What does a Quality Audit involve?

Quality Auditing is seen as an integral part of the design and implementation process.

What does a Quality Audit involve?

Manual for Streets (MfS) describes the Road Safety Audit process with particular reference to HD 19/03, commenting that the requirement for independence can leave road safety issues being considered in isolation from visual quality and place-making issues, as a result making it difficult to achieve a balanced design.  There should be no intrinsic barrier to constructive dialogue between the Audit Team and Design Team (IHT Road Safety Audit Guidelines 2008). 

Quality Auditing is seen as an integral part of the design and implementation process.

A Quality Audit is a series of assessments, carried out by various professionals using appropriate guidelines for each assessment.  The following form part of the complete Quality Audit process:

• audit of visual quality
• review of how the streets will be used by the community
• road safety audit, including risk assessment
• access audit
• walking audit
• cycle audit
• non-motorised user audit
• community street audit
• Place check audit

The purpose of a Quality Audit

The aim of a Quality Audit is to give clients and designers a balanced overview of a scheme.  By providing a balanced approach, this helps to ensure that aesthetic and functional considerations compliment each other.

Quality Audits can either be carried out on a scheme by scheme basis or each scheme can be managed through the whole process of planning, design and construction. 

TMS sees Quality Audits as an important aspect of street design, not only with new developments, but when making changes to the Public Realm.