What is the role of Safety Validation and Verification (V&V) in the safety lifecycle?

• A. It ensures the project remains within budget.
• B. It defines the maintenance schedule.
• C. It confirms that safety requirements are correctly implemented (verification) and that the system fulfills intended safety performance in operation (validation).
• D. It tests only the software components.

Answer: (C)

V&V in the safety lifecycle is about proving both that the system was built right and that it will work safely in real use. Verification checks that each safety requirement is correctly implemented—tracing from requirements to design, to implementation, and to tests—so you have evidence that the product reflects what was specified. Validation asks whether the final system will deliver the intended safety performance in its actual operating environment—does it behave safely under real conditions, with people and risks, over its expected life?

This is achieved through activities like design reviews, safety analyses, and various tests (including hardware-in-the-loop and real-world trials) that together give confidence that safety claims are credible. It’s not about staying within budget or just planning maintenance, and it’s not limited to software—V&V covers the entire system, including hardware, software, and interfaces, and how they work together to achieve safe operation.