Documentation of Activity Results and Decisions for Each Phase of the Life Cycle are Essential Effective communication and coordination of activities throughout the life cycle depend on the complete and accurate documentation of decisions and the events leading up to them. Undocumented or poorly documented events and decisions can cause significant