Ensures distribution of incoming cor- respondence and so forth Reproduces and distributes incoming mes- sages and maintains a message history file by date-time-group (DTG) for a minimum of 6 months Coordinates department administrative and security responsibilities with other departments and divisions Distributes nontechnical information and pub- lications Maintains personnel assignment records for the department QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA).—The basic concept of QA is the prevention of the occurrence of defects. This concept includes all events from the start of the maintenance operation to its completion. QA is the responsibility of all personnel. Achievement of QA depends upon prevention, knowledge, and special skills. Prevention is based upon the principle that maintenance failures should be precluded. This principle extends to the safety of personnel, the maintenance of equipment, and the entire maintenance effort. Prevention is concerned with the regulation of events rather than have events dictate maintenance. Knowledge is derived from factual information. Data collection and analysis is a means of acquiring this knowledge. Special skills are those skills possessed by staff that is trained in the techniques of data analysis and supervision of the QA program. Normally, production personnel do not possess these skills. The QA program provides an efficient method of gathering, analyzing, and maintaining information on the quality characteristics of parts and components and nature of defects and their immediate impact on current operations. The program permits decisions to be based on facts rather than intuition or memory. In addition, the QA program provides comparative data that will be useful long after a particular event has occurred. QA is a staff function that requires both authority and assumption of responsibility for actions. QA’s objective is to identify problem areas so that management can accomplish the following: Improve the quality, uniformity, and reliability of the total maintenance effort Improve the work environment, tools, and equipment that are used in the maintenance effort Eliminate unnecessary man-hour and dollar expenditures Improve training, work habits, and procedures of maintenance personnel Increase the excellence and value of reports and correspondence that are originated by maintenance personnel Effectively disseminate technical information Establish realistic material and equipment requirements in support of the maintenance effort Support the Naval Aviation Maintenance Discrepancy Reporting Program (NAMDRP) Support the foreign object damage (FOD) program The QA division consists of a relatively small group of highly skilled maintenance personnel. Working spaces are usually near productions division and the maintenance control office. For a complete list of QA division responsibilities, refer to the NAMP. Some functions and responsibilities of the QA division are listed below: Maintain the central technical publications library (CTPL) for the department, control classified technical publications for the department, and ensure that dispersed work center libraries (dispersed libraries) receive publications applicable to each work center, and that these publications are kept current. Review incoming technical publications and directives to determine their applicability to the department. Ensure that work guides, checklists, check sheets, and Maintenance Requirements Cards that define or control maintenance operations are complete and current before issuance. Review each engineering investigation request, quality deficiency report (QDR), technical 1-7