# Presentation: 243833

## Short Course on Introduction to Meteorological Instrumentation and Observation Techniques

**QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES**
- Robert  A. Baxter, CCM
- Parsons Engineering Science
- Pasadena, CA

## Session Overview

- References and guidance
- Definitions
- Quality assurance procedures
- Quality control procedures
- Monitoring and quality assurance plans
- The role of audits
- Practical experiences in auditing

- Goal:  Understand the role of quality programs in the collection of meteorological data

## References and Guidance

## Quality Definitions

- _Quality Assurance_
*	**An integrated system of management activities involving planning, implementation, assessment, reporting, and quality improvement to ensure that a process, item, or service is of the type and quality needed and expected by the client.*

## Quality Definitions

- _Quality Control_
*	**The overall system of technical activities that measures the attributes and performance of a process, item, or service against defined standards to verify that they meet the stated requirements established by the customer; operational techniques and activities that are used to fulfill requirements for quality.*

## Quality Definitions

- _Bias_
*	**The systematic or persistent distortion of a measurement process which causes errors in one direction (i.e., the expected sample measurement is different from the sample's true value).*

## Quality Definitions

- _Precision_
*	**A measure of mutual agreement among individual measurements of the same property, usually under prescribed similar conditions, expressed generally in terms of the standard deviation.*

## Quality Definitions

- _Traceability_
*	**The ability to trace the history, application, or location of an entity by means of recorded identifications.  In a calibration sense, traceability relates measuring equipment to national or international standards, primary standards, basic physical constants or properties, or reference materials.  In a data collection sense, it relates calculations and data generated throughout the project back to the requirements for quality for the project.** *

## Quality Definitions

- _Audit_
*	**A systematic and independent examination to determine whether quality activities and related results comply with planned arrangements and whether these arrangements are implemented effectively and are suitable to achieve objectives.*

## Quality Definitions

- _Quality Assurance Project Plan_
*	**A formal document describing in comprehensive detail the necessary QA, QC, and other technical activities that must be implemented to ensure that the results of the work performed will satisfy the stated performance criteria.*

## Quality Assurance Life Cycle

## The Monitoring and Quality Assurance Plan(s)

- What is a Monitoring and Quality Assurance Plan?
*	**The road map for the collection, processing, validation and reporting of the data*

## Elements of the Monitoring and Quality Assurance Plans

- _Introduction and overview_
- Program organization
- QA objectives
- Measurement procedures
- Quality assurance program
- Data review, validation and reporting

- Problem description
- Project description
- Monitoring site description
- Scope of the monitoring effort
- Monitoring schedule

## Elements of the Monitoring and Quality Assurance Plans

- Introduction and overview
- _Program organization_
- QA objectives
- Measurement procedures
- Quality assurance program
- Data review, validation and reporting

- Project organization chart
- Delineation of project authority and responsibility
- Problem reporting chain

## Elements of the Monitoring and Quality Assurance Plans

- Introduction and overview
- Program organization
- _QA objectives_
- Measurement procedures
- Quality assurance program
- Data review, validation and reporting

- Understand the intended use of the data
- Data accuracy
- Data ranges
- Data completeness
- Data units and time conventions

## Elements of the Monitoring and Quality Assurance Plans

- Introduction and overview
- Program organization
- QA objectives
- _Measurement procedures_
- Quality assurance program
- Data review, validation and reporting

- Each variable defined
- Data logging
- Averaging intervals and algorithms
- Exposure
- Training
- Standard Operating Procedures

## Elements of the Monitoring and Quality Assurance Plans

- Introduction and overview
- Program organization
- QA objectives
- Measurement procedures
- _Quality assurance program_
- Data review, validation and reporting

- Training
- Calibration procedures and frequency
- Preventive maintenance
- Quality control checks and frequency
- System and performance audits
- Corrective action procedures

## Elements of the Monitoring and Quality Assurance Plans

- Introduction and overview
- Program organization
- QA objectives
- Measurement procedures
- Quality assurance program
- _Data review, validation and reporting_

- Routine polling and review
- Automatic screening of data
- Data quality levels
- level 0, 1, 2
- Reconciliation with DQOs
- Reporting

## Audits

- _Audit definition_
- System audit
- Performance audit
- Role of the auditor
- Role of the auditee
- Audit equipment
- Audit frequency

*	**A systematic and independent examination to determine whether quality activities and related results comply with planned arrangements and whether these arrangements are implemented effectively and are suitable to achieve objectives*

## Audits

- Audit definition
- _System audit_
- Performance audit
- Role of the auditor
- Role of the auditee
- Audit equipment
- Audit frequency

*	**A systematic on-site qualitative review of facilities, equipment, training, procedures, record-keeping, validation, and reporting aspects of a total (quality assurance) system, to arrive at a measure of the capability and ability of the system.**	*

## Audits

- Audit definition
- System audit
- _Performance audit_
- Role of the auditor
- Role of the auditee
- Audit equipment
- Audit frequency

*	**An independent assessment of the performance of the instruments to determine if they are producing valid data.*
- Direct challenge using known inputs
- Collocated Transfer Standard

## Audits

- Audit definition
- System audit
- Performance audit
- _Role of the auditor_
- Role of the auditee
- Audit equipment
- Audit frequency

- 	The auditor must be independent of the monitoring operations
- guest at the site and of the monitoring program
- independent evaluation of the site operations
- mutual training exercise

## Audits

- Audit definition
- System audit
- Performance audit
- Role of the auditor
- _Role of the auditee_
- Audit equipment
- Audit frequency

- 	The auditee should be the normal operator of the site
- Responsible for day to day operations
- Removal and reinstallation of site instrumentation
- Answer questions about the site operations

## Audits

- Audit definition
- System audit
- Performance audit
- Role of the auditor
- Role of the auditee
- _Audit equipment_
- Audit frequency

- Independent of the site instrumentation
- Traceable to known standards
- Of suitable accuracy to appropriately assess the site instrumentation performance
- Special case of audits of relative humidity

## Audits

- Audit definition
- System audit
- Performance audit
- Role of the auditor
- Role of the auditee
- Audit equipment
- _Audit frequency_

- Typical EPA recommendations
- System:	Annual
- Performance:	Six months

## Experiences in Auditing

- 1990 Central California
- 1997 Southern California
- 2000 Central California

## Review of Quality Assurance and Quality Control Procedures

- References and guidance
- Definitions
- QA and QC procedures
- Monitoring and quality assurance plans
- The role of audits