Quality Assurance Project Plans for Grantees

Template, guidelines and checklist for preparing Quality Assurance (QA) Project Plans

Use this template for the development of your QA Project Plan. The template includes information and instructions needed for the preparation of a QA Project Plan. Some of the text will be deleted as the plan is prepared.

If additional guidance is needed, please consult the Guidelines for Preparing Quality Assurance Project Plans for Environmental Studies (Guidelines), which is available in "pdf" format at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0403030.html.

The guidelines provide detailed guidance on preparing a QA Project Plan and a glossary that can be referenced for terms used in this document.

The checklist can also be used as you prepare the QA Project Plan; it provides a list of all the required elements for the plan.

Standard Operating Procedures for Field Sampling and Analysis

Grantees are required to use standard operating procedures (SOPs) for any field sampling and field analytical activities they undertake. Here is a link to over 75 SOPs for field procedures.

Standard Operating Procedures

Help with Laboratory Accreditation

The analyses performed for your project have to be done in a laboratory accredited by Ecology. The list of accredited laboratories may help you find a laboratory that can perform the analyses needed in your project. See the following web address: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/labs/lab-accreditation.html for more information.

Model QA Project Plan

This Model QA Project Plan was chosen as an example because it closely follows the guidelines, including all of the recommended 14 elements in a QA Project Plan. Refer to it as an example of a well-written QA Project Plan.