To ensure the objectives of IV&V in the ICT project are achieved, several guiding principles based on the industry best practices and philosophies must be applied when engaging an IV&V Provider. There are ten (10) guiding principles of IV&V that:
(a) shall be applied when implementing IV&V and engaging the necessary IV&V Provider and resources,
(b) are necessary to be ensured and enforced on the relevant stakeholders, where applicable, and
(c) depending on the aim of the principle, it may apply to only one or many of the stakeholders.
The guiding principles are categorized as follows.
(a) Essential Principles which are defined as principles or rules that are absolutely necessary and/or extremely important to be adopted and applied in IV&V Engagements and implementation, and
(b) Suggested “Good-Practice” Principles which are defined as principles or rules that are highly recommended for application in IV&V engagements and implementation, depending on the nature and objectives of the IV&V engagement.
Figure 2.6 below summarizes the Essential Principles.
Figure 2.7 below summarizes the Suggested “Good-Practice” Principles.
2.3.1 Essential Principles of IV&V
The Essential Principles i.e. Principle 1 to Principle 4, guides the process for hiring and engagement of IV&V Providers by The Agency. The following explains each of the Essential Principles in more detail.
| Principle 1: IV&V must be independent at all stages of the systems development lifecycle (i.e., requirements, design, build and test, implementation, and maintenance) |
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One of the most important principles is concerning the IV&V Provider’s characteristics. Consistent with IEEE Std 1012-2012 “IEEE Standard for System and Software Verification and Validation”, IV&V Provider qualifications require Managerial, Technical and Financial independence both in reality and perceptions. These can be achieved via the following: |
| Principle 2: Agencies must include scope and specifications of IV&V services it requires in the Request for Proposals (RFPs) for software development and augmented testing (2 coordinated contracts) |
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This principle relates to the IV&V services listed in request for proposals (RFPs) and tender documents that are issued to IV&V Providers and tender bidders. (a) All development contracts must identify a distinctive independent provider of IV&V services. IV&V contracts should specify objectives for: (b) The following information must be shared with IV&V Provider via the Request for Proposals (RFP) and/or tender document: |
| Principle 3: IV&V Engagement must not be left to the last stage |
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This principle is related to when best to engage the IV&V Provider. The IV&V Provider’s work will also involve reviews of large quantity and wide scope of deliverables throughout the development lifecycle, and thus cannot be performed at the end of the ICT project lifecycle. Ideally, IV&V Provider involvement should be from the start of the lifecycle or “early-testing” and continues throughout the development process. IV&V Engagement contracts should be finalized at the same time as the software development contracts in order for the IV&V Provider to begin work immediately. The IV&V Provider facilitates the accountability and increased communication among the stakeholders needed to build quality into the product and to use in the development and testing process. The IV&V provider should attend relevant meetings (such as project’s Technical Committee meeting) in the lifecycle once the project is resourced, in order to maintain enough project understanding to offer input at the Quality Gates established throughout the engagement. |
| Principle 4: As The Agency’s partner, IV&V Provider represents The Agency’s interests |
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This principle highlights the role of the IV&V Provider as an “additional and expert resource” to The Agency. Throughout the engagement, the IV&V Provider represents The Agency’s interests and quality goals. This involves: |
2.3.2 Suggested ‘Good Practice’ Principles of IV&V
The remaining six (6) principles below i.e. Principle 5 to Principle 10, are suggestions for adoption to enhance a successful IV&V Engagement.
| Principle 5: Staff and skills augmentation may be key driver for IV&V Engagements |
| One of the most important suggested principles concerns skills augmentation, where the responsibility is with the IV&V Provider to: (a) demonstrate strong technological skills and competencies, e.g., through education backgrounds and certifications of its IV&V Team personnel, (b) demonstrate strong soft skills in communication, interpersonal skills, managing people, leadership, etc. to build relationships across The Agency, (c) share and/or demonstrate their knowledge and skills to The Agency’s workforce, with the goal of transferring knowledge. |
| Principle 6: IV&V Provider may provide services relevant to technical systems and standards being used |
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This principle highlights the IV&V Provider’s system expertise, where The Agency should select an IV&V Provider based on their specific capabilities to match the project’s IV&V skill requirements.
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| Principle 7: IV&V Provider may be asked to verify design documents mapping to requirements before coding starts |
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(a) This principle discusses ICT project lifecycle principles related to engaging an IV&V Provider. (b) At each Quality Gate established by The Agency and agreed to by the IV&V Provider, if required, the IV&V Provider may verify: (c) The IV&V Provider may also evaluate design alternatives and validates for logical process/data models traceability to: |
| Principle 8: IV&V Provider may facilitate approval for system documents and user documents |
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This principle discusses how the IV&V Provider performs document reviews. At each established Quality Gate, The Agency may request the IV&V Provider to conduct document reviews so as to provide timely feedback. The review feedback can be the basis for The Agency’s approval of technical documents. Thus, IV&V Provider’s role in assisting The Agency in approving documents, may include: |
| Principle 9: IV&V Provider may be involved in Project Management Office (PMO-type) operations |
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This principle discusses how the IV&V Provider should address project management. An IV&V Provider will play an active role in PMO decisions with respect to requirement designs and implementation testing. Significant project management decisions will have IV&V Provider’s input, especially when related to issues of ICT acquisition quality. The IV&V Provider must assess the PMO’s ability to be a strategic driver for organizational excellence related to quality. The IV&V Provider may value add by providing support to the PMO as follows: |
| Principle 10: IV&V Provider may provide risk management reports and monitoring services |
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This principle discusses how the IV&V Provider performs risk management. The goal of risk management is for risks and issues to be identified as early as possible in the lifecycle, and this can also be a major scope of work for the IV&V Provider services. Examples of risk management activities by IV&V Provider include the following: |