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IV&V Overview
As part of Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V), a completely independent entity (not otherwise involved in the IT development activities) evaluates the work products generated, processes performed, and/or deliverables produced by a project team that is designing, developing, and implementing an Information Technology (IT) development project. The goal of IV&V is to identify project risks and issues and to provide risk mitigation and issue resolution recommendations as early in the project as possible and throughout the project to minimize the impact to budget and schedule.
Verification is the process of evaluating work products (not the final product) throughout one or more development phases to determine whether the work products meet specified requirements for that phase to ensure that the product is built according to the requirements and design specifications… It verifies that the product is built right by evaluating plans, requirement specs, design specs, code, test cases, etc. through reviews, walkthroughs, and inspections.
Validation is the process of evaluating software at the end of the development process to determine if the overall product or software satisfies specific business requirements to ensure the product actually meets the user’s needs, the specifications were correct in the first place, and the product fulfills its intended use… It validates that the right product is built by evaluating the actual product or software created through testing processes.
IV&V at the State of IN
In adherence to the IT Development Project Independent Verification and Validation Standard (IOT-CS-OPS-006), all State of IN IT development projects that meet any of the following criteria requires IV&V:
- The project has total IT development costs equal to or greater than $1,000,000. NOTE: IT development costs include but are not limited to, IT development, configuration, and services.
- The Project Success Center's Project Classification Assessment results in a priority score greater than 80, a complexity score greater than 75, or a risk score greater than 75.
- The project is a component of a larger state of IN program or portfolio that requires IV&V.
- The Governor, Agency Sponsor, IOT Chief Information Officer, or IOT Chief Administrative Officer requests IV&V for additional oversight of the project.
- NOTE: The State of IN Chief Information Officer approves all waivers to the IV&V requirements listed above.
For designated projects requiring IV&V, the Indiana Office of Technology (IOT) and key project stakeholders receive and review timely, accurate, up-to-date, and complete IV&V assessments via regularly scheduled status reports from the independent entity performing the IV&V. The status reports enable the independent entity to identify project risks and issues and to recommend mitigation strategies for ongoing risks and corrective actions for ongoing issues based on their experience and expertise. The overarching goal is to minimize the frequency and severity of project budget and schedule overruns and to maximize the opportunities to deliver the highest quality product/software possible.
For questions about IV&V processes, tools, and requirements please contact the Indiana Office of Technology Project Success Center at PSC@IOT.IN.GOV.
For additional details on the IV&V processes, forms and reports, please see below:
IV&V Vendor Selection Process and Forms
- IV&V Vendor Procurement Process Diagram
- IV&V Change Order Process Diagram
- IV&V Work Requirements Form
- IV&V Selection Justification Form
- IV&V Work Order Form – Milestone
- IV&V Work Order Form – Time and Materials
- IV&V Change Order Form – Milestone
- IV&V Change Order Form – Time and Materials
IV&V Project Engagement Process and Report