Quality assurance (QA) plans set firm guidelines to ensure projects and products reach a certain standard. They outline the scope, objectives and a full testing plan to clarify expectations and demonstrate what success looks like.
A QA plan template helps you quickly describe your project’s requirements and objectives so your whole team is on the same page.
Quality assurance plans define objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) so services reach a desired standard. Project managers write these documents in the early stages of projects and product development as a reference throughout the entire lifecycle.
A template for quality assurance plans outlines essential sections, helping you define requirements so teams know what they’re shooting for. It also establishes a consistent process you can use during future endeavors.
A solid quality assurance format should cover fundamentals like project scope, metrics and testing processes. Here are the must-have elements for a strong QA plan template.
The introduction is a summary of the QA plan’s boundaries and goals. It’s generally separated into purpose, scope and objectives, providing a reference for your team to keep them aligned and focused throughout the project.
This list outlines each team member’s responsibilities and contact details. It typically includes project managers, QA engineers, developers and designers. Keeping a thorough record of roles and responsibilities boosts accountability and helps employees understand who to go to with specific questions.
This section outlines your methods for measuring and monitoring quality. It should also explain your testing plan and schedule so team members and other stakeholders know when to expect various QA activities.
A QA plan's main purpose is to define what success looks like, so this section details metrics, KPIs and total defect tolerance. It should also standardize which data collection tools to use. Employees will use this information as a benchmark to decide whether their outputs are up to standard.
The last step is describing potential risks and mitigation strategies. This is a go-to reference for team members so they can calmly address problems using preapproved strategies.
While the final document will depend on your specific project or product, these quality assurance plan examples can help you fill in the most common components in our template.
Write a summary explaining the purpose of your project and its limitations. Communicate expectations and guidelines without going into extensive detail. To provide more information to the reader, it’s best to link to other documents, like your project scope guidelines.
List all relevant stakeholders’ full names, job titles, contact details and responsibilities for the project. If you have separate groups, put them under subheaders like “Project Team” and “QA Team.”
Describe the checks, audits and defect tracking you’ll use to verify quality. This is also where you’ll standardize your review plan, including your testing scope and how you’ll document results.
We recommend including a quality checklist that your team can follow when reviewing the end product so they don’t miss any critical steps.
Figure out what success looks like for your project and list which metrics you’ll use to see if it meets your quality standards.
Make sure to collaborate with your QA team, as they’ll have expert insights into which KPIs are effective and feasible. If you’re working with external clients, ask what quality standards they want you to adhere to.
Consider potential issues and develop a response strategy for each. Involve stakeholders to make sure this list is exhaustive and contains approved solutions. We recommend linking to other documents — like a communication plan and risk register — to provide even more details.
Once you complete your draft, share it with your team and ask for their honest comments and questions. Thorough feedback helps you refine the QA plan until it clearly communicates expectations.
Quality assurance (QA) plans set firm guidelines to ensure projects and products reach a certain standard. They outline the scope, objectives and a full testing plan to clarify expectations and demonstrate what success looks like.
A QA plan template helps you quickly describe your project’s requirements and objectives so your whole team is on the same page.
Quality assurance plans define objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) so services reach a desired standard. Project managers write these documents in the early stages of projects and product development as a reference throughout the entire lifecycle.
A template for quality assurance plans outlines essential sections, helping you define requirements so teams know what they’re shooting for. It also establishes a consistent process you can use during future endeavors.
A solid quality assurance format should cover fundamentals like project scope, metrics and testing processes. Here are the must-have elements for a strong QA plan template.
The introduction is a summary of the QA plan’s boundaries and goals. It’s generally separated into purpose, scope and objectives, providing a reference for your team to keep them aligned and focused throughout the project.
This list outlines each team member’s responsibilities and contact details. It typically includes project managers, QA engineers, developers and designers. Keeping a thorough record of roles and responsibilities boosts accountability and helps employees understand who to go to with specific questions.
This section outlines your methods for measuring and monitoring quality. It should also explain your testing plan and schedule so team members and other stakeholders know when to expect various QA activities.
A QA plan's main purpose is to define what success looks like, so this section details metrics, KPIs and total defect tolerance. It should also standardize which data collection tools to use. Employees will use this information as a benchmark to decide whether their outputs are up to standard.
The last step is describing potential risks and mitigation strategies. This is a go-to reference for team members so they can calmly address problems using preapproved strategies.
While the final document will depend on your specific project or product, these quality assurance plan examples can help you fill in the most common components in our template.
Write a summary explaining the purpose of your project and its limitations. Communicate expectations and guidelines without going into extensive detail. To provide more information to the reader, it’s best to link to other documents, like your project scope guidelines.
List all relevant stakeholders’ full names, job titles, contact details and responsibilities for the project. If you have separate groups, put them under subheaders like “Project Team” and “QA Team.”
Describe the checks, audits and defect tracking you’ll use to verify quality. This is also where you’ll standardize your review plan, including your testing scope and how you’ll document results.
We recommend including a quality checklist that your team can follow when reviewing the end product so they don’t miss any critical steps.
Figure out what success looks like for your project and list which metrics you’ll use to see if it meets your quality standards.
Make sure to collaborate with your QA team, as they’ll have expert insights into which KPIs are effective and feasible. If you’re working with external clients, ask what quality standards they want you to adhere to.
Consider potential issues and develop a response strategy for each. Involve stakeholders to make sure this list is exhaustive and contains approved solutions. We recommend linking to other documents — like a communication plan and risk register — to provide even more details.
Once you complete your draft, share it with your team and ask for their honest comments and questions. Thorough feedback helps you refine the QA plan until it clearly communicates expectations.
A QA/QC checklist helps teams monitor and manage quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) tasks. This is usually in the “QA Processes and Protocols” header to help teams track completed activities and thoroughly test outputs.
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Start by defining your project’s objectives and stakeholders’ needs. Then, work with QA engineers to choose methodologies, tools and testing procedures to reach your goals. This complex process varies from company to company, so collaborate with your team and develop a framework that works well for you.
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