There are various roles on projects, some people may play more than one role. You should always check with your organizations testing methodology on what your role(s) are. Below is a breakdown of quality assurance roles and responsibilities:

Phase: All

Test Lead
• Oversees all testing staff and activities for all assigned applications
• Ensures all testing standards are being met
• Serves as an escalation point for issues involving testing
• Serves as a resource and communication point for decisions about test schedule changes
• Provides weekly status report that includes testing metrics

Test Analyst

• Follows testing standards
• Provide Test Lead with input for weekly status report

Performance Analyst

• Follows testing standards
• Provide Test Lead with input for weekly status report

Phase: Planning

Test Lead
• Review Project Artifacts
• Works with project team to define and create overall strategy and ensures that it is being achieved
• Communicates the test strategy to the Project Manager and Development Team
• Define test process including required test activities and deliverables
• Identifies test resources, estimates test effort and defines test schedule and milestones
• Ensures technical resources are organized for effective support of testing
• Conducts walk-through of Test Strategy

Test Analyst

• Collaborate with Test Lead on creation of Test Strategy
• Collaborates with Test Lead on estimating testing effort
• Participates in walk-through of Test Strategy

Performance Analyst

• Establishes and maintains performance testing guidelines for both manual and automated testing.
• Determine application architecture, configuration, and performance requirements

Project Manager

• Develop and manage the project schedule
• Provide direction and assign responsibil-ities when needed.
• Manage Change Control process
• Act as resource to Test Lead for information to create Test Strategy
• Participate in Test Strategy walk-through
• Approve Test Strategy

Business Analyst

• Act as resource to Test Lead for information to create Test Strategy
• Participate in Test Strategy walk-through
• Approve Test Strategy

Development

• Act as resource to Test Lead for information to create Test Strategy
• Participate in Test Strategy walk-through
• Approve Test Strategy

Phase: Construction

Test Lead
• Review Requirements
• Review Logical and Physical designs
• Create Test Plan
• Create UAT Test plan for End Users
• Conduct walk-through of Test Plan
• Ensures traceability of test cases back to project requirements
• Be available as resource to Test Analyst in creation of test cases
• Participate in walkthrough of test cases
• Approve test cases
• Assess progress, escalate issues, and manage technical decisions

Test Analyst

• Review Requirements
• Review Logical and Physical Designs
• Collaborate with Test Lead to create Test Plan
• Participate in walk-through of Test Plan
• Approve Test Plan
• Create Test Cases (manual and automated, if applicable) and Requirements matrix
• Conduct walk-through of test cases
• Approve Test Cases

Performance Analyst

• Develops and maintains automated performance test scripts.

Project Manager

• Be available as resource for test team in regards to questions that arise with Requirements and Design documents
• Participate in walk-through and provide approval of Test Plan

Business Analyst

• Create Requirements Documentation
• Be available as resource for test team in regards to questions that arise with Requirements and test case creation
• Act as resource to Test Lead for information to create Test Plan
• Participate in walk-through and provide approval of Test Plan
• Participate in walk-through of test cases

Development

• Create Logical and Physical Design Documents
• Review requirements and other and other project documentation
• Be available as resource for test team in regards to questions that arise with Requirements and test case creation
• Participate in walk-through and provide approval of Test Plan
• Participate in walk-through of test cases

End User (SME)

• Be available as resource for test team in regards to questions that arise with Requirements and Design documents
• With assistance from test team, create UAT test cases

Phase: Execution

Test Lead
• Conduct Test Readiness Assessment
• Execute manual test cases automated test scripts, if applicable
• Log and review issues and defects identified by testers
• Collect testing sign-off from all testing participants
• Ensures that all aspects of testing, such as : manual execution, regression, automation, and performance are completed
• Create Test Completion Report for promotion recommendation.

Test Analyst

• Conduct Test Readiness Assessment
• Execute manual test cases automated test scripts, if applicable
• Participate in defect reviews
• Collaborate with Test Lead in creating Test Completion Report for promotion recommendation

Performance Analyst

• Performs load, stress, and performance testing and analyzes results
• Provides performance and usage reports

Project Manager

• Participate in defect reviews
• Consult with Test Lead on review and creation of Test Completion report
• Approve Test Completion Report.

Business Analyst

• Participate in defect reviews
• Approve Test Completion Report.

Development

• Coordinate and conduct Unit Testing
• Participate in defect reviews
• Collaborate with test team when conducting Test Readiness Assessment
• Investigate and resolve defects/issues
• Update defect/issues log with state and resolution.

End User (SME)

• Participate in UAT test execution, reporting defects and test findings to the Test Lead
• Notify Test Lead of any issues impeding progress of testing.
• Provide approval of promotion recommend-ation contained in Test Completion Report

Phase: Closure

Test Lead
• Provide final Test Completion report for entire project
• Finalize and archive all Test Deliverables
• Participate in project closure activities
• Support the project warranty period, if applicable

Test Analyst

• Finalize and archive all test deliverables
• Participate in project closure activities
• Support the project warranty period , if applicable

Performance Analyst

• Provides final Performance Findings Report

Project Manager

• Performs project closure procedures
• Provide support to team during project warranty period

Business Analyst

• Provide support during project warranty period

Development

• Provide support during project warranty period

End User (SME)

• Be available as resource during project warranty period

Phase: Maintenance

Test Lead
• Provide testing deliverables and test execution as needed if test team is responsible for on-going maintenance

Test Analyst

• Provide testing deliverables and test execution as needed if test team is responsible for on-going maintenance

Performance Analyst

• Rerun Performance tests, if needed

Project Manager

• Provide project deliverables and support to project team, if project team is responsible for on-going maintenance

Business Analyst

• Provide On-going support to project team, if applicable

Development

• Provide on-going development support, if applicable

End User (SME)

• Be available as resource during on-going maintenance activities, if applicable

What role(s) have you played on your projects?