In the context of PRINCE2 7, the Quality Register is a vital management product that functions essentially as a diary for all quality events planned and undertaken throughout a project's lifecycle. Its primary purpose is to provide the Project Manager, Project Assurance, and the Project Board with …In the context of PRINCE2 7, the Quality Register is a vital management product that functions essentially as a diary for all quality events planned and undertaken throughout a project's lifecycle. Its primary purpose is to provide the Project Manager, Project Assurance, and the Project Board with a centralized, up-to-date summary of the status of quality activities, ensuring that the project delivers products that meet agreed expectations.\n\nPractically, the register is initialized during the 'Initiating a Project' process and meticulously updated during 'Managing a Stage Boundary' and 'Controlling a Stage'. It lists every specific quality activity—such as workshops, inspections, testing, or reviews—associated with specific deliverables. For each entry, the register captures critical metadata: a unique reference, the product identifier, the chosen quality method, the specific quality criteria being verified, and the roles responsible for reviewing and approving the product (the Chair, Reviewer, and Approver).\n\nFrom a practitioner's perspective, the Quality Register acts as a robust control mechanism. It bridges the gap between the high-level Quality Management Approach and the daily execution of the Stage Plan. When a Work Package is authorized, the Quality Register allows the Project Manager to monitor progress based on verified quality rather than just task completion. It also serves as the primary audit trail for Project Assurance to verify that planned quality methods are actually being executed. If a quality check results in a failure, the register records this outcome, necessitating a follow-up entry for re-testing. This prevents the acceptance of sub-standard deliverables and ensures that quality control is proactive and visible, rather than an afterthought.
PRINCE2 Practitioner v7 Guide: The Quality Register
What is the Quality Register? In PRINCE2, the Quality Register is a dynamic management product used to summarize all quality management activities that are planned or have taken place. It effectively functions as a diary or logbook for every quality inspection, test, or review performed within the project.
Why is it Important? The Quality Register is vital because it provides a unique reference for every quality activity and creates an audit trail. It allows the Project Manager, Project Assurance, and the Project Board to monitor the status of products. It ensures that no product is marked as 'completed' without passing the necessary quality checks, thereby preventing quality escapes.
How it Works The register is initially created during the Initiating a Project process. It is then maintained and updated throughout the project lifecycle, specifically during the Controlling a Stage and Managing Product Delivery processes.
Typical Contents: A standard Quality Register includes: - Product Identifier/Name: Which product is being tested. - Method: How the quality check is performed (e.g., Inspection, Unit Test). - Roles: Who is the Producer, who are the Reviewers, and who is the Approver. - Dates: Target review date vs. Actual review date. - Result: Pass, Fail, or Concession.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Quality Register To succeed in the Practitioner exam, focus on the specific purpose and boundaries of this document:
1. Distinguish from the Quality Management Approach This is a common trap. The Quality Management Approach describes how quality will be managed (standards, techniques, tools). The Quality Register records what was actually done and the results. If the question asks about the 'record of evidence' or 'summary of checks,' it is the Register.
2. Relationship with Plans The Quality Register is a cross-check for the Stage Plan. If a quality activity is in the plan, it must be in the register. However, the Register is primarily for control and monitoring, whereas the Plan is for execution.
3. Who Updates It? While the Project Manager is accountable, Project Support is the role that typically performs the administrative task of updating the Quality Register entries.
4. Missing Criteria Remember that the Quality Register does not hold the detailed Quality Criteria (specifications like dimensions, weight, or color). Those details are found in the Product Description. The Register only tracks the outcome of checking against those criteria.