The BPAC Quality Assurance Process

Quality Assurance Program Introduction

In the absence of a performance guarantee from the project team, owners, funders and regulators often seek an independent 3rd party review as an assurance intended outcomes are realized.  BPAC accredited reviewers are experienced design professionals qualified to review drawings, models and construction implementation.  As independent practitioners, they are contracted to provide a project review and must be independent of the project team whose work is being reviewed.

A list of accredited reviewers can be found here. They will guide project teams and owners through the review process. To minimize costs and delays, it is important to engage a reviewer early in the design process. A pre-construction design-stage review both expedites the final review process and avoids potentially costly changes during construction. Please contact a reviewer directly for more information and fee estimates.

The Quality Assurance Process

Your reviewer will guide you through the process, but the basic steps are:

  1. Retain a reviewer and enroll the project in the quality assurance process early in the design process. By doing so, the version of the quality assurance process is locked in, providing certainty on the detailed compliance measures the project must meet. Processes, standards and criteria are updated regularly and it is critical the design team knows the details of the outcomes they are to achieve. In addition, engaging a reviewer early provides the project team with access to the reviewers experience and expertise.  Finally, with a reviewer engaged, any necessary guidance or rulings can be obtained from BPAC technical services to provide clarity and certainty in design decisions.
  2. The cost of the quality assurance process depends on the project size & complexity, the scope of the review and other factors. Your reviewer will, after becoming familiar with the project, be able to provide information on the costs for your project.
  3. Have the reviewer complete a design stage review prior to the start of construction. Doing so ensures nothing has been overlooked and provides confidence the design elements will not require changes during construction. A design stage BPAC Assessment may be required by local authorities or funders a condition of granting a building permit or advancing funds.
  4. Upon completion of construction, the reviewer will confirm the project was constructed as designed, meets air tightness standards, appropriate commissioning has been completed, smart building systems are operating and occupant training is planned or completed.
  5. A BPAC Assessment is issued describing the outcomes the project achieves.