Handbook
V-Model — ceremonies (prescriptive)
The V-Model's ceremonies center on **design reviews** (left-side gates) and **test reviews** (right-side gates). Each V-level has corresponding ceremonies.
V-Model — ceremonies (prescriptive)
The V-Model's ceremonies center on design reviews (left-side gates) and test reviews (right-side gates). Each V-level has corresponding ceremonies.
1. Requirements review
Intent: C1 + C2.
| Inputs | Draft requirements, stakeholder needs, constraints, regulatory obligations |
| Outputs | Approved requirements baseline; acceptance test strategy agreed |
| Participants | Systems engineer (R), test manager (R), sponsor (R), PM (R) |
| Timebox | Half day to 2 days (scales with complexity) |
Agenda:
- Walk through requirements for completeness, testability, and traceability.
- Identify ambiguities and conflicts.
- Agree on acceptance criteria and high-level test approach.
- Baseline the requirements document.
2. System design review
Intent: C2 + C4.
| Inputs | System design document, interface specifications, requirements traceability |
| Outputs | Approved design baseline; system test plan inputs |
| Participants | Systems engineer (R), test manager (R), dev team (R), PM (O) |
| Timebox | 2–4 hours |
3. Detailed design review
Intent: C2 + C4.
| Inputs | Module-level design, algorithms, data structures, integration interfaces |
| Outputs | Approved detailed design; integration test plan inputs; unit test strategy |
| Participants | Dev team (R), systems engineer (R), test manager (O) |
| Timebox | 1–2 hours per module group |
4. Test plan review (per V-level)
Intent: C2 + C6.
| Inputs | Test plan for the specific V-level, traceability matrix, test environment plan |
| Outputs | Approved test plan; environment readiness criteria |
| Participants | Test manager (R), IV&V (R where applicable), systems engineer (R), PM (O) |
| Timebox | 1–2 hours |
Prescriptive rule: Review the traceability — every requirement should map to at least one test case. Flag untested requirements explicitly.
5. Test readiness review (TRR)
Intent: C4 + C6.
| Inputs | Test plan, test environment, test data, build under test, entry criteria |
| Outputs | Go / hold decision for test execution |
| Participants | Test manager (R), dev team (R), PM (R), IV&V (O) |
| Timebox | 1–2 hours |
6. Test result review (per V-level)
Intent: C4.
| Inputs | Test execution results, defect reports, coverage metrics |
| Outputs | Pass / fail / conditional pass; defect resolution plan |
| Participants | Test manager (R), systems engineer (R), IV&V (R where applicable), PM (R) |
| Timebox | 1–2 hours |
7. Acceptance review
Intent: C4 + C1 (closure).
| Inputs | Acceptance test results, traceability matrix (complete), compliance evidence |
| Outputs | Formal acceptance or rejection; deployment authorization |
| Participants | Sponsor (R, decision), systems engineer (R), test manager (R), PM (R), IV&V (R where applicable) |
| Timebox | 2–4 hours |
8. Development sync (during implementation)
Intent: C3.
| Inputs | Implementation status, integration issues, environment problems |
| Outputs | Coordination decisions, blocked items escalated |
| Participants | Dev team (R), systems engineer (O), PM (O) |
| Timebox | 15–30 min (daily or as needed) |
9. Quick I/O summary
| Ceremony | Primary output |
|---|---|
| Requirements review | Approved requirements baseline |
| System design review | Approved design baseline |
| Detailed design review | Approved module designs |
| Test plan review | Approved test plans with traceability |
| TRR | Go / hold for testing |
| Test result review | Pass / fail with defect plan |
| Acceptance review | Formal acceptance; deployment authorization |
| Dev sync | Coordination, unblocked items |
10. Links
Canonical source
Edit https://github.com/autowww/blueprints/blob/main/sdlc/methodologies/v-model/ceremonies-prescriptive.md first; regenerate with docs/build-handbook.py.