Question

The US Government has many project failures (as do many governments worldwide). One infamous software development project failure happened when the FBI decided it needed to replace its paper-based system for recording crimes and investigations with an online tool.

After spending close to $170M USD, the project was scrapped completely. It is reported that the FBI took a "we will know it when we see it" approach to development, and the contractor and the FBI point the blame to each other.

Conduct some research of the FBI's Trilogy Project and, more specifically, the Virtual Case File (VCF) component.

Discuss IF, HOW, and WHY/WHY NOT the process of verifying and validating project requirements would have made a difference in this project's outcome.

Answer 1

The process of verifying and validating project requirements is essential in ensuring the successful outcome of a software development project. In the case of the FBI's VCF component, the lack of a systematic verification and validation process likely contributed to its failure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process of verifying and validating project requirements is essential in ensuring the successful outcome of a software development project like the FBI's Trilogy Project, specifically the Virtual Case File (VCF) component. Verification involves checking that requirements are correctly implemented, while validation ensures that the requirements meet the stakeholders' needs. In the case of the VCF project, the lack of a systematic verification and validation process likely contributed to its failure.

If the FBI had implemented a thorough verification and validation process, it would have helped identify any inconsistencies or gaps in the requirements early on. This would have allowed for adjustments and corrections to be made before substantial resources were invested in development. A well-executed verification and validation process also helps in managing expectations and ensuring that the final product aligns with the users' needs.