Piloting New Verification and Validation Processes
By Jason McGlynn
The Verification and Validation (V&V) Protocol of Operations Project is conducting a pilot activity on six Air Traffic Organization (ATO) test programs to evaluate whether the processes documented in the Test and Evaluation (T&E) Handbook and the Verification and Validation Operations Guide are practical. The six programs are: En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B), Data Communications (DataComm), System Wide Information Management (SWIM), Alaska Flight Service Modernization (AFSM), and Business Continuity Plan (BCP). The Technical Center’s Test Standards Board (TSB) has been conducting pilot activities with these programs since August 2007.
On February 21-27, 2008, the TSB held V&V Midpoint Review sessions on the pilot programs. The T&E Points of Contact (POCs) for ERAM, ADS-B, and AFSM provided the TSB with feedback on the practicality of the T&E processes and the usability of the T&E documents and tools. The TSB is currently reviewing the concerns and suggestions from these Midpoint Reviews to determine what improvements need to be made in the documented processes. This is an important step to institutionalizing the V&V processes.
Preliminary feedback from the Midpoint Reviews has been very positive and there are no major concerns that would prevent institutionalizing the V&V processes by September 2008. The pilot activities are scheduled for completion on May 15, 2008, with debriefings on each pilot program to follow. The completion of the pilot activities will mark a major milestone for the V&V Protocol of Operations Project and towards implementing the Technical Center’s standards for T&E.
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