Quality _____ is usually done by another design professional.

Quality _____ is usually done by another design professional.

• A. Control
• B. Assurance
• C. Commitment
• D. Substantiation

Answer: (D)

Independent verification of design decisions is often done through substantiation by a separate design professional. Substantiation means providing documented evidence that the design solution satisfies project requirements, codes, standards, and the client’s objectives. Having another design professional carry out this substantiation adds an objective check beyond the designer of record, helping to catch issues early and demonstrate to the owner that the design decisions are well-supported. This contrasts with terms like quality assurance or quality control, which refer more to processes or construction-phase checks rather than the formal, evidence-based validation of the design itself.

Independent verification of design decisions is often done through substantiation by a separate design professional. Substantiation means providing documented evidence that the design solution satisfies project requirements, codes, standards, and the client’s objectives. Having another design professional carry out this substantiation adds an objective check beyond the designer of record, helping to catch issues early and demonstrate to the owner that the design decisions are well-supported. This contrasts with terms like quality assurance or quality control, which refer more to processes or construction-phase checks rather than the formal, evidence-based validation of the design itself.