Validation Decision

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A Validation Decision is a determination by an authorized Actor whether an evaluated subject satisfies defined Validation Criteria for a stated purpose.

A Validation Decision can evaluate:

• A Node
• A Node Set
• A distributed system
• A Test Environment
• A Deployment Target
• An Artifact
• A Baseline
• A configuration
• An interface
• A process
• A capability
• A requirement
• Another subject of Validation

A Validation Decision can use:

• Applicable Validation Criteria
• Applicable Acceptance Criteria
• Applicable Test Definitions
• Applicable Test Runs
• Applicable Test Results
• Applicable Verdicts
• Applicable Evidence
• Applicable Baselines
• Applicable Policies
• Applicable Governance Policies
• Applicable exceptions and waivers
• Applicable expert judgment

A Validation Decision can identify:

• Its identity
• Its name
• Its description
• Its evaluated subject
• Its validation purpose
• Its decision value
• Its decision status
• Its decision time
• Its effective time
• Its expiration time
• Its authorized decision-maker
• Its applicable Role
• Its Validation Criteria
• Its Acceptance Criteria
• Its supporting Test Runs
• Its supporting Test Results
• Its supporting Verdicts
• Its supporting Evidence
• Its applicable Baseline
• Its applicable limitations
• Its applicable conditions
• Its applicable exceptions
• Its applicable Governance Policies
• Its superseded Validation Decision
• Its Provenance
• Its Traceability

A Validation Decision can determine that the evaluated subject:

• Satisfies the applicable Validation Criteria
• Does not satisfy the applicable Validation Criteria
• Conditionally satisfies the applicable Validation Criteria
• Cannot be evaluated conclusively from the available information
• Requires additional testing or Evidence

determination by an authorized Actor whether an evaluated subject satisfies defined Validation Criteria for a stated purpose

Adapted from:

• OMG Test Information Interchange Format (TestIF), Version 1.0 Beta 3, Sections 1.3 and 7.3.11
• Validation
• Validation Criteria
• Test Result
• Verdict
• Evidence
• DIDO Reference Implementation Conceptual Model
• DIDO-TE draft Requirements Register

OMG TestIF supports the interchange of Test Results, Verdicts, and traceability information needed for external arbitration. OMG TestIF leaves the arbitration rules and resulting higher-level determinations outside its scope.

This definition introduces Validation Decision as the governed determination made by applying defined Validation Criteria to the applicable Test Results, Verdicts, Evidence, and related information.

A Validation Decision differs from Validation:

• Validation is the evaluation activity
• A Validation Decision records the resulting determination

A Validation Decision differs from a Test Result:

• A Test Result records an outcome associated with a Sequenced Test Object or Sequence Step
• A Validation Decision determines whether the evaluated subject satisfies the applicable Validation Criteria

A Validation Decision differs from a Verdict:

• A Verdict classifies an individual or aggregated Test Result
• A Validation Decision applies the governing Validation Criteria to the relevant Test Results, Verdicts, Evidence, and contextual information

A PASS Verdict does not, by itself, establish a positive Validation Decision.

A Validation Decision differs from an acceptance decision:

• A Validation Decision determines whether the evaluated subject satisfies defined Validation Criteria for a stated purpose
• An acceptance decision determines whether an authorized party accepts the evaluated subject

An authorized party can accept a subject subject to limitations or waivers even when the Validation Decision identifies unresolved deficiencies. Conversely, a positive Validation Decision does not compel an authorized party to accept the subject.

A Validation Decision differs from an authorization decision:

• A Validation Decision determines whether the evaluated subject satisfies defined Validation Criteria
• An authorization decision grants or denies permission to use, deploy, operate, release, or rely on the evaluated subject

A positive Validation Decision can support an authorization decision but does not replace it.

A Validation Decision must identify the applicable validation purpose. A subject can satisfy Validation Criteria for one purpose and fail to satisfy criteria for another purpose.

A Validation Decision does not establish universal correctness, suitability, safety, security, interoperability, or compliance. Its scope remains limited to:

• The identified evaluated subject
• The stated validation purpose
• The applicable Validation Criteria
• The applicable Baseline
• The evaluated conditions
• The available Evidence
• The effective period
• Any recorded limitations or exceptions

An authorized Actor must make or approve the Validation Decision under the applicable Governance Policy.

An automated mechanism can calculate a proposed Validation Decision when the applicable Validation Criteria are machine-processable. The Governance Policy determines whether the automated determination constitutes the authoritative Validation Decision or requires approval by an authorized Actor.

A Validation Decision can change when:

• The evaluated subject changes
• The applicable Baseline changes
• The Validation Criteria change
• The applicable Test Results change
• New Evidence becomes available
• An exception or waiver changes
• The effective period expires
• An authorized review overturns the previous determination

A revised Validation Decision should preserve:

• The previous Validation Decision
• The reason for the revision
• The responsible Actor
• The applicable Validation Criteria
• The supporting Test Results
• The supporting Verdicts
• The supporting Evidence
• The applicable Provenance
• The applicable Traceability

An authorized Evaluator reviews whether a selected Node Set satisfies the Validation Criteria for use in a defined distributed test scenario.

The Evaluator considers:

• The approved Test Definition Versions
• The applicable Test Environment
• The applicable Test Runs
• The resulting Test Results
• The assigned Verdicts
• The supporting Evidence
• The approved Baseline
• The applicable Governance Policies
• Any recorded exceptions

All required Test Results have PASS Verdicts except one Test Result with an INCONCLUSIVE Verdict caused by missing timing Evidence.

The applicable Governance Policy prohibits a positive Validation Decision when required timing Evidence is missing.

The Evaluator records a Validation Decision stating that the Node Set cannot yet be determined to satisfy the Validation Criteria. The Validation Decision identifies:

• The evaluated Node Set
• The stated validation purpose
• The applicable Validation Criteria
• The inconclusive Test Result
• The missing Evidence
• The additional Test Execution required
• The authorized Evaluator
• The decision time
• The applicable Provenance
• The applicable Traceability