Chapter 8
Deliverable Verification and Validation Meetings
In This Chapter:
Challenges
Types of Meetings
Deliverable Inspection Meeting
Verification and validation are the processes of evaluating work products to determine whether they satisfy the business needs and are built according to specifications.
A major control gate review for projects occurs upon exiting the requirements phase and transitioning to the design phase. All requirement artifacts are presented to management for review and approval at a formal control gate review session. At this point, the project schedule, cost, and scope estimates are updated, and the business case is revisited, to provide the salient information needed to determine whether continued investment in the project is warranted. Upon securing approval to proceed, the business analyst baselines the requirements, implements a formal requirements change control process, and transitions into requirements management activities in support of solution design efforts. At the conclusion of the requirements phase, a make or buy decision is made whether to outsource the solution design and development or do the work in-house. If the work is to be outsourced, a Request for Quote (RFQ) is developed and issued. As the project moves into the design, construction, and test phases, verification and validation sessions are conducted throughout the business solution life cycle (BSLC).
Verification and validation meetings ensure that work products are complete and ready to move into the next phase of the BSLC.
Challenges
The business analyst’s challenge when validating work products is to present the appropriate level of detail for review and approval.
Requirements validation meetings are generally held from the bottom up:
First, conduct validation reviews of detailed requirements with users and developers.- Then, conduct validation reviews of project scope and high-level requirements with key business and technical managers.
- Finally, conduct the formal phase exit control gate review with the project sponsor and other business and technical executives.
- Design, construction, and test verification meetings are conducted throughout the life cycle and are usually facilitated by the technical lead.
- The business analyst plans and facilitates the user acceptance test, the final validation that the solution satisfies the business requirements.
Types of Meetings
A typical deliverable inspection meeting is discussed in detail in this chapter.
Deliverable Inspection Meeting
A deliverable inspection meeting, shown in Figure 8-1, is a facilitated set of activities that are designed to guide stakeholders through a process to inspect a work product or project deliverable(s). The inspection looks for errors, ambiguities, and inconsistencies and attempts to improve the quality of the product and the performance of the solution.
Purpose and Benefits
- Improves quality and understanding of the deliverable
- Identifies and manages stakeholders’ expectations
- Validates that the deliverable will support the final solution
- Identifies areas of high risk
- Educates the project team and key stakeholders
- Detects quality issues early in the development of the deliverable
Challenges
- Securing effective and skilled facilitation
- Securing sufficient time for advance preparation and planning
- Ensuring that the right stakeholders participate
- Managing the various perspectives, which can produce different review results
Who Should Attend?
- Project team
- Key project stakeholders
- Project sponsor
- Business users
- Subject matter experts
- Vendors (as appropriate)
Meeting Strategy
- Identify the deliverable(s) to review.
- Develop the participant list for the review.
- Conduct the review through facilitated discussions using review checklists to prompt recommendations and detection of errors.
- Revise the deliverable or work product on the basis of the recommendations of the review participants.
- Conduct subsequent reviews if required.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Project sponsor. Authorizes and funds the review.
- Facilitator. Designs, plans, and leads the review process using structured facilitation tools and techniques.
- Business analyst. Participates in the review, updates business documents, and acts as a liaison between the technical team and the business customer.
- Business users and subject matter experts. Participate in the review, provide recommendations, and approve the document.
- Scribe. Captures and documents the results of the review and the parking boards.
Inputs
- An approved business requirements document
- Requirement analysis models, diagrams, and tables
- Updated requirements traceability matrix (RTM)
- Review guidelines and checklist
- Stakeholder list
- Business rules, regulations, and standards
- Project and product documentation
- Deliverables or work products to be reviewed
Outputs
- Review results and areas of improvement
- Completed deliverables
- Updated stakeholder list
Facilitator Agenda
A sample facilitator agenda for a deliverable inspection meeting is shown in Figure 8-1.
Figure 8-1—Deliverable Inspection Meeting Facilitator Agenda
