A new team member joins the project and fails to apply the project-specific quality assurance (QA) processes. What should the project manager have done to avoid this issue?

The project manager is responsible for ensuring all team members, including new ones, are properly onboarded and aware of project-specific processes. The quality management plan is the definitive source for these processes, outlining the standards, tools, and procedures for quality assurance. Providing access to this plan and ensuring the new member understands it during their induction is a fundamental, preventative action. This proactive step equips the team member with the necessary information to adhere to the project's quality requirements from the start, thus avoiding deviations and rework.

A. This assumes a general skill deficiency, not a lack of knowledge about project-specific processes, which is the core issue.
B. Delegating is a management action, not a preventative measure to ensure a new team member is properly onboarded with project processes.
C. Understanding product requirements is different from understanding the quality assurance processes used to build and verify those requirements.

1. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. Project Management Institute, Inc. Section 8.1.3.1, Quality Management Plan, p. 286. (Describes the plan as detailing how quality policies and procedures will be implemented).

2. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition. Project Management Institute, Inc. Section 2.4, The Team Performance Domain, p. 58. (Discusses establishing the culture and environment for the team, which includes onboarding and process adherence).