Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)

The QAPP documents the project planning process and serves as a blueprint for how your project will run. It provides the: who, what, when where, why and how of the project. A QAPP is necessary whenever you produce or collect environmental data. 

When is a QAPP needed?

• For every project that collects or uses environmental data
• If you want others to consider using your data
• For all projects funded by EPA that involve collection and/or use of environmental data

A QAPP aims to ensure the credibility of information collected or used by citizen scientists. A QAPP should be incorporated into all environmental data collection and use projects. The QAPP should describe specific goals and quality objectives for the project. A QAPP is especially important if you want others to consider using your information.

A QAPP can help to ensure that data collected will be used for its intended purpose. If you hope to influence a decision, research the organization's data quality requirements. An organization may require a specific type of data for decision-making. However, the organization may accept other types of data as supporting information. 

There are a wide range of citizen science projects from educational to academic research or regulatory development. Similarly, a QAPP could range from a few pages to a longer, formal document. A standardized QAPP will not work for all citizen science projects. A “graded approach” allows you to determine the appropriate level of detail for the specific project. The graded approach applies to the level of detail to be documented in the QAPP based on the complexity of the project and the intended use of the data. It is a common sense approach that not all decisions require environmental data of the same quality, such as those for screening, or for educational purposes.

Although a QAPP is a great tool to outline your project timeline, goals, and specifics, it is not required. For example, if you would like your data to be considered screening level, a QAPP would aid in explaining how the data was obtained and the level of quality assurance applied. However, if you would like your data to be used for educational purposes only within your immediate community, a QAPP may not be needed.

The following links provide further guidance on quality assurance for citizen science projects:

• Quality assurance requirements for organizations receiving EPA financial assistance
• The Volunteer Monitor’s Guide to Quality Assurance Project Plans (EPA 841-B-96-003)
• Quality Assurance Guidance Documents for Air Monitoring
• EPA's Quality System for Environmental Data and Technology
• QAPP template for citizen science projects(24 pp, 211 K) This QAPP template was created specifically for EPA Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and eight tribal nations) projects. However, you may feel free to use it as a guidance for any citizen science projects.