Applying Risk Based MS VVA Tech to Test Facilities

The Department of Defense (DOD) is exercising a risk-based process for verifying, validating and accrediting models and simulations (M&S) used in system acquisition. Test and laboratory facilities can potentially have even greater potential negative consequences to a program than M&S if there are errors present in the test and analysis results, since test results are usually considered closer to the “truth” than M&S results. This paper will discuss how the risk-based M&S verification, validation and accreditation (VV&A) process is being applied to test and laboratory facilities, issues associated with this different application of the process, and thoughts on the broader applicability of risk-based VV&A beyond the current application.