CA Quality Assurance & Improvement 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The ISO 9001 standard requires organizations to demonstrate which core principle as part of its quality management system?
- Zero-defect processing
- Evidence-based decision making (Correct answer)
- Continuous cost reduction
- Centralized authority
Correct answer: Evidence-based decision making
ISO 9001 emphasizes evidence-based decision making as one of its seven quality management principles to ensure decisions are based on analysis of data.
Question 2: A gap analysis in archival quality improvement is primarily used to identify what?
- Missing items in a collection
- The difference between current performance and desired performance (Correct answer)
- Gaps in staff training records
- Physical gaps in shelf space
Correct answer: The difference between current performance and desired performance
Gap analysis measures the distance between where a program currently stands and where it wants to be, guiding improvement priorities.
Question 3: Which document serves as the primary basis for conducting a periodic program review in many archives quality frameworks?
- Annual report
- Strategic plan (Correct answer)
- Accession register
- Staff handbook
Correct answer: Strategic plan
The strategic plan provides measurable goals and objectives against which periodic program reviews assess progress and alignment.
Question 4: In quality improvement, a 'fishbone' (Ishikawa) diagram helps archivists do what?
- Map the physical arrangement of collections
- Trace the root causes of a quality problem (Correct answer)
- Document chain of custody for records
- Visualize processing backlogs over time
Correct answer: Trace the root causes of a quality problem
Fishbone diagrams organize potential causes of a problem into categories (e.g., people, processes, equipment) to identify root causes.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a leading indicator in archival performance measurement?
- The number of finding aids completed last quarter
- Staff training hours completed to predict future processing quality (Correct answer)
- Annual reference statistics submitted to the state library
- Backlog linear footage reported at year end
Correct answer: Staff training hours completed to predict future processing quality
Leading indicators predict future performance; training hours signal likely improvements in processing quality before results appear.
Question 6: Under a continuous improvement culture, how should archival staff be encouraged to treat errors discovered during processing?
- As disciplinary matters requiring formal documentation
- As opportunities to identify systemic weaknesses and improve procedures (Correct answer)
- As anomalies to be corrected and forgotten
- As reasons to slow processing to avoid future mistakes
Correct answer: As opportunities to identify systemic weaknesses and improve procedures
Continuous improvement frameworks treat errors as learning opportunities to surface and fix systemic root causes rather than blame individuals.
Question 7: Which accreditation body offers a program-level review specifically designed for archival repositories in the United States?
- ISO Technical Committee 46
- Society of American Archivists (SAA) (Correct answer)
- ARMA International
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Correct answer: Society of American Archivists (SAA)
SAA administers the Archival Certification program and, through its Registered Archivist credential, sets professional standards reviewed by its committees.
CA Quality Assurance & Improvement 3
The ISO 9001 standard requires organizations to demonstrate which core principle as part of its quality management system?