Operational Approval

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Discussion

An Operational Approval records an Authorizing Authority decision that permits a defined system, service, facility, organization, or operational capability to operate within specified boundaries, conditions, restrictions, and time limits.

The approval identifies the authorized entity, applicable Accreditation Boundary, approved operating context, accepted risks, required controls, decision conditions, and period of applicability.

An Operational Approval may depend on continued monitoring, periodic reassessment, corrective actions, configuration restrictions, or other governance conditions. A suspension, withdrawal, expiration, or superseding decision ends or changes the approval according to its stated terms.

For an Accredited Software Factory, the Operational Approval permits operation of the factory within the approved boundary and context. It does not automatically approve every product produced or every target environment receiving a deployment.

Definition

recorded decision by an authorizing authority that permits a defined entity to operate within specified boundaries, conditions, restrictions, and time limits

Source

Generalised from security-authorization, accreditation, governance, and risk-management usage and specialized for the Crucible architecture and operational model.

Note

Operational Approval is the general term used in this corpus for the formal decision that permits operation. A jurisdiction, organization, or regulatory framework may use a more specific term, such as Authority to Operate.

Compliance results, assessment reports, or generated evidence support an Operational Approval but do not themselves constitute the approval.

Example

An Authorizing Authority issues an Operational Approval that permits a Software Factory to operate for a defined period within its approved Accreditation Boundary, subject to continued monitoring and specified configuration controls.

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