Quality Program Directives

The Enterprise Quality Management Division (EQMD) has oversight responsibility for the Agency's Quality Program as delegated by the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA) for Information Technology and Information Management (IT/IM).

These documents provide guidance to program managers and technical staff. They do not impose legally binding requirements and may not apply to a particular situation based on the circumstances.

EPA retains the discretion to adopt approaches on a case-by-case basis that differ from these guidance where appropriate.

On this page:

Quality Directives
- Policy
- Procedures
- Standards
- Guidance

Quality Directives

Quality Directives consists of policy, procedures, standards and guidance.

Policy

Title	Directive Number	Description
Environmental Information Quality Policy, March 20, 2024	CIO 2105.4	This policy establishes policy and program requirements for the preparation and implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Quality Program. Below are two resources that provides more information on the Quality Directives: Quality Directives One Pager (pdf) (174.5 KB) Quality Directives FAQs (pdf) (192.96 KB)

Title

Directive Number

Description

Environmental Information Quality Policy, March 20, 2024

CIO 2105.4

This policy establishes policy and program requirements for the preparation and implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Quality Program.

Below are two resources that provides more information on the Quality Directives:

Quality Directives One Pager (pdf) (174.5 KB)
Quality Directives FAQs (pdf) (192.96 KB)

Procedures

Title	Directive Number	Description
Environmental Information Quality Procedure, March 20, 2024	CIO 2105-P-01.4	This procedure establishes management principles and responsibilities for ensuring that Environmental Protection Agency environmental information and technology operations products and services meet Agency quality-related requirements, are of sufficient quality for their intended use, and support EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment.
EPA QA Field Activities Procedures, September 23, 2014	CIO 2105-P-02.0	This procedure describes how the Agency quality program shall be applied to sampling and non‐sampling field activities. Applies only to EPA organizations.
CIO Notification Procedure for Environmental Data Quality Issues, August 8, 2020	CIO 2105-P-03.0	This procedure describes the comprehensive, coordinated due diligence process for evaluating environmental data quality issues that could adversely impact EPA organizations. Applies only to EPA organizations.

Standards

Title	Directive Number	Description
Quality Management Plan Standard, March 20, 2024	CIO 2105-S-01.1	This standard defines the minimum requirements for QMPs for all EPA and non-EPA organizations performing environmental information operations. This standard replaces EPA Requirements for Quality Management Plans (QA/R-2). NOTE: The QMP Standard requirements will apply to all new and supplemental grant awards issued on or after February 17, 2023. All new and supplemental assistance agreements requiring QMPs awarded as of that date must be in compliance with the new Standard or must include an updated term and condition that links to the Standard. Previously awarded grants will continue to use QA/R-2, unless they are amended to add new activities requiring a QMP, in which case the requirements of the new Standard must be followed. The Office of Grants and Debarment will update the national programmatic terms and conditions to revise the QA T&C. As well, new and existing FR templates will be updated as applicable. In the transition period between January 17 - February 17, 2023, Program Offices may elect to include the new Standard in any funding recommendations and awards requiring the QA T&C. Citing to the new Standard during this transition period, while not required, is preferred. Below are two resources that will assist with the implementation of the QMP Standard: One Pager (pdf) (168.06 KB) FAQs (pdf) (211.25 KB)
Quality Assurance Project Plan Standard, April 3, 2024	CIO 2105-S-02.1	This standard defines the minimum requirements for QAPPs for EPA and non-EPA organizations performing environmental information operations. This standard replaces EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plan (QA/R-5). NOTE: The QAPP Standard requirements will apply to all new and supplemental grant awards issued on or after August 31, 2023. All new and supplemental assistance agreements requiring QAPPs awarded as of that date must be in compliance with the new Standard or must include an updated term and condition that links to the Standard. Previously awarded grants will continue to use QA/R-5, unless they are amended to add new activities requiring a QAPP, in which case the requirements of the new Standard must be followed. The Office of Grants and Debarment will update the national programmatic terms and conditions to revise the QA T&C. As well, new, and existing FR templates will be updated as applicable. In the transition period between July 18 – August 31, 2023, Program Offices may elect to include the new Standard in any funding recommendations and awards requiring the QA T&C. Citing to the new Standard during this transition period, while not required, is preferred. Below are two resources that will assist with the implementation of the QAPP Standard: QAPP Standard One Pager (pdf) (169.56 KB) QAPP Standard FAQs (pdf) (215.92 KB)

Title

Directive Number

Description

Quality Management Plan Standard, March 20, 2024

CIO 2105-S-01.1

This standard defines the minimum requirements for QMPs for all EPA and non-EPA organizations performing environmental information operations. This standard replaces EPA Requirements for Quality Management Plans (QA/R-2).

NOTE: The QMP Standard requirements will apply to all new and supplemental grant awards issued on or after February 17, 2023. All new and supplemental assistance agreements requiring QMPs awarded as of that date must be in compliance with the new Standard or must include an updated term and condition that links to the Standard.

Previously awarded grants will continue to use QA/R-2, unless they are amended to add new activities requiring a QMP, in which case the requirements of the new Standard must be followed.

The Office of Grants and Debarment will update the national programmatic terms and conditions to revise the QA T&C. As well, new and existing FR templates will be updated as applicable.

