This Standard is to be applied to any structure, system, component, activity, or organization that is essential to the safe, reliable, and efficient performance of a nuclear facility and any activities independent of a facility that may affect performance (e.g., transportation of nuclear materials) of those activities. The extent to which this Standard should be applied depends upon the specific type of facility, items, or services involved and the nature, scope, and relative importance of the activity being performed. It is also to be applied to all phases of a nuclear facility life cycle (e.g., siting, design, construction, operation, and decommissioning) and all types of activities (e.g., training, testing, software development or use).

The Standard also applies to activities that could affect the quality of nuclear material applications, structures, systems, and components of nuclear facilities.

Examples of nuclear facilities are those for power generation, spent fuel storage, waste management, fuel reprocessing, nuclear material processing, fuel fabrication, nuclear research, and other related facilities. Examples of activities include siting, designing, procuring, developing or using software, fabricating, constructing, handling, shipping, receiving, storing, cleaning, erecting, installing, inspecting, testing, operating, maintaining, repairing, refueling, modifying, and decommissioning.

This Standard is organized in the following four parts:
(a) Part I contains requirements for developing and implementing a Quality Assurance Program for nuclear facility applications.
(b) Part II contains additional quality assurance requirements for the planning and conduct of specific work activities under a Quality Assurance Program developed in accordance with Part I.
(c) Part III contains guidance for implementing the requirements of Parts I and II.
(d) Part IV contains guidance for application of NQA-1 and comparisons of NQA-1 with other quality requirements.

The arrangement of the requirements in Parts I and II and the guidance in Parts III and IV permit the judicious application of the Standard or portions of the Standard. Applicable requirements of Parts I and II are to be implemented to ensure conformance with NQA-1. The application of this Standard, or portions thereof, shall be invoked by written contracts, policies, procedures, specifications, or other appropriate documents.

This Standard reflects industry experience and current understanding of the quality assurance requirements necessary to achieve safe, reliable, and efficient utilization of nuclear energy and management and processing of radioactive materials. The Standard focuses on the achievement of results, emphasizes the role of the individual and line management in the achievement and sustainment of quality, and fosters the application of these requirements in a manner consistent with the relative importance of the item or activity (i.e., a "graded approach").