Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) programs are implemented to ensure that project work is performed in a controlled manner and that reports and data products are high quality, documented, and accurate. Conducting work in a Geographic Information System (GIS) within a QA/QC framework of guidelines can be challenging as a result of the many strict requirements inherent to the QA/QC process. All aspects of creating, managing, editing, and analyzing geospatial databases can become more rigorous and nuanced. To perform GIS work effectively under QA/QC requires a clear understanding of the overall requirements, a plan to execute the work, a documentation process, and a high level of organization. This discussion will review lessons learned from performing GIS work, within a QA/QC program, for the nuclear power industry, and it will include information about implementing a QA/QC program for GIS, workflow considerations and documentation requirements, data organization, finding and obtaining data, and other key aspects.

1. Conducting GIS Work Within a
Nuclear Safety-Related Quality
Assurance Quality Control
(QA/QC) Program
GIS in the Rockies 2012
Fugro Consultants, Inc.
Mark Zellman, PG, GISP
21 September 2012
www.fugroconsultants.com

2. INTRODUCTION
 Fugro Consultants, Inc. (FCL)
– FCL is a division of FUGRO.
– Global company which focuses on
geologic and geotechnical related
projects – including siting studies
and hazard analysis for nuclear
power plants
– The FCL QA/QC program was
developed to meet U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC)
requirements for our work in the
nuclear power industry
www.fugroconsultants.com

3. WHAT IS QA/QC
Quality Assurance (QA) is an objective review which takes place through a system of external
and independent audit procedures. The QA review is conducted by a third party to assess the
effectiveness of the QC program and the quality, completeness, accuracy, and precision of a
product.
Quality Control (QC) is a system of routine technical activities implemented to measure and
control the quality of a product as it is being compiled. QC procedures include technical reviews,
accuracy checks, and the use of approved standardized procedures.
 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC)
Quality assurance (QA) comprises all planned and systematic actions that are necessary to provide
adequate confidence that a structure, system, or component will perform satisfactorily in service.
Attributes of a QA program include procedures, recordkeeping, inspections, corrective actions, and
audits.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews and inspects QA programs and their
implementation for nuclear steam system suppliers; architect-engineering firms; suppliers of safety-
related and commercial-grade products and services; calibration and testing laboratories; and holders of
NRC construction permits, operating licenses, and combined licenses in quality-related areas. In
conducting these inspections, the NRC's objective is to determine whether licensees and their
contractors are meeting the agency's requirements. In particular, the NRC reviews the QA programs for
commercial nuclear power plants. In addition, for operating nuclear power plants, the NRC reviews any
changes that reduce previous commitments to the plant’s QA program (U.S. NRC, 2012)
www.fugroconsultants.com

4. WHY USE QA/QC?
 To ensure that high quality and accurate information is being produced for
the design of vital infrastructure.
www.fugroconsultants.com

5. VC Summer NPP – Units 2 & 3
www.fugroconsultants.com

6. VC Summer NPP – Unit 2 Excavation
www.fugroconsultants.com

7. VC Summer NPP – Unit 2 Excavation
www.fugroconsultants.com

8. OVERALL QA/QC PROGRAM STRUCTURE
• Establishes QA/QC program
QA/QC Manual • Applies to multiple projects
• Overseen by QA/QC manager *
• QA/QC Manual sub-sections which
Software GIS
Control Documents directly apply to GIS work
• Written with input from GIS staff
*
GIS EXPERT
Insert Your
Name Here
www.fugroconsultants.com

9. GIS QA/QC PROCEDURE DOCUMENT
 GIS Procedure Document (Sub-section of the QA/QC Manual)
– Responsibilities / Roles
• Project Manager, GIS Supervisor, Preparer, Verifier
– Process
• Folder Structure
• GIS Documents / File Naming
• Metadata
• Verification of GIS Documents
• Revision Tracking
• Final Data Delivery
– Records / Documentation
• GIS Request Form, Data Tracking Sheets, GIS Verification Sheet,
etc…
www.fugroconsultants.com

