West Virginia University Health Affairs Institute
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Independent verification and validation: Partnering to modernize access to human services programs

Was the right system built? And was the system built right? These are questions we answer when providing independent verification and validation (IV&V) of federally funded programs.

WV People’s Access to Help (WV PATH), an integrated eligibility solution (IES) funded by West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, provides a single infrastructure supporting the eligibility, enrollment, and administration of DHHR’s human services programs.

IV&V evaluation of WV PATH development used a standardized set of metrics and indicators to assess project “health,” to ascertain whether WV PATH is likely to produce valid and verifiable results for the IES.


Our Goal

Use novel methods to ascertain whether WV PATH is likely to produce valid and verifiable results for the WV IES

Capabilities Applied

Our Results

Through test analysis, requirement analysis, risk and issue analysis, and schedule performance analysis, Health Affairs Institute determined whether the project and its components are built to meet user needs (validation) and according to planned specification and requirements (verification). We identified the following:

  • Absence of federal and state specification for IV&V services provides both opportunity and limitations that requires novel methodologies to be developed and implemented.
  • The IV&V framework developed for WV PATH could provide similar services to future large-scale software and technology projects.
  • Application of all, or pieces, of this methodology to future projects of this nature.