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Risk, Quality, NCR & Corrective Actions
Project Manager control of project risk, quality assurance, inspection, non-conformities, corrective actions and verification of satisfactory close-out during yacht refit.
OVERVIEW
Risk and quality control are fundamental responsibilities of the yacht Project Manager. The objective is not simply to identify problems after they occur, but to anticipate project risk, establish appropriate controls, verify the quality of completed work and ensure that deficiencies are properly corrected and closed.
During a refit, defects, deviations and non-conformities can arise from workmanship, materials, installation, design information, procedures, testing or documentation. These issues should be assessed according to their significance and managed through an appropriate control process.
Not every defect requires a formal Non-Conformity Report (NCR). Minor incomplete work may be controlled through a snagging or punch list, while more significant departures from an approved drawing, specification, standard, Class requirement or agreed acceptance criterion may require formal NCR control.
Corrective action goes beyond repairing the immediate defect. Where appropriate, the Project Manager should establish why the non-conformity occurred, what action is required to correct it, whether further preventive measures are necessary, and how satisfactory close-out will be verified.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Establish and maintain a project risk register.
• Identify technical, programme, commercial, safety and quality risks.
• Assign responsibility for risk mitigation and follow-up.
• Review project risks as conditions and scope change.
• Establish clear quality and acceptance requirements for each work package.
• Confirm drawings, specifications and approved technical information are available.
• Define inspection points, hold points and testing requirements where necessary.
• Monitor workmanship and material quality throughout the project.
• Identify defects and deviations as early as possible.
• Distinguish between minor punch-list items and significant non-conformities.
• Raise and control NCRs where formal non-conformity management is required.
• Record the requirement or acceptance criterion that has not been satisfied.
• Establish appropriate corrective action.
• Identify root cause where the significance or recurrence of the issue requires it.
• Assign responsibility and target dates for corrective actions.
• Verify that corrective work has been completed satisfactorily.
• Arrange reinspection, testing or survey attendance where required.
• Prevent premature closure of NCRs or quality issues.
• Maintain photographic, technical and documentary evidence of close-out.
• Identify recurring quality failures and address the underlying cause.
• Maintain clear records for final project handover.
RISK & QUALITY CONTROL CHECK
The Project Manager should maintain visibility of the following:
• identified project risk
• risk description
• likelihood and consequence
• risk owner
• mitigation action
• target completion date
• residual risk
• applicable drawing or specification
• approved revision status
• material requirements
• workmanship standard
• inspection requirements
• hold points
• test requirements
• acceptance criteria
• identified defects
• punch-list items
• NCR reference where applicable
• corrective action
• responsible person or company
• required completion date
• reinspection or retest requirement
• supporting photographs and documentation
• close-out approval
PUNCH LIST OR NCR?
A punch-list item normally records incomplete work, minor defects or finishing items that can be corrected through the normal project close-out process.
A formal NCR should be considered where completed work, materials, installation or documentation fails to satisfy a specified requirement, approved drawing, contractual specification, recognised standard, Class requirement or agreed acceptance criterion.
The Project Manager should apply a proportionate approach. Creating formal NCRs for every minor defect can make the quality system unnecessarily bureaucratic, while failing to formally control significant non-conformities can create technical, contractual and traceability risk.
CORRECTIVE ACTION
Corrective action is the controlled response to an identified non-conformity or significant quality failure.
The first requirement is to correct the immediate problem. However, where the issue is significant, recurring or capable of affecting other work, the Project Manager should also consider why the problem occurred and whether action is required to prevent recurrence.
A corrective-action record should normally establish:
• what the problem is
• which requirement has not been satisfied
• the immediate containment action, where required
• the agreed repair or corrective action
• the responsible party
• the target completion date
• root cause where appropriate
• whether similar work elsewhere may be affected
• required reinspection or testing
• evidence of completed corrective work
• final verification and formal close-out
ROOT CAUSE
Repeatedly repairing the same defect without understanding its cause is not effective quality management.
Depending on the significance of the problem, the cause may relate to incorrect drawings, unsuitable materials, poor workmanship, inadequate supervision, incorrect installation procedures, insufficient testing, environmental conditions, communication failure or an uncontrolled change.
Root-cause analysis should be proportionate to the issue. A minor isolated defect may require only straightforward correction, while a recurring or safety-critical non-conformity may justify a more detailed investigation and wider corrective action.
VERIFICATION & CLOSE-OUT
An NCR or corrective action should not be closed simply because the subcontractor reports that the work has been repaired.
