scope:

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Marshall Work Instruction (MWI) is to establish policy and specific responsibilities for planning and conducting a NASA Engineering and Quality Audit (NEQA) of contractor facilities and to ensure consistent evaluations of contractor compliance with NASA contractual safety and mission assurance and engineering requirements.

NEQAs for NASA Programs/Projects shall be structured and completed as defined in this MWI. This MWI establishes requirements and provides the methodology for selection, planning, scheduling, preparation, performance, reporting, and closeout of NEQAs conducted of prime contractors, subcontractors, and vendors when contractually required. A NEQA Flow Diagram and a NEQA Sequential Checklist for audit conduct are included as Appendices A and Z.

This MWI provides requirements for the implementation of NEQA at facilities and locations involved in manufacture, assembly, testing, and processing of hardware. This audit provides indicators of generic system anomalies that cause or contribute to the inability of the product to satisfy specified requirements as well as specific problems in documentation or performance of required manufacturing and assembly operations.

APPLICABILITY

This MWI applies to the personnel, programs, projects, and activities at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and MSFC's Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), including contractors and resident agencies to the extent specified in their respective contracts or agreements. ("Contractors," for purposes of this paragraph, include contractors, grantees, Cooperative Agreement recipients, Space Act Agreement partners, or other agreement parties.)

This MWI is applicable to all personnel who serve as chairperson, team members, or facilitator for NEQAs, which are subdivided into Phase I (contractor self assessment) and Phase II (NASA review/assessment) and to NASA contractors, both internal and external that perform work involving NASA policies, procedures and requirements on hardware, software, materials, and process equipment and have NEQA as part of their contractual agreement.