10. GIS TASK WORFLOW
Project GIS GIS Task GIS
Manager Request Supervisor Assignment Preparer
GIS Task/s
GIS
Verifier
Task
Delivery of Complete?
Yes No
Product Yes/No
www.fugroconsultants.com

11. SOFTWARE VALIDATION
 Software validation is governed by two documents…
– Commercial Grade Dedication Plan
• Commercial-grade dedication is a process by which a commercial-grade item (CGI) is
designated for use as a basic component. This acceptance process is undertaken to
provide reasonable assurance that a CGI to be used as a basic component will perform
its intended safety function and, in this respect, is deemed equivalent to an item
designed and manufactured under a 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, quality assurance
program. This assurance is achieved by identifying the critical characteristics of the item
and verifying their acceptability by inspections, tests, or analyses by the purchaser or
third-party dedicating entity. (U.S. NRC, 2012)
– Software Installation and Checkout Plan
• User manual
• Verification of installation and results
• Tests the software to ensure results
are reproducible and performs as
expected
www.fugroconsultants.com

12. SOFTWARE VALIDATION CONTINUED…
 To meet the NRC software validation requirements FCL has performed
software validation on an as-needed basis
– Involves developing methods to test that the software creates reliable
and reproducible results.
 ESRI Products:
– ESRI has performed and prepared V&V documents; they are available
for a large cost. As a result FCL has developed our own V&V for ESRI
software.
 When to conduct V&V
– Anytime the software code changes (OS or software updates)
www.fugroconsultants.com

13. DOCUMENTATION
 Documentation is necessary to track the assignment of tasks, data sources,
data processing steps, and other aspects of GIS work
 Detailed documentation is crucial
 Plan ahead for tracking and storing documentation
 In short: QA/QC = Documentation
www.fugroconsultants.com

14. REVISIONS TO GIS DOCUMENTS
Prior to release of Rev-0 report
EDIT EDIT
File 1_RevA File 1_RevB File 1_RevC*
PROCESS PROCESS
After the release of Rev-0 report
EDIT EDIT
File 1_Rev0 File 1_Rev1 File 1_Rev2**
PROCESS PROCESS
The process applies to both GIS data files and map documents
*Each “Rev” is labeled with an increasing letter value
**Each “Rev” is labeled with an increasing number value
www.fugroconsultants.com

15. DATA
 How you search for and obtain data will probably be
affected
 Data sources should be scrutinized
– Acceptable sources
– Unacceptable sources
 Process of downloading and documenting the data
source
– Screen capture
– Entry into project notes
– Add to tracking sheet
 Field data www.joesdata.com
Joe’s Page of GIS Data
– Process for handling data collected in the field
– Versioning – preliminary borings, as-built Map Data
Vector Data
borings, etc. Map of the Day
Funny Cat Pix
Joe’s Bio
www.fugroconsultants.com

16. WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
 Training – project specific QA/QC training
 Software
– Potential limitations on software use
– Updates and upgrades need consideration
 GIS work
– Documentation and paperwork
– Organized system to file the documentation
– Structured work flow process
– Working within established work roles
– Data mining considerations – where can I get data?
www.fugroconsultants.com

17. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
 File and map naming conventions
 Time and cost increase
www.fugroconsultants.com

18. CONCLUSION
 QA/QC program development is a long and rigorous process
 Internal audits are very helpful
 Working under a QA/QC plan will affect the way you collect data, handle
data, and perform work
 It is important to stay active with documentation – DON’T FALL BEHIND
 Software validation could pose a challenge
 Communication with others involved is very important
 QA/QC programs deliver reliable and well-documented information
 Practices from an implemented QA/QC program will influence your regular
style of work in a positive way
– Lessons learned, and processes developed for documents/data created
under a safety-related process can and should influence how non-
safety-related documents/data are created.
www.fugroconsultants.com

19. REFERENCES
 U.S. NRC, 2012, Commercial Grade Dedication, http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-
reactors/oversight/quality-assurance/vendor-insp/comm-grade-dedication.html (Date Accessed:
17 Sept 2012)
www.fugroconsultants.com

20. Thank You
www.fugroconsultants.com