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| Resource Library > chemistry > UFP-QAPP |
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DoD and Air Force Policy
In April 2006, the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health) issued a memorandum requesting the DoD components to begin immediate implementation of the Uniform Federal Policy on Quality Assurance Project Plans (UFP-QAPP) as contracts allow and new QAPPs are required. AFCEE has officially started transitioning from the AFCEE legacy guidance documents (e.g., Model Work Plan, FSP, and QAPP) to the UFP-QAPP guidance. On July 9, 2009 the AFCEE Restoration Program Management Office (R-PMO) issued a memorandum requiring the implementation of UFP-QAPP for all environmental restoration projects funded by the R-PMO.
QAPPs written in the UFP format integrate all technical and quality aspects of a project, including planning, implementation, and assessment. A QAPP written in the UFP format is not restricted to laboratory quality requirements and will contain information that may previously have been presented in a work plan or field sampling plan. The UFP-QAPP Manual states, "The QAPP document may be referred to by another name or incorporated into other project planning documents. The document for some programs or projects may be referred to as a Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP), Work Plan, Field Sampling Plan, etc." Although the title of the document may differ, a plan written following the UFP-QAPP contains all of the information required by the National Contingency Plan.
As illustrated in the graphic below, the UFP-QAPP format replaces the old AFCEE Quality Program Plan (QPP) which consisted of separate work plan, field sampling plan, and QAPP. A fact sheet was also published on August 2009 to provide additional guidance on the UFP-QAPP implementation for new and ongoing Air Force restoration projects.
What is the UFP-QAPP?
The UFP-QAPP Manual is a consensus document signed in March 2005 by the EPA, DoD, and DoE. The UFP-QAPP provides project-level guidance for implementing the systematic planning process for environmental data collection, based on the American National Standard ANSI/ASQ E4-2004. It was developed by the Intergovernmental Data Quality Task Force (IDQTF) to provide a common organizational framework and approach to QAPPs. The UFP-QAPP places a greater emphasis on upfront planning and regulator buy-in, designed to reduce review time and the need for rework.
All QAPPs prepared and approved according to the UFP-QAPP meet all the recommendations of EPA Guidance for QAPPs (QA/G-5) and requirements of EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans (QA/R-5) for environmental data collection efforts under CERCLA and RCRA at Federal facilities. The UFP-QAPP also provides a greater level of detail and more implementation tools than either of those documents.
Additional information and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) on background, basis, and implementation regarding the UFP-QAPP Manual can be found in Part 1: UFP-QAPP Manual. Part 2 of the UFP-QAPP provides three tools to assist in implementation of the UFP-QAPP Manual:
- Part 2A, the QAPP Workbook
- Part 2B, the QA/QC Compendium: Minimum QA/QC Activities
- Part 2C, Example QAPP
Download these documents from the EPA Quality Assurance web page - http://www.epa.gov/fedfac/documents/qualityassurance.htm.
An AFCEE contractor's systematic planning process, documented in the UFP-QAPP format, must contain certain minimum data quality parameters. AFCEE/TDV Chemistry is able to assist AFCEE project managers with understanding the requirements and ensuring that the contractor integrates these data quality parameters in the systematic planning processes.
A set of FAQs is available to provide answers to general, contracting, and analytical laboratory questions on the use and implementation of UFP-QAPP guidance documents.
Additional Information
AFCEE/TDV Chemistry has developed a checklist to assist in reviewing QAPPs in the UFP format. The checklist incorporates EPA R5 and UFP-QAPP Manual requirements, and common errors/best practices seen in previous DoD UFP-QAPPs. In the near future, the checklist will become part of DoD guidance for conducting project-specific reviews.
UFP-QAPP Training
AFCEE/TDV Chemistry can provide training on developing a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) using the Uniform Federal Policy (UFP) format. This training introduces the UFP-QAPP and describes Air Force implementation. Recommendations for conducting a scoping session are provided, and the importance of systematic planning in the scoping session is discussed. Strategies for completing some of the more complex worksheets are also presented. Some best practices seen in the preparation of UFP-QAPPs are also reviewed. Similar training was given at Tyndall AFB and the Air Force Restoration Technology Transfer Workshop.
The Navy Civil Engineer Corps Officer School (CECOS) offers periodic training on the UFP-QAPP. CECOS offers a 2-day course designed for government and contractor personnel who develop, review, implement, communicate, or use QAPPs. This course provides instruction on how to prepare and review QAPPs that are consistent with the UFP-QAPP, document the Systematic Planning Process, use the graded approach, and support the generation/collection of defensible environmental data of known and documented quality appropriate for their intended use. Additionally, a scenario-based training is currently being developed that will illustrate how to conduct a scoping session and document the results following the UFP-QAPP. Course announcements can be found on the CECOS website. The UFP-QAPP courses are listed under the Environmental Restoration academic category. Additionally, CECOS has web-based training available at http://www.cecosweb.com/. Offerings on this site include slides and a video introducing the UFP-QAPP, and guidance on systematic planning.
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