PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

**SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS**

**ATTACHMENT F -- CORRECTIVE/PREVENTIVE ACTION REQUIREMENTS**

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

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  **[LIST              **[SYSTEM]{.underline}**                      **[PAGE
  NO.]{.underline}**                                                 NO.]{.underline}**

                                                                     

  F-1                  CORRECTIVE/PREVENTIVE ACTION REQUIREMENTS     J-F-1
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1.  SUMMARY

The Quality Control (QC) Program shall be compliant with the
requirements of ANSI/ISO/ASQC Q9001 -- 2000, Quality Management Systems
(QMS) Requirements. One component of an ISO 9001 QMS is a
Corrective/Preventive system that eliminates the cause of
nonconformities in order to prevent recurrence. . This attachment
identifies the process for Corrective/Preventive Action System the
Contractor shall establish, which meets the requirement outlined in this
attachment.

2.  DEFINITIONS

**Action to Prevent:** The action taken to eliminate the root cause of
the nonconformance, defect, or other undesirable situation to prevent
the identified problem requiring corrective action from reoccurring.
(NOTE: This may also be known as permanent action.)

**Corrective Action:** The action taken to eliminate the root cause of
the nonconformance, defect, or other undesirable situation to prevent
recurrence. A corrective action may be initiated by the Government or
internally within the Contractors organization.

**Corrective action process:** The process that effectively collects and
records customer complaints and product and quality system
nonconformances to eliminate the causes of an existing nonconformity,
defect, or other undesirable situation to prevent recurrence.

**Corrective Action Report:** A document used to record product or
service, process, and quality system nonconformances identified within
Contractor processes, and to address customer complaints received.

**Customer:** The recipient of a Contractor-supplied product or service.

**Effectiveness:** Corrective actions can not be closed until assessed
as having effectively dealt with the identified root cause.
Effectiveness may be based on a measurable reduction in the occurrence
of the problem.

**Independent Testing Laboratory**: An organization, approved by the
Contracting Officer, engaged to perform specific inspections or tests of
work, either at the site, or elsewhere, and report the results.

**Immediate action:** Action taken in response to a nonconformance to
mitigate or reduce the severity of events, which may potentially occur
as a result of the nonconformance.

**Inspection**: Examining and testing supplies, services, materials,
components or assemblies to determine contract performance.

**Interim action:** Temporary action taken to rectify an existing
process nonconformance until permanent corrective action can be
implemented.

**Preventive Action**: An action taken to eliminate the causes of a
[potential]{.underline} nonconformity, defect, or other undesirable
situation in order to [prevent]{.underline} occurrence

**Process:** A set of interrelated resources and activities, which
transform inputs into outputs. Resources may include personnel, finance,
facilities, equipment, techniques, and methods.

**Process Owner:** The Contractor organization or function with
institutional responsibility for overseeing a process to ensure it is
implemented effectively.

**Product:** A product or service is the result of activities or
processes. A product or service may include service, hardware, processed
materials, software, or a combination thereof. A product or service can
be tangible (e.g. assemblies or processed materials) or intangible (e.g.
knowledge or concepts), or a combination thereof. Note: Throughout this
attachment, wherever the term "product" occurs, it can also mean
"service".

**Quality**: Conformance with the process requirements, specifications,
referenced codes and standards.

**Quality Assurance**: Those actions that verify and assure in the
effectiveness of the Contractor\'s quality control program.

**Quality Control**: Those actions that control the quality of the work
to be performed and the documentation that reflects that control.

**Remedial action:** Actions taken to ensure that the observed problem
did not produce defects in already delivered products, or that similar
problems do not exist in related processes.

**Root cause:** The underlying reason for, or cause of, one or more
nonconformances or deficiencies identified through investigations and
studies which, when corrected, will prevent or reduce the recurrence of
the realized or potential nonconformance(s) deficiency (ies).

**Testing**: Element of inspection that determines the properties of
functional operation of materials, applications, or components by the
application of established scientific principles and procedures with
formally documented records.

3.  CORRECTIVE ACTION IMPLEMENTATION

The Contractor shall take action to eliminate the cause of
nonconformities in order to prevent recurrence. Corrective actions shall
be appropriate to the effects of the nonconformities encountered. A
documented procedure shall be established that captures the requirements
outlined in this attachment for corrective and preventive action.

4.  Corrective Action Categories

The Contractor shall initial corrective action to ensure an identified
problem never or rarely happens again. Some typical categories requiring
the Contractor to initiate corrective action are, but are not limited
to, the following:

a.  Individual product or service non-conformances where the risk of not
    taking corrective action may have a larger impact to product,
    safety, cost, schedule or process.

b.  Recurring similar product or service non-conformances or negative
    trends identified from a quarterly collective review of
    non-conformances.

c.  Technical, management, or administrative Contractor processes that
    are not operating as intended.

d.  Review monthly objective data of established Contractor performance
    (metrics) that establishes the need to take preventive action before
    a potential problem occurs.

e.  Internal and third party audits performed as part of the
    Contractor's quality system, and all non-conformances and
    observations identified during those audits.

f.  Customer Feedback

All Corrective Actions fall in two classes:

1.  Reactive where you take action after a negative event.

2.  Proactive where you take action before the negative event.

For the purposes of the Contractor's Quality Management System, the
"reactive" event will be referred to as corrective action and the
"proactive" event referred to as preventive action.

It should be noted that corrective action is not required every time
there is a problem. Corrective action should be taken when the problem
identified is significant enough that the desire is to ensure it never
or rarely happens again. Simply fixing a product "broken" is not
corrective action. Process improvements are not considered corrective
action.

1.4 Corrective Action Process

The following Corrective Action Process shall have each identified
corrective action documented on a single record, which captures the
entire history from start to finish. Upon identification of a corrective
action, the Contractor shall initiate, develop, and document a
corrective action plan (CAP) for entry and tracking within their
corrective action database and:

1.  Identify the interim actions to prevent the nonconformance or
    process issue from causing more damage.

> NOTE: This may not apply to preventive action. If it is determined
> that no interim action is required, the justification should be
> stated. Do not use "none required", "not applicable" (n/a) or any
> other such terms if no interim action is required.

2.  See how the problem or issue affected previous product or services
    and identify remedial actions that resolve any problems.

> NOTE: This may not apply to preventive action. If it is determined
> that no remedial action is required, the justification should be
> stated. Do not use "none required", "not applicable" (n/a) or other
> such terms if no remedial action is required.

3.  Determine the problems root cause and whether that root cause is
    related to a process the Contractor controls. NOTE: If the
    Contractor does not control the process in which the corrective
    action has been identified corrective action cannot be taken, and
    the Government should be notified.

4.  Identify the action to prevent recurrence the root cause from
    happening. NOTE: The action to prevent recurrence should be directly
    related to the identified root cause. By keeping the actions focused
    on the root cause you will simplify the CAP and make it easier to
    verify and close.

5.  Assign responsibilities and authorities for the plan's actions.

6.  Determine the verification methodology for the action implemented to
    prevent recurrence.

7.  Establish and document the corrective action plan schedule.
    Determine when the actions identified in the CAP will be completed
    and when there will be sufficient objective evidence to show the
    actions were effective.

8.  Provide a copy of the corrective action plan to the Government.

9.  Keep the CAP actions on schedule

10. Make sure the corrective action has removed the root cause.

11. Rework the corrective action plan if verification of the implemented
    corrective action plan determines the root cause was not eliminated
    or the identified problem reoccurs.

12. Notify the Government upon completion and closure of all corrective
    actions.