Presentation Introduction – Aviation Quality & Safety Management in an EASA Environment Symposium Holiday Inn Sofia Bulgaria – Tues May 14th & Wed May 15th 2019
Introduction
Within the European Environment the Role of Quality Assurance and Quality Control is quite specific and for QA the keywords are “Compliance” and “Independence” for QC the keywords are Maintaining “Production Quality to a Standard”
Within EASA where we have specific roles and responsibilities (Including Independent Compliance Manager (CM) and a clear understanding of who is managing each business objective, whilst still ultimately identifying the responsibility of the nominated persons.
Consider is that the primary objective of the EASA system is to demonstrate compliance (with little focus on other quality related aspects or elements, for example, the “performance of the system”)
Organisational Compliance
When we speak about Organisational Compliance we are talking about compliance with all external regulatory requirements together with all the internal obligations driven by all internal company documentation, manuals and procedures.
The CM heads up the independent process for performing a gap analysis (auditing for conformity) of the organisations documentation systems and processes.
Any finding becomes a “discrepancy” and generates the need for “corrective action”.
Within the EASA system, the following is applicable
Consider the following role definitions and responsibilities:
a) The Accountable Manager is responsible for the Quality System which includes both elements of Quality Control and Quality Assurance;
b) The Quality Assurance Manager [Compliance Manager (CM)] is responsible for the auditing of all Compliance related elements of the organisation system.
c) “Quality Audit” is the process of systematic examination of a quality system carried out by an internal or external quality auditor or an audit team.
d) Whenever we perform a quality audit, there will always be a reference or “standard” against which the audit is carried out. So another way of thinking about the audit is to consider it is a comparison against the standard or a “Gap Analysis”
e) The responsibility of the quality assurance auditor is to periodically test and assess quality control systems. Quality Control related to the physical act of production within the organisation
f) Quality Control is typically the responsibility of the individual post holders and business area owners. Quality Control is delivered through the development of regulatory compliant organisational processes and procedures which are followed by suitably trained and competent organisational staff.
g) Independently all QC processes should be audited by the QA process.
h) Consider also that there is an organisational need for the Quality System to Audit the SMS System.
Notes on this Presentation
An extract from a presentation to be made by Mr Steven Bentley MD of Sofema Aviation Services.
The full presentation will be available during the symposium for additional details please email events@sassofia.com