In the transition period between January 17 - February 17, 2023, Program Offices may elect to include the new Standard in any funding recommendations and awards requiring the QA T&C. Citing to the new Standard during this transition period, while not required, is preferred.

Below are two resources that will assist with the implementation of the QMP Standard:

One Pager (pdf) (168.06 KB)
FAQs (pdf) (211.25 KB)

Quality Assurance Project Plan Standard, April 3, 2024

CIO 2105-S-02.1

This standard defines the minimum requirements for QAPPs for EPA and non-EPA organizations performing environmental information operations. This standard replaces EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plan (QA/R-5).

NOTE: The QAPP Standard requirements will apply to all new and supplemental grant awards issued on or after August 31, 2023. All new and supplemental assistance agreements requiring QAPPs awarded as of that date must be in compliance with the new Standard or must include an updated term and condition that links to the Standard.

Previously awarded grants will continue to use QA/R-5, unless they are amended to add new activities requiring a QAPP, in which case the requirements of the new Standard must be followed.

The Office of Grants and Debarment will update the national programmatic terms and conditions to revise the QA T&C. As well, new, and existing FR templates will be updated as applicable.

In the transition period between July 18 – August 31, 2023, Program Offices may elect to include the new Standard in any funding recommendations and awards requiring the QA T&C. Citing to the new Standard during this transition period, while not required, is preferred.

Below are two resources that will assist with the implementation of the QAPP Standard:

QAPP Standard One Pager (pdf) (169.56 KB)
QAPP Standard FAQs (pdf) (215.92 KB)

Guidance

Title	Directive Number	Description
Guidance on Assessing Quality Systems (QA/G-3)	EPA/240/R-03/002 March 2003	Guidance on assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of an environmental quality program.
Guidance on Systematic Planning using the Data Quality Objectives Process (QA/G-4)	EPA/240/B-06/001 February 2006	This document is an expanded version of the August 2000, Guidance for the Data Quality Objectives Process and includes both decision making and estimation using the Data Quality Objectives (DQO) Process. It provides information on how to apply systematic planning to generate performance and acceptance criteria for collecting environmental information. The basic structure of the DQO Process is unchanged but there are some minor revisions in the names of the seven steps of the Process. For more information and resources, see EPA's Elements of Systematic Planning.
Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans (QA/G-5)	EPA/240/R-02/009 December 2002	Guidance on developing Quality Assurance Project Plans that meet EPA specifications. Note: This version replaces the original document issued in February 1998 (EPA/600/R-98/018). QA/G-5 will be replaced by the QAPP Guidance, which is currently under development.
Guidance for Geospatial Data Quality Assurance Project Plans (QA/G-5G)	EPA/240/R-03/003 March 2003	Guidance on developing Quality Assurance Project Plans for geospatial data projects.
Guidance on Choosing a Sampling Design for Environmental Data Collection (QA/G-5S)	EPA/240/R-02/005 December 2002	Guidance on applying standard statistical sampling designs (such as simple random sampling) and more advanced sampling designs (such as ranked set sampling, adaptive cluster sampling) to environmental applications.
Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans for Modeling (QA/G-5M)	EPA/240/R-02/007 December 2002	Guidance on developing Quality Assurance Project Plans for modeling projects.
Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures (QA/G-6)	EPA/600/B-07/001 April 2007	Guidance on the development and documentation of Standard Operating Procedures. Note: This version replaces the previous document issued in March 2001 (EPA/240/B-01/004).
Guidance on Technical Audits and Related Assessments for Environmental Data Operations (QA/G-7)	EPA/600/R-99/080 January 2000 Quality Document Reissue Notice May 2006	Guidance to help organizations plan, conduct, evaluate, and document technical assessments.
Guidance on Environmental Data Verification and Data Validation (QA/G-8)	EPA/240/R-02/004 November 2002 Quality Document Reissue Notice January 2008	Guidance to help organizations conduct data verification and data validation activities.
Guidance for Data Quality Assessment: Practical Methods for Data Analysis (QA/G-9)	EPA/600/B-06/R-96/084 July 2000	General guidance to organizations on assessing data quality criteria and performance specifications for decision making. Document is to be used as a "tool-box" of useful techniques in assessing the quality of data.
Data Quality Assessment: A Reviewer’s Guide (QA/G-9R)	EPA/240/B-06/002 February 2006	General guidance to organizations on assessing data quality criteria and performance specifications for decision making. G-9R is non-technical document and shows a reviewer what constitutes an appropriate Data Quality Assessment (DQA), and how to recognize situations or reports where a DQA has been conducted.
Data Quality Assessment: Statistical Tools for Practitioners (QA/G-9S)	EPA/240/B-06/003 February 2006	This document can be considered the technical aspect of G-9R. The document is designed as a "tool-box" of useful techniques in assessing the quality of data. The overall structure of the document will enable the analyst to investigate many problems using a systematic methodology.
Guidance on Quality Assurance for Environmental Technology Design, Construction and Operation (QA/G-11)	EPA/240/B-05/001 January 2005	Guidance on basic quality assurance and quality control procedures, and good engineering principles/practices, that may be used in the design, construction or operation of environmental technologies.