Quality - Quality is Job One: Teaching Construction Quality Management to the Next Generation of CMs

Sep 22, 2026

Quality is Job One focuses on how Hill International’s Ed Newman III teaches construction quality management to future construction managers through CMAA’s Professional Construction Management course. It explains quality as a planned, organized, implemented, monitored, and documented management system aimed at consistency and reliable outcomes. The article breaks down defining project quality, measuring conformity to owner expectations and contract documents, and setting up clear QMP processes. It also contrasts QA and QC roles, emphasizing tailored owner-specific requirements.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Member Communication Experience

Quality is Job One

Quality as a Process

Defining Project Quality

Minding Your QA/QC

Member Communication Experience Quality is Job One: Teaching Construction Quality Management to the Next Generation of CMs Written by: Edward C. Newman III, PE, CCM, First Vice President, Federal Programs at Hill International, Inc. Many of Hill International, Inc.’s senior leaders give back to the industry by teaching the next generation of construction managers about the services PM/CM firms provide. Hill First Vice President, Federal Programs Ed Newman, PE, CCM, for example, has been teaching CM practitioners about quality management—specifically the meaning and purpose of construction quality management, the processes involved, and how to develop a strong quality management plan. Newman serves as an instructor for the Professional Construction Management course provided by the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), and most recently presented the Quality Management module to a class organized by CMAA’s Central Pennsylvania Chapter.“The [U.S. construction](U.S. construction) industry depends on CMAA to set so many standards,” says Newman.“This includes quality, so it makes sense that we introduce students early on to the CMAA’s definitions and processes. Their Professional Construction Management Course has all of the go-to knowledge team members will need when they get into the field. I see my job as an instructor as adding some concrete examples to CMAA’s materials—where might CMs encounter these processes in the field? What will they look like? What best practices can Iincorporate?” The class typically includes students from various backgroundsand levels of experience, some with an existing understanding of QA/QC and some entirely new to the topic.“The course is designed to both introduce and reinforce good Quality Management practices. It does this by walking through the entire process, from defining quality to resolving quality disputes.” The result is an introduction to and explanation of accepted QA/QC best practices that equips CMs to drive quality on their projects regardless of scope, type, or scale. QUALITY AS A PROCESS According to CMAA, Quality Management is the process of planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring, and documenting a system of management practices that coordinate and direct relevant project resources and activities to achieve quality in an efficient, reliable, and consistent manner. Teaching quality management starts with an explanation of what project quality means, explains Newman: “CMAA defines construction quality as the degree to which a project and its components meet the owner’s expectations, standards, | 1 [cmaanet.org](cmaanet.org) and intended purpose. As CMs, we determine quality by measuring how a project conforms to the approved plans, specifications, and applicable standards.” Understanding the owner’s definition of quality is key.“What, exactly, do we mean by conform? You need a reasonable, viable definition of what that idea means to each owner, whether that’s a Federal government agency or a small private company. Is compliance with the contract documents enough? If not, that needs to be clearly explained and detailed in your Quality Management Plan, or QMP.” Consistency is the goal, says Newman.“My students know the importance of measuring project quality before they even come into the class,” says Newman.“But the course offers them a framework to define and ensure quality no matter what factors influence and impact their specific projects. “Really the key idea is consistency. If you plan QM, organize it from the beginning, and get it all into your QMP, quality is going to become a part of what the project team does daily,”he explains.“We need this quality process to be ingrained in everyone on the team, as it works through the whole project.”He adds,“Imagine a process where you replaced adversarial positions with a system where you work with people to gain that level of quality that everyone expects. That’s what a good QMP does: d

FAQs

What does construction quality mean in the context of CMAA’s definitions?

Construction quality is the degree to which a project and its components meet the owner’s expectations, standards, and intended purpose, determined by measuring conformance to approved plans, specifications, and applicable standards.

How is Quality Management defined as a process?

Quality Management is planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring, and documenting management practices that coordinate and direct project resources and activities to achieve quality efficiently, reliably, and consistently.

What is the difference between QA and QC mentioned in the article?

QC is continuous review, certification, inspection, and testing of project components to determine conformance. QA is the second main component and, per CMAA, focuses on the application that oversees testing and workmanship quality, with responsibilities varying by agency and owner.

Sep 22, 2026

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