Quality Assurance & Improvement Flashcards

A forester implementing a Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program needs to demonstrate continual improvement. Which mechanism best supports this requirement?

Answer: Tracking performance indicators over time and adjusting practices based on results

Continual improvement under SFI requires measuring performance indicators, reviewing results, and updating practices to achieve better outcomes over time.

When developing a quality management plan for a reforestation project, which element is essential to include?

Answer: Acceptance criteria and inspection procedures for seedling survival

A reforestation quality plan must define measurable acceptance criteria (e.g., minimum survival rates) and the inspection methods used to verify them.

What is the primary purpose of a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram in forestry quality improvement?

Answer: To visually organize potential causes of a quality problem by category

An Ishikawa diagram organizes possible causes of a problem into categories (e.g., people, equipment, methods, environment) to guide root-cause analysis.

A logging contractor repeatedly fails to meet BMP streamside buffer requirements. Under a formal QA system, what is the FIRST step a forester should take?

Answer: Document the nonconformance and issue a formal notice requiring corrective action

Documenting the nonconformance and issuing a formal corrective action notice initiates the QA process and creates a record for follow-up.

In forestry monitoring programs, what distinguishes a 'leading indicator' from a 'lagging indicator'?

Answer: Leading indicators predict future performance; lagging indicators measure past outcomes

Leading indicators (e.g., training hours, pre-work checklists) predict future quality, while lagging indicators (e.g., BMP failure rates) measure what has already occurred.

Which certification program requires a chain-of-custody (COC) system to track wood products from harvest to sale?

Answer: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification

FSC certification requires chain-of-custody documentation to ensure that certified wood is properly tracked and segregated through every stage of the supply chain.

A scatter diagram is used in a logging operation QA review. What relationship would it most likely be used to investigate?

Answer: The relationship between soil disturbance and slope gradient

A scatter diagram plots two variables against each other to reveal correlations, such as whether steeper slopes are associated with greater soil disturbance.