Quality Policy:

The quality policy is a document that is typically created by quality experts and fully supported by top management. The policy should state the quality objectives, the level of quality acceptable to the organization, and the responsibility of the organization’s members for executing the policy and ensuring quality. A quality policy would also include statements by top management pledging its support to the policy. The quality policy is instrumental in creating the organization’s reputation and quality image.

Many organizations successfully complete a good quality policy but immediately submarine the good intentions of the policy by delegating the implementation of the policy to lower-level managers.

The implementation of the quality policy is the responsibility of top management. Top management must “walk the walk” as well as “talk the talk.” Employees will soon see through the ruse of a quality policy that is delegated to middle managers while top executives move onto “more crucial matters that really impact the bottom line.”

A good quality policy will:

• Be a statement of principles stating what, not how

• Promote consistency throughout the organization and across projects.

• Provide an explanation to outsiders of how the organization views quality.
• Provide specific guidelines for important quality matters.
• Provide provisions for changing/updating the policy.