Verification, Validation, and Assurance Across the Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

Defines Verification and Validation (V&V) as evidence-based lifecycle disciplines that evaluate conformance to an approved basis and fitness for intended enterprise use.

Governing Principle

Verify that lifecycle outputs satisfy their defined basis and validate that the complete Solution remains fit for its intended use throughout the SDLC.

Required Lifecycle Treatment

Application Through the SDLC

This discipline applies throughout the lifecycle: ownership and evidence needs are established early, translated into testable conditions during Design and Build, validated through representative testing Environments, verified and monitored in Production and Operations, and formally closed at Retirement.

Governance and Evidence

Assign an accountable owner for the Solution, Release, discipline, evidence, and Risk, with rigor scaled to criticality, complexity, and reversibility. Record Risks, exceptions, and Technical Debt in authoritative systems rather than narrative status, and limit AI’s role to assisting with analysis and drafting, never approving outcomes or accepting Risk independently.

Connections to Related IF4IT Practices and Inventories

Use the Data and Information Inventory and Attributes and the Integrations Inventory and Attributes to connect the decisions and responsibilities addressed in this chapter to authoritative information, semantic meaning, interface dependencies, lineage, and lifecycle records.

Ground quality expectations in the Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) Framework for Software Systems, connecting them to validation methods, test evidence, acceptance criteria, readiness gates, and Production assurance.

Apply security, privacy, Risk, compliance, audit, and authorization controls throughout this chapter’s decisions and responsibilities to keep required evidence, exceptions, residual Risk, and accountable approvals visible and governed.