Validation
Confirming that the product, service, or result actually satisfies customer and stakeholder needs and intended use. It is distinct from verification, which checks conformance to requirements and specifications.
Key Points
- Focuses on fitness for use and stakeholder expectations, not just specs.
- Often involves customer reviews, demonstrations, pilots, or user acceptance testing.
- Occurs at phase or project milestones and can be iterative throughout development.
- Outputs include formal acceptance, feedback, and change requests if needs are not met.
Example
A software team completes a feature set and invites end users to perform user acceptance testing. Users confirm the system supports their workflows and approve the release. This customer sign-off is validation.
PMP Example Question
Which activity best represents validation?
- Holding a walkthrough with end users to confirm the solution solves their business problem.
- Reviewing the design document to ensure it follows organizational standards.
- Performing an internal peer review to check the code against specifications.
- Updating the WBS dictionary to reflect newly added work packages.
Correct Answer: A — Confirming with users that the solution meets their needs
Explanation: Validation is about customer and stakeholder fit-for-use and acceptance. Options B and C are verification activities; D is a planning update.
