Handbook

V-Model — roles (prescriptive)

The V-Model defines roles around verification levels and traceability. Teams are typically structured by engineering discipline with clear handoff points between development and test.

1. Systems engineer

Aspect Guidance
Accountable for Requirements decomposition, system-level design, interface specifications
Archetypes Implementer (architecture), Quality advocate (requirements quality)
Key outputs System requirements spec, system design document, interface control documents

Owns the top-left of the V; their outputs define what system testing will verify.

2. Test manager

Aspect Guidance
Accountable for Test strategy, test plans per V-level, test resource coordination, test evidence packages
Archetypes Quality advocate (primary), Orchestrator (test coordination)
Key outputs Test plans (unit, integration, system, acceptance), traceability matrix, test reports

Prescriptive rule: Test manager should be engaged from requirements phase to ensure testability is designed in from the start.

3. IV&V lead (independent verification & validation)

Aspect Guidance
Accountable for Independent assessment that development and test processes are sound; common in safety-critical systems
Archetypes Quality advocate (independent from Build)
Key outputs IV&V reports, process audit findings, independent test results

Not always a separate role; required by some regulatory standards (DO-178C, IEC 62304).

4. Development team

Aspect Guidance
Accountable for Detailed design, implementation, unit testing per design specifications
Archetypes Implementer (primary), Quality advocate (unit-level testing)
Key outputs Code, unit tests, detailed design documents

5. Project manager

Aspect Guidance
Accountable for Schedule, resources, gate coordination, stakeholder communication
Archetypes Orchestrator
Key outputs Project plan, gate evidence packages, status reports

6. Sponsor / customer

Aspect Guidance
Accountable for Defining needs (top-left), accepting the system (top-right), funding decisions
Archetypes Sponsor proxy, Steer
Key outputs Acceptance criteria, acceptance test sign-off, go/no-go decisions

7. Ceremony participation matrix

Ceremony Sys engineer Test mgr IV&V Dev team PM Sponsor
Requirements review R R O O R R
Design review R R O R O O
Test plan review O R R O R O
Test readiness review O R R R R O
Test result review R R R O R O
Acceptance review R R O O R R