Quality Assurance Resources for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grantees

• Overview
• Quality Assurance (QA) Resources
• Accessing QA Resources
• Using QA Resources
• Submitting Quality Documentation
• Other Resources

---

Overview

Contact your Project Officer as soon as possible to discuss:

• the level of quality documentation (QD) required,
• acceptable types of project-level QD
• critical project dates,
• roles and responsibilities,
• and any other project requirements.

Advanced planning and early communication can help streamline the development, review, and approval process. 

We recognize that the development, review and approval process for project-level quality documentation may require significant effort. Our goal is to help: 

1. ensure you and your project benefits from the process;
2. increase the scientific rigor of your environmental project; and 
3. make results more transparent, reproducible, and legally defensible. 

​The ultimate success of an environmental project depends on the quality of the information collected and used in decision-making. The quality of this information may depend significantly on the adequacy of the project-level QD and the effectiveness of its implementation.

A Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) is the most widely used form of QD for EPA assistance agreements. It is a document that provides comprehensive details about the quality assurance, quality control, and technical activities that must be implemented to ensure that project objectives are met. QAPPs should be prepared in accordance with EPA QA/R-5, EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans.

EPA quality requirements, per 2 CFR 1500.11 , are defined in Environmental Information Quality Policy - EPA Order CIO 2105.1 supersedes CIO 2105.0, Policy and Program Requirements for the Mandatory Agency-Wide Quality Management System

Supplemental information is contained in EPA Quality Manual for Environmental Programs CIO 2105-P-01-0 (formerly 5360 A1)

Quality Assurance (QA) Resources

The Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) offers resources and tools for planning and implementing QA in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) projects  at  a single location online called QA Resources. QA Resources will help you (1) understand the process and requirements; and (2) develop your project-level QD, such as QAPPs. QA Resources is a SharePoint site that provides:

• Guidance Documentation and other resources
  • Templates for developing QAPPs  
  • Checklists  that reviewers use to assess QAPPs submitted to EPA 
  • Example QAPPs for various project types 
• Training documents and videos
• Presentations on quality assurance 

Accessing QA Resources

To access GLNPO’s QA Resources SharePoint site you will need login credentials for GLNPO.net. If you are a new member, or have lost your password, please complete the following steps: 

1. Navigate to the GLNPO.net account request page.
2. Enter your personal information, new account or password reset. 
3. Select QA Resources for the project.
4. Click Submit.

You will receive an email with your login credentials within 24 hours.

Using QA Resources

How to find Guidance Documents

1. Navigate to the GLNPO.net login page (https://login.glnpo.net). 
2. Log in using your credentials (after logging in you will see a list of available sites). 
3. Select QA Resources.
4. Click on Document Resources on the left-side panel to access the quality tools listed above. 
5. Click on Guidance. 
6. Open the US EPA Guidance folder. Among many documents, you will find:
   • EPA QA/R-5: EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans
     • R = requirements 
     • This document describes QAPP requirements. You should write your QAPP in accordance with this document. 
   • EPA QA/G-5: Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans 
     • G = guidance
     • This document provides additional details, suggestions, and examples to help develop a QAPP 
7. Open the Grantee QAPP Package folder, which includes:
   1. Blank QAPP templates
   2. QAPP checklist
   3. FAQs
8. Navigate back to the Guidance page to find other helpful guidance documentation, including guidance on specific project types (e.g., projects using existing data, modeling, etc.). You can find these resources throughout the various folders and files on the Guidance page. 

How to find example QAPPs

1. Navigate to Document Resources (follow steps 1 through 4 directly above)  
2. Click on Quality Documentation.  
3. Open the Example GLRI QAPPs folder and sort by Level to view QAPPs by project type. Note that keywords are included in the file description.

How to find training materials

To access presentations and training materials, click on Presentations or Training on the left-side panel. 

Submitting Quality Documentation

1. Navigate to the GLNPO.net login page (https://login.glnpo.net). 
2. Log in using your credentials. After logging in you will see a list of available sites.
3. Select QA Resources
4. Click on QD Submission
5. Click + New Item
6. Fill out the submission form and attach your quality documentation
7. Click Save

Other Resources

You may navigate through the various files and folders in QA Resources to access additional resources. 

How EPA Manages the Quality of its Environmental Data - thorough information about EPA’s Quality Program

Agency-wide Quality System Documents - a comprehensive list of quality-related documents

Frequent Questions about EPA's Quality System