conducts QA audits as required and follows up on
2. To improve work environment, tools, and
corrective actions to assure compliance with the QA
equipment used in the performance of maintenance
program.
3 . To cut unnecessary man-hour and dollar
The ship quality control inspectors (SQCIs) must
expenses
have a thorough understanding of the QA program. The
4 . To improve the training, work habits, and
SQCIs are usually the work center supervisor and two
procedures of all maintenance personnel
others from the work center. The following list contains
5. To increase the excellence and value of reports
some of the other responsibilities the SQCI will have:
and correspondence generated by the maintenance
1. Inspect all work for compliance with
activity
specifications.
6. To distribute required technical information
2 . Maintain ship records to support the QA
more effectively
program.
7. To set up realistic material and equipment
3. Make sure only calibrated equipment is used in
requirements in support of the maintenance effort
acceptance testing and inspection of work.
4. Witness and document all tests.
QA ORGANIZATION
5. Make sure all materials or test results that fail to
The QA program for naval forces is organized into
meet specifications are recorded and reported.
different levels of responsibility. For example, the
COMNAVSURFPAC QA program includes the
SPECIFICATIONS
following levels of responsibility: type commander,
readiness support group/area maintenance coordinator,
and the IMAs. The QA program for COMNAVSURF-
In the field of quality assurance, the following terms
LANT includes five levels of responsibility: force
a r e often misunderstood and confused: level of
commander, audits, squadron commanders, IMAs, and
essentiality and level of assurance. To eliminate some
force ships.
of the confusion, this TRAMAN will define the levels
of essentiality and levels of assurance required for
The QA program organization (Navy) begins with
equipment/systems on surface ships. There is no direct
the commander in chief of the fleets, who provides the
connection between the two terms.
basic QA program organization responsibilities and
guidelines.
Levels of Essentiality
The t y p e c o m m a n d e r s ( T Y C O M S ) p r o v i d e
instruction, policy, and overall direction for
implementation and operation of the force QA program.
Some early failures in surface ship systems were
TYCOMs have a force QA officer assigned to control
traced to the use of the wrong materials. This led to a
the force QA program.
system of prevention that involved levels of essentiality.
A level of essentiality is a range of controls representing
The commanding officers (COs) are responsible to
a certain high degree of confidence that procurement
the force commander for QA in the maintenance and
specifications have been met. The range of controls is
repair of the ships. The CO is responsible for organizing
defined into two broad categories.
and implementing a program to carry out the provisions
of the TYCOM's QA manual.
Verification of material
The CO ensures that all repair actions performed by
Confirmation of satisfactory completion of test
ship's force conform to provisions of the QA manual as
and inspections required by the ordering data
well as to other necessary technical requirements.
Levels of essentiality are codes that show the degree
The quality assurance officer (QAO) i s
to which the ship's system, subsystem, or components
responsible to the CO for the organization,
are necessary in the performance of the ship's mission.
administration, and execution of the ship's QA program.
The ship assigns these codes according to the QA
manual. These codes show the impact that a catastrophic
The QAO is responsible for coordinating the ship's
failure would have on the ship's mission capability and
QA training program and for maintaining the ship's QA
safety of personnel.
records and test and inspection reports. The QAO
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