The Project Manager should verify that the agreed corrective action has been completed and that the original acceptance requirement has now been satisfied.
Verification may include visual inspection, dimensional checks, pressure testing, electrical testing, functional testing, photographic evidence, material certification, Class attendance or other specialist verification depending on the nature of the work.
Only after satisfactory verification should the NCR or corrective-action record be formally closed.
PROJECT MANAGER COMPETENCY TEST
Scenario 1 — Structural Repair Does Not Match Approved Detail
During inspection of a completed steel repair, the Project Manager identifies that the repair configuration does not match the approved drawing. The subcontractor states that the alternative arrangement is technically equivalent and proposes continuing with coating.
Question:
What should the Project Manager do?
A. Allow coating to proceed because the repair is already complete
B. Record the deviation, prevent concealment of the affected work and obtain the required technical acceptance before proceeding
C. Ask the subcontractor to confirm verbally that the repair is acceptable
D. Close the issue because the alternative repair appears stronger
Reveal answer & rationale
Correct answer: B
Why:
A deviation from an approved repair detail should be controlled before the work is concealed. The PM should identify the applicable requirement, record the non-conformity and obtain the necessary technical, Class or other approval where applicable before further work proceeds.
Scenario 2 — Repeated Coating Failure
A newly applied coating develops local blistering. The affected area is repaired, but similar blistering appears again in another section prepared by the same team using the same process.
Question:
What should the Project Manager do next?
A. Continue repairing each blister individually as it appears
B. Accept the defects because cosmetic issues are normal during refit
C. Investigate the underlying cause and determine whether similar work elsewhere may also be affected
D. Wait until final handover before reviewing the problem
Reveal answer & rationale
Correct answer: C
Why:
Repeated failure indicates that correcting individual defects may not address the underlying problem. The PM should consider factors such as surface preparation, contamination, environmental conditions, product application, curing or procedural control and determine whether wider corrective action is required.
Scenario 3 — Incorrect Equipment Installation
A pump has been installed and appears to operate correctly, but inspection shows that its flexible connections and support arrangement do not comply with the approved installation requirements.
Question:
Is successful operation sufficient to accept the installation?
A. Yes, because functional operation is the only acceptance criterion
B. Yes, if the subcontractor provides a warranty
C. No. The installation should be assessed against the agreed technical and acceptance requirements and corrected where necessary
D. Yes, provided there is no visible leakage
Reveal answer & rationale
Correct answer: C
Why:
Functional testing does not automatically demonstrate compliance with the installation specification. Supports, alignment, flexible connections, materials and other installation requirements may affect reliability, vibration, safety and future maintenance.
Scenario 4 — Subcontractor Requests NCR Closure
A subcontractor reports that corrective work associated with an NCR has been completed and asks the Project Manager to close the NCR immediately. The required reinspection has not yet taken place.
Question:
What should the Project Manager do?
A. Close the NCR because the subcontractor has confirmed completion
B. Close it provisionally and inspect the work later
C. Keep the NCR open until the corrective action has been verified against the original acceptance requirement
D. Delete the NCR and move the item to the punch list
Reveal answer & rationale
Correct answer: C
Why:
Completion of corrective work and verification of satisfactory correction are separate steps. An NCR should remain open until the required inspection, testing, survey or documentary evidence confirms that the original non-conformity has been satisfactorily resolved.
MODULE COMPLETION
Before completing this module, the Project Manager should be able to:
• Establish and maintain a practical project risk register
• Identify technical, programme, commercial, safety and quality risks
• Assign responsibility for mitigation and follow-up actions
• Review and update risks as the project develops
• Establish clear quality requirements and acceptance criteria
• Confirm that current drawings, specifications and approved information are being used
• Define inspection points, hold points and testing requirements where necessary
• Identify defects and deviations before they become concealed or embedded in later work
• Distinguish between punch-list items and formal non-conformities
• Raise and control NCRs where formal quality control is required
• Record the requirement or acceptance criterion that has not been satisfied
• Establish appropriate containment and corrective actions
• Identify root cause where the significance or recurrence of the issue requires it
• Determine whether similar work elsewhere may be affected
• Assign responsibility and target dates for corrective actions
• Verify corrective work through inspection, testing or documentary evidence
• Prevent premature closure of NCRs and quality issues
• Maintain photographic and technical evidence of corrective-action close-out
• Identify recurring quality failures and address the underlying cause
• Maintain clear quality records for project handover