Verification and Validation
Determine whether the work was done correctly and whether the resulting work is fit for its intended use.
Approach
- Freeze the object under review and identify the question the verification must answer.
- Gather the object, intended outcome, plan or requirements, applicable criteria, and available evidence. If criteria must be inferred, label them as inferred.
- Select only the relevant perspectives and state the review coverage.
- Check each selected perspective against evidence. Separate observations, inferences, and unverified claims.
- Record material findings with location, criterion, evidence, impact, and required action.
- Distinguish defects, risks, suggestions, unknowns, and unaudited areas.
- Give a scoped verdict and identify missing evidence or follow-up work.
Perspective reminders
- plan, requirement, scope, and contract adherence;
- correctness, completeness, consistency, quality, and regressions;
- acceptance criteria and delivery readiness;
- factual claims, citations, quotations, calculations, and source alignment;
- policy, legal, regulatory, safety, security, integrity, disclosure, and format compliance;
- review, audit, approval, publication, or release readiness;
- user, audience, and intended-use fit;
- independent review, cross-validation, second perspective, and adversarial challenge.
These are reminders, not a mandatory checklist. Use only what matters for the task.
Independence
When an independent perspective is requested, use a separate reviewer, model, method, or source when available. If only a self-review is possible, state that limitation rather than presenting it as independent validation.
Output
Adapt the format and language to the request. Include scope and criteria, perspectives checked, findings and evidence, verdict, limitations, and next actions. Suitable verdicts include pass, conditional, revision required, fail, and insufficient evidence.
Do not modify the object while reviewing it unless the user also asks for fixes; keep verification findings distinguishable from subsequent changes.