# Presentation: 331840

## Next VVSG Training VVSG Overview Module-Part II

- October 15-17, 2007
- John P. Wack
- National Institute of Standards
- and Technology
- john.wack@nist.gov

## Part 1,Chapter 1,Page 8: Supplemental Guidance

## Part 2,Chapter 2,Page 81: Compensatory Procedures

## The Conformance Clause

## Chapter 2: Conformance Clause

- It’s not a clause; it’s just called that
- Discusses overall aspects of what constitutes conformance to the VVSG
- Useful for the vendor who needs to understand what constitutes conformance

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## Foundation of the VVSG

- By necessity, the CC explains foundational, structural aspects of the VVSG
- How and why requirements are structured
- Meaning of certain language
- Conformance to the VVSG
- System and device classes
- Extensions
- Software independence

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## 2.2: Language

- Normative – Requirements text, contains “*SHALL*” statements
- Informative – everything else (“must” instead of “*SHALL*” used)
- Exceptions or Fuzziness:
- A requirement may mandate use of information in a table, thus the table is normative
- A requirement’s description field may add explanation to the requirement; while not normative per se; the explanation is intended to be used by the test labs and vendors

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## 2.1: Requirements

- Requirement structure
- Requirement fields
- Extra info on the *Applies to:* field
- Parent and sub-requirements

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## Requirement structure

- Requirement title – for use in references to requirements via tables or future DBs
- Requirement sub-text – the normative requirement language, blue
*Applies to: *which voting (almost always) device class this requirement applies to (voting system class, otherwise)
*Test reference:  *what test approach(es) will be used to test the requirement, refers to corresponding material in Part 3
- Discussion - (optional) informative discussion about the requirement, further explanation, things we’d like you to know
*Source:  *(optional) this requirement’s genesis or forebears

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## Which fields are used where?

- Part 1: Equipment Requirements
- Optional: *Source:*
- Part 2: Documentation Requirements
*Test reference:* not used
- Assumption is “all requirements tested by Part 3 Chapter 4 Documentation and Design Reviews”
- Part 3: Testing Requirements
*Test reference:* not used
- Test reference is implied by the requirement and its context in Part 3

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## Applies to: field

- Almost always a device class
- Otherwise a system class if requirement refers to voting variations at the voting system or device level
- A sub-requirement can narrow the scope of a parent:
- If the parent applies to a super-class, the sub can apply to a sub-class of the super-class
- e.g., if *Applies to: tabulator *in parent, a sub could use *Applies to: PCOS*
- If the sub doesn’t narrow the scope, the *Applies to: *field isn’t required

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## Parent and Sub-requirements

- Parent requirements have sub-requirements
- Sub-requirements generally serve to ...
- Add more specificity to the parent and make it directly testable
- Turn a “goal” parent into directly testable sub-requirements
- Narrow the scope of the parent
- Make readable what would otherwise be a difficult to read parent

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## Parent and Sub-requirements: Examples

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## Parent and Sub-requirements: Examples

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## Parent (‘shall’) & Children (‘shoulds’): Example #1

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## Parent (‘shall’) & Children (‘shoulds’): Example #2

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**VVSG Overview Module-Part II Q & A**
**Doug Jones, The  Election Center**
**Brian Hancock, EAC**
**John Cugini, NIST**
**Mark Skall, NIST**
**John Wack, NIST**
**Britt Williams, TGDC-NASED**
**Sharon Laskowski, NIST**
**Paul Miller, Washington State**

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