customer service operation. This evaluation was on our work for the Army at Ft. Belvoir.

    Risk Register: This is a log used to identify program or
    contract risks that could influence or impact the program or contract. It serves as a mechanism to remind the team that we need to be aware of and anticipate risks so we can avoid or mitigate them before they adversely impact the program. We typically assign values to risks as high, medium, and low. We also typically rate the projected program impact as high, medium, and low. A high risk, high impact situation would be considered in the highest tier and a situation we would work hardest to avoid or mitigate for the good of the program. Conversely, a low risk, low impact issue is one we would tackle on a as time allows basis.

Inspection Process: The inspection program covers all required services, including subcontracted services. Our staff have the authority to approve proposed corrective actions and to document the completion of corrective action tasks to close out a deficiency. To ensure an effective QCP, every type of service provided by our Team will be subject to the inspection process. We employ a three level inspection program in our proactive approach.

  • Level I: Level I inspections involve surveillance and inspection of specific areas by contract individuals using their own internal techniques and inspection checklists. Level I inspections, are frequently used to justify training plans.
  • Level II: Level II inspections are conducted by the staff or designee and consist of announced and unannounced random inspections utilizing detailed and up to date checklists for the major activities performed in each functional area. Level II inspections help identify and correct low-level quality control issues before they become systemic. This level of inspections may also identify/verify additional inspection criteria warranted by technical and management concerns/needs.
  • Level III: These are specialized inspections and audits conducted by the PM/Lead and Government site designees to achieve specific objectives and may consist of special inspections commissioned by Government management to review/research a QC issue, or formal internal or external technical audits to verify compliance with a specific regulation. Our Team will document, analyze for potential quality control issues, and maintain on file for the duration of the contract the results of all scheduled inspections.

Our Team will train new employees on the QCP to ensure they understand the premise and philosophy underlying the program, and their role in making it successful.

Responsiveness to and Cooperation with Customers

We will coordinate and collaborate with Navy IDIQ and Task Order CO and COR to communicate with Navy Offices to identify and execute on their requirements. We will establish an environment where the daily status meetings are a system of checks and balances, providing the open communications and reporting channels with our customers, and insert accountability into the total team approach. Primary communications with Navy Seaport-e program team are the responsibility of our Program Manager.

A formal communication plan and an open dialogue will determine how well the ANI Team is meeting requirements and deliverables under each task order.  We will proactively monitor the performance data for indicators of trends, risks, and issues, and enact mitigation plans and actions before problems affect the mission.

The ANI Team Program Manager leads the ANI management team. He will apply this experience to introduce predictive and proactive management techniques, employee training and supervision into the TO, resulting in dramatic improvement in performance metrics. Applying his experience with predictive and proactive management techniques, employee training and supervision to a TO will result in improved performance metrics. In addition, the ANI Team Program Manager will be responsible to communicate with the COR on all aspects of contract execution, with oversight of the teams compliance with Navy Seaport-e regulatory procedure, policies and the successful completion of all reports and deliverables.

Problem Resolution

The ANI Team is constantly evaluating and reviewing as part of our Continuous Process Improvement Program (CPIP), which is an extension of our QCP. Our quality auditors enhance our QCP by conducting process audits and providing guidance to our Director and Task Order program manager. The CPIP starts with evaluating the work products, whether reports, plans, or other documents or processes, to determine potential improvements and deficiencies. Once we identify potential improvements or deficiencies, we provide a report that includes a recommended action plan to address the issue.

Our management staff will review all job descriptions and employee responsibilities and compare them to published policies and standards to identify any discrepancies, deficiencies, or problems. Tracking information management system data, analyzing performance trends and evaluating specific performance indicators, are additional methods to identify, and/or predict potential quality and effectiveness issues. Once a discrepancy is identified, it is classified into one of three categories of importance ― critical, major, or minor.

Minor: A minor discrepancy, the most common type of quality control issue, is one that is not likely to reduce the effectiveness of a particular functional area and will not result in failure of service. The PMIII or PMAT will be responsible to resolve and manage minor issues and inform the BPM immediately thereafter. Minor issues routinely are discovered as a result of surveillance and inspection at the supervisory level and normally are resolved by on-the-spot corrections. If the issue recurs, a Corrective Action Report form will be submitted to the ANI Team Program Manager, who will evaluate the report and add the issue to the Monthly Quality Control Report.

Major: Major issues are important issues or quality deficiencies that, if left unattended may result in an unsafe act, a significant problem with expected contract performance, a halt in services, and/or possible receipt of a Contract Deficiency Report (CDR). They are not normally systemic, but may involve more than one functional area or activity. Our Director is responsible to resolve and manage major issues. These issues are always communicated to Corporate Management using a Corrective Action Report and prioritized and recorded on the Monthly QC Report until corrected.

Critical: Critical issues or quality problems may arise from identification of hazardous/unsafe acts and operations and may involve issues that will significantly detract from expected contract performance, halt services, or prompt the receipt of a CDR. Critical issues are usually systemic and will always prompt action by the Team. Our Director is responsible to resolve and manage all critical issues and will communicate Critical issues to both the Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) immediately.

Continued Follow-Up: The final step is continuous follow-up to ensure issues do not resurface. A continually recurring issue represents a breakdown in our QCP; we will take all reasonable measures to ensure an issue is resolved correctly the first time and remains a closed issue.

Any employee, supervisor, manager, or subcontractor may complete and submit a Corrective Action Report at any time, concerning real or perceived quality control issues. Corrective Action Reports will be forwarded to the ANI Team Program Manager who will review, analyze, and manage all Corrective Action Reports. The ANI Team Program Manager will maintain Corrective Action Reports in a sortable database for the duration of the contract performance period, to perform program trend analyses.

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