Verification, validation, and accreditation in the life cycle of models and simulations

Verification, validation and accreditation (VV&A) activities should be an on-going process throughout the life cycle of models and simulations (M&S). It is important to note that there is no single set of VV&A tasks, events, or methods that would apply every time to every situation. The VV&A emphasis and methods used vary depending on the particular life cycle phase it is in, previous VV&A and use, the risks and uncertainty, its size and complexity, and of course, the resources available. For simplification, this paper discusses the activities and tasks during the early stages of model development and addresses each of the VV&A efforts separately, along with its associated activities. It outlines the specific VV&A activities and products that are appropriate to each phase of model development