Power, Process, People - A presentation on quality and competence in forensic science delivered at EAFS2009

摘要

Quality and competence are vital aspects of ensuring that forensic science is correctly used, yet they are only recently considered and not yet fully agreed or understood. Quality has many definitions - the Juran description of something that is fit for purpose always appealed to me. The American Society for Quality uses the following definitions - "A subjective term for which each person has his or her own definition. In technical usage, quality can have two meanings: The characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs"; or alternatively "A product or service free of deficiencies." We often consider the Japanese have a good understanding of quality. Kano et al. [7] introduced the idea of a two dimensional approach to quality where there is a fit for purpose aspect that defines what must be in place and an added dimension that delivers what the customer would love. Reflect on the difference between a car that travels from a to b versus the one that has comfortable seats and a speed warning for the same price. This idea clearly introduces the concept of customers' expectation and when we approach forensic science we then need to consider who is the customer and how is her expectations framed.