UK Defence Quality and Configuration Management Policy (QCM-Pol)

The Quality and Configuration Management Policy team develops and pursues Ministry of Defence’s Quality and Configuration Management policy, both nationally and internationally, with civil, military and industry partners to support more effective and efficient acquisition in Defence.

Responsibilities

As the executive arm of the Defence Functional Authority for Technical, Quality and Standardization, QCM Pol provides pan Ministry of Defence policy, advice and guidance covering areas of Quality and Configuration Management for all members of the UK Ministry of Defence and industry partners, achieving this through collaborating with NATO, national and international stakeholders.

QCM-Pol are responsible for setting Ministry of Defence:

  • Quality and Configuration Management policies and guidance
  • Quality and Configuration Management contractual standards
  • Professional standards by upskilling and licensing quality practitioners in the Ministry of Defence

Additional responsibilities include:

  • protecting UK Ministry of Defence Quality and Configuration Management interests in national and international committees
  • raising awareness and setting the policy for the identification and control of counterfeit avoidance within the UK Defence Industry

Policy

Joint Service Publications (JSPs) are authorised by the Defence Authority for Technical and Quality Assurance, and contain direction and authoritative guidance for Quality and Configuration Management to be applied across the Ministry of Defence.

Guidance

There are additional MOD Quality and Configuration Management guidance documents available aligned to JSP 940 and JSP 945. For example:

  • Knowledge in Defence (KiD) is an authoritative source of guidance and good practice on Managing Quality and Configuration Management for all members of the UK Ministry of Defence and our Industry partners concerned with Defence Acquisition. The “Managing Quality” and “Configuration Management” content can be found via the KiD search engine.

  • MOD Managing Quality Competence Framework (access for MOD personnel only) outlines the knowledge and ability needed in all areas of the Ministry of Defence to undertake or supervise any Quality related activity as defined within the MOD Policy for Quality (JSP 940). A Managing Quality in the Defence Sector Competence Framework is also currently under development, for further information please contact us.

  • MOD Configuration Management Competence Framework (access for Ministry of Defence personnel only) outlines the knowledge and ability needed in all areas of Ministry of Defence to undertake or supervise any Configuration Management related activity as defined within the MOD Policy for Configuration Management (JSP 945).

  • MOD Government Quality Assurance (GQA) Framework underpins JSP 940 and provides the Ministry of Defence and industry partners with the necessary understanding of Government Quality Assurance, which, when applied effectively, promotes successful acquisition.

  • MOD Configuration Management Aide Memoire identifies the range of Configuration Management activities that support defence acquisition.

  • MOD Quality in your Pocket guide (PDF, 720 KB, 36 pages) contains guidance and useful information to enable the MOD and industry partners to understand the fundamentals of quality when acquiring and supporting equipment for the armed forces. Please note: some of the links contained within the pocket guide are for access by MOD personnel only.

Consultation

The Defence Industries Quality Forum (DIQF) is the senior UK MOD and Industry Quality consultation forum. The DIQF promotes the sharing of good practice and the development of innovative collaborative solutions to common problems.

Examples of this are:

  • DIQF supporting UK industry through the well-respected Counterfeit Avoidance Working Group (CAWG) where wide collaboration has delivered contracting standards and a supporting maturity model to help organisations develop proportionate mitigation strategies and controls to tackle the counterfeit risk.

  • DIQF working with the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) and the CQI Defence Special Interest Group (DSIG) to help quality professionals learn, share, and support each other’s development and influence the defence industries.

MOD Quality Awards

Nominations are now open for the MOD Quality Awards.

Email: DESEngSfty-QSEPQCM-Pol-Awards@mod.gov.uk

Contact Details

Quality & Configuration Management Policy

Email: DES-QCM-Policy-Helpline@mod.gov.uk

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