LEED for Homes Quality Assurance Process Inc. January 2015, Inc. 123 C Street Davis CA 95616 Phone 530.753.1100
Table of Contents Quality Assurance Goals 1 Provider Responsibilities 1 Quality Assurance Designee Responsibilities 2 Green Rater Responsibilities 2 Green Rater Administrative Services 2 Green Rater Verification Services 3 Green Rater Training 4 Tier 1: Green Raters-in-Training 4 Tier 2: Green Raters with 1-20 certification packets 4 Tier 3: Experienced Raters with 21-49 certification packets 4 Corrective action: 5
Quality Assurance Goals 1. Provide technical, policy and administrative support and instruction to the Verification Team members 2. Provide Verification Team members the training and support needed to ensure their technical and professional skill levels are kept current 3. Provide feedback loops to give and collect feedback on the verification and certification processes and to determine knowledge gaps 4. Ensure all Verification team members are conducting the verifications with impartiality, and confidentially if required. 5. Track all QA items per the GBCI QA Manual (November 2014) Provider Responsibilities 1. Recruit Green Raters a. Ensure annually with GBCI that all Green Raters are either Green Raters-intraining with the proper mentorship or are Green Rater certificate holders b. Ensure annually that all subcontracted and employee HERS Raters are certificate holders and in good standing with their Provider c. Maintain contracts for subcontractor Verification Team members d. Maintain employee Verification Team files 2. Training Green Raters a. Provide feedback to Green Raters-in-Training during the mentorship process b. Provide feedback to Green Rater certificate holders through certification review calls, in-field audits, and documentation audits c. Provide and/or suggest any necessary training needed to ensure skill levels are maintained d. Ensure that Green Raters have access to the most up-to-date compliance and rating system documents located on Yammer e. Collect Green Rater signatures on the COI and Professional Conduct Policies annually and maintain in individual Green Rater files 3. Designates and trains QADs 4. Comply with USGBC s Conflict of Interest and Professional Conduct policies 5. Data Management a. Maintain tracking tools to provide requested reporting to USGBC i. Paper and field audit results ii. Knowledge gaps iii. Green Rater communications (e-mails, newsletters) iv. QAD attendance of monthly GBCI call v. Conflict of Interest forms vi. Professional Conduct forms Page 1
vii. Any disciplinary records (complaint forms) viii. Project related documents b. Complete QAP Appendix A spreadsheets at time of each project s certification with GBCI including any knowledge gap areas c. Certification packets will be kept on file for a minimum 2 years d. Maintain a database of Green Rater in-field and documentation audits Quality Assurance Designee Responsibilities 1. Maintain the confidentiality of information obtained during certification process if required by project team 2. Provide objective review of certification packets based on the LEED for Homes Rating System 3. Primary QAD meets with other QADs monthly 4. Primary QAD (or secondary QAD) attend 100% of the monthly Verification Team GBCI calls 5. Primary QAD reviews work of other QADs 6. Comply with USGBC s Conflict Of Interest and Professional Conduct policies 7. After receiving new project application, QAD will e-mail Green Rater to discuss any challenges with the project 8. Conduct certification packet review call with Green Rater utilizing the QAD Certification Review Checklist 9. Ensure sampling application was approved by QAD and that sampling protocols were followed by Green Rater utilizing sampling spreadsheet 10. Note any sampling or credit review issues in Green Tracking database 11. Send completed packet to GBCI 12. Conduct certification call with GBCI 13. Provide feedback to Green Rater regarding certification status 14. Provide mentorship as needed to Green Raters 15. Comply with USGBC technical standards 16. Report issues/complaints about Green Raters to Provider 17. Represent the best interests of USGBC/LEED for Homes program Green Rater Responsibilities Green Rater Administrative Services 1. Needs to meet the qualifications for Green Rater or Green Rater-in-Training per GBCI 2. Maintain contract or employment with Provider 3. Green Raters should send Provider any changes in contact information to update Green Rater database 4. Green Rater shall maintain current copies of USGBC documents including: Rating system, checklist and errata, Verification & Submittal guidelines for both Verification Page 2
and Project teams, USGBC registration and certification fees, USGBC logo usage guidelines and check the Yammer site minimally every quarter for updated documents 5. Green Raters must review and sign off on USGBC s Conflict of Interest Policy, Appendix A, and Professional Conduct Policy, Appendix B, annually 6. Green Raters must keep certification files on hand for a minimum of 2 years 7. Have information available for auditing by Provider and GBCI 8. Green Raters must attend at least 75% of USGBC monthly Verification Network calls Green Rater Verification Services 1. Conduct preliminary rating meeting and a minimum two (2) site visits, pre-drywall and final, per USGBC requirements for all projects as part of their verification services 2. Complete LEED for Homes verification services as outlined in Verification & Submittal guidelines for Verification Team 3. Provide the sampling application, Appendix C, prior to implementing any sampling process to Provider QAD for review. Sampling may not be promised to a project without Provider approval of sampling application. 4. Submit early in the certification process: Water Calculator, Pilot Credits and EA 1 calculator for Midrise 5. Confirm square footage, contact info, etc. in LEED Online matches LEED workbook 6. Send a complete certification package to Provider including: o Sampling spreadsheet with units tested o Signed and initialed Accountability Forms o Signed and Initialed Durability forms o Completed LEED for Homes Excel Workbook o Checklist signatures o Title 24/REMRate energy model or EA 1 MR energy model approval from USGBC o Energy Star report from HERS rater o PV documentation (if credit taken) o Conflict of Interest form (if needed) o Water Calculator (if performance path taken) o Any pilot credit approval e-mails o Site plan o Project website address (if credit taken) o HSA calculations for additional multi-family buildings (if needed) o Any CIR and/or ID request and point approval from USGBC o USGBC receipt for certification fee(s) 7. Hold a certification review call with QAD Page 3
Green Rater Training Each Green Rater will be audited individually on their registered buildings. For example, if a Green Rater has 10 projects with a total of 30 registered buildings and the Green Rater is in Tier 2 which requires a 10% audit sample, the QAD will audit that Green Rater on 3 separate buildings for predrywall and final site visits. DEG will work with the Green Rater on schedules for the projects to determine which can be audited in a given audit year. Tier 1: Green Raters-in-Training 1. Will follow Green Rater Mentorship requirements from GBCI 2. 100% paper QA (certification submittal packet paperwork) on all projects 3. Mentor will be present at first Preliminary Rating Meeting (PRM), on phone for second PRM 4. Mentor will be present at two pre-drywall site visits and two final site visits (these visits do not have to be on GRIT s projects) 5. Mentor will work with trainee on two certification submittal packets 6. QAD will conduct certification review call Tier 2: Green Raters with 1-20 certification packets* 1. 100% paper QA (certification submittal packets) on all projects 2. Any missed/incorrect item in review call will be reviewed again in next certification packet review call 3. 10% of certification packets will be reviewed for all support documentation via Go To Meeting 4. Field verification will be 10% of Green Rater s registered buildings for either pre-drywall or final visit (depending upon build schedules and photo documentation available) Tier 3: Experienced Raters with 21-49 certification packets* 1. 100% paper QA (certification submittal packets) on all projects 2. Any missed/incorrect item in review call will be reviewed again in next certification packet review call 3. 5% of certification packets will be reviewed for all support documentation via Go To Meeting 4. Field review will be 5% of Green Rater s registered buildings for either pre-drywall or final visit (depending upon build schedules and photo documentation available) 5. Green Raters with 50+ projects will have field and paper reviews done on 3% of Green Rater s registered buildings Page 4
*If a Green Rater is working with multiple Providers, DEG will conduct an audit on the Green Rater utilizing the tier determined by the number of projects they have with DEG. Corrective action: 1. If Green Rater missed an item in the paper review or field visit, the QAD will review the missed item with the Green Rater to determine if additional training is needed 2. QAD will review the item again in the next packet and/or next field visit 3. If missed item is in a subsequent packet or field visit, the QAD will institute a higher verification rate and mentor the Green Rater 4. If the failure continues, the Green Rater will meet with to determine their future in the LEED for Homes program Page 5