Project Quality Health Check
In June 2021, I was invited by ALIGN JV, the main contractor on the Hs2 Chiltern Tunnels and Colne Valley Viaduct package, to develop and undertake a Project Quality Health Check (PQHC) on their circa £2 billion project.
What is a Project Quality Health Check? Its purpose is to establish the effectiveness and maturity of a project’s right first time delivery process. Right first time delivery is key to improving project cost and programme certainty by minimising non-compliant delivery and rework while improving health and safety performance.
The impact of not implementing the right first time approach is significant. Studies undertaken by the UK Get It Right Initiative (GIRI) show that 21% of project costs are related to not doing things right first time (Get It Right Initiative (GIRI)– Research Report Revision 3 – April 2016).
The PQHC process compares the quality arrangements seen in operation on a project with best practice utilised in the UK Major Infrastructure Project sector. The process will also assess the project’s approach to quality delivery and review the quality culture on the project.
The PQHC process provides a benchmark against which future project improvement can be measured. It can also be applied to a group of projects to facilitate a comparative review.
The process can be tailored to suit any project type or size.
The Project Quality Health Check covers the full range of quality activities which are considered vital to the implementation of the right first time approach to delivery, including :-
• Quality Leadership and Culture
• Roles, Responsibilities and Authorities
• Quality Objectives
• Resource and Competence
• Operational Planning and Control
• Non-conformance Control
• Performance Evaluation and Improvement
On completion of the PQHC process, a comprehensive written report will be provided. This will include an executive summary; detailed information on the findings of the document review; interview and culture survey processes; and a summary of the identified opportunities for improvement with recommendations on how these can be effectively and efficiently implemented.
On the successful completion of the Align JV assignment, I was pleased to receive the following testimonial from Jon Neale the Align JV Interface Director :-
“The ECS Health Check provided an experienced “external” perspective on how the quality system works for the whole of the C1-ALIGN team without disrupting the operational delivery programme.”
“Jon’s calm and personable approach facilitates the data collection process and the experience he brings to the consequent review has given ALIGN an objective snapshot that will enable us to progressively improve our quality system for the rest of the C1 project.”
For further details of the Project Quality Health Check process and to obtain a formal proposal document, please contact me.
Why are Contract Quality Conditions Important?
Simply put, getting an appropriate set of Contract Quality Conditions (CQCs) in place at the start of a project is, in my experience, essential to the overall success of the project with regard to compliance and certification.
The Quality Management of Welding and Fabrication
The risks associated with the welding process are often poorly understood in the industry. It is far easier to ensure than the correct processes and documentation are followed during the fabrication process than it is to retrospectively assure fabrication after it has been delivered to site.
Post Grenfell – Available Solutions for Building a Safer Future
On 23rd July 2020, I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend a webinar on the subject of “Quality in Construction”. This excellent webinar was presented by Dame Judith Hackett and hosted by the Leicester and Coventry Branch of the Chartered Quality Institute.