Which statement best describes the distribution of responsibilities between Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA)?

• A. QC is the contractor's responsibility; QA is the consultant's.
• B. QC is the consultant's responsibility; QA is the contractor's.
• C. Both QC and QA are the owner's responsibility.
• D. QC and QA are interchangeable.

Answer: (A)

Quality control and quality assurance serve different purposes. QC focuses on the work being done and the materials used, with inspections and tests carried out by the contractor to confirm workmanship meets contract specs. QA is about the quality system itself—the plan, procedures, standards, and oversight—and is typically the consultant’s responsibility to design and review, ensuring the project follows a defined quality management approach. Because QC concerns the execution and conformance on site, while QA concerns the overarching processes, the arrangement where the contractor handles QC and the consultant handles QA best reflects how quality management is usually organized. The other options mix up these roles or imply they’re interchangeable, which doesn’t align with standard practice.