Summary

Validate requirements to ensure the resulting product performs as intended in the end user’s environment.

Description

Requirements validation is performed early in the acquisition with end users or their representatives to gain confidence that the requirements are capable of guiding a development that results in successful final validation. This activity should be integrated with risk management activities. Mature organizations typically perform requirements validation in a more sophisticated way using multiple techniques and broaden the basis of the validation to include other stakeholder needs and expectations. These organizations typically perform analyses, prototyping, and simulations to ensure that requirements will satisfy stakeholder needs and expectations.

 

Examples of techniques used for requirements validation include the following:
  • Analysis
  • Simulations
  • Prototyping
  • Demonstrations


Example Work Products



  1. Records of analysis methods and results


Example Supplier Deliverables



  1. Requirements and validation methods (e.g., prototypes, simulations)


Subpractices



1. Analyze the requirements to determine the risk that the resulting product will not perform appropriately in its intended-use environment.

2. Explore the adequacy and completeness of requirements by developing product representations (e.g., prototypes, simulations, models, scenarios, storyboards) and by obtaining feedback about them from relevant stakeholders.

Refer to the Acquisition Validation (AVAL) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about preparing for validation and validating selected products and product components.



3. Assess product and product component solutions as they are developed by the supplier in the context of the validation environment to identify issues and expose unstated needs and customer requirements.