The Quality Assurance Organization

commander, audits, squadron commanders, IMAs, and

Conducting QA audits as required by the QA

force ships.

manual and following upon corrective actions to

ensure compliance with the QA program

The QA program organization (Navy) begins with

the commanders in chief of the fleets, who provide the

Maintaining liaison with the IMA office for all

basic QA program organization responsibilities and

work requiring QA controls

guidelines.

Providing QA guidance to the supply department

The type commanders (TYCOMs) provide

when required

instruction, policy, and overall direction for

Preparing QA/QC reports (as required) by higher

implementation and operation of the force QA program.

authority

TYCOMs have a force QA officer assigned to

administer the force QA program.

Maintaining liaison with the ship engineer in all

matters pertaining to QA to ensure compliance

The commanding officers (COs) are responsible to

with the QA manual

the force commander for QA in the maintenance and

The ship quality control inspectors (SQCIs),

repair of the ships. The CO is responsible for organizing

usually the work center supervisor and two others from

and implementing a QA program within the ship to carry

the work center, must have a thorough understanding of

out the provisions of the TYCOMs QA manual.

the QA program. Some of the other responsibilities an

The CO ensures that all repair actions performed by

SQCI will have are as follows:

ship's force conform to provisions of the Qa manual as

Maintain ship records to support the QA

well as pertinent technical requirements.

program.

The CO ensures that all work requests requiring

special controls are properly identified and that

I n s p e c t all work for conformance to

applicable supporting documentation is provided to the

specifications.

maintenance or repair activity using the applicable QA

Ensure that only calibrated equipment is used in

form.

acceptance testing and inspection of work

The CO also ensures that departures from

Witness and document all tests.

specifications are reported, required audits are

Ensure that all materials or test results that fail to

conducted, and adequate maintenance is performed for

meet specifications are recorded and reported.

the material condition necessary to support continued

unrestricted operations.

Train personnel in QC.

The quality assurance officer (QAO) is

Initiate departure from specification reports

r e s p o n s i b l e to the CO for the organization,

(discussed later) when required.

administration, and execution of the ship's QA program

Ensure that all inspections beyond the

according to the QA manual. On most surface ships

capabilities of the ship's QA inspector are

other than IMAs, the QAO is the chief engineer, with a

performed and accepted by IMA before final

senior chief petty officer assigned as the QA coordinate.

acceptance and installation of the product by the

The QAO is responsible for the following:

ship.

Coordinating the ship's QA training program

Report all deficiencies and discrepancies to the

Maintaining ship's QA records and inspection

ship's QA coordinator (keeping the division

reports according to the QA manual

officer informed).

Maintaining auditable departure from

Develop controlled work packages for all ship

specification records

repair work requiring QA controls.

Reviewing procedures and controlled work

More on SQCI duties will be discussed later in this

packages prepared by the ship before submission

chapter, because this will more than likely be the area

you will be associated with.

to the engineer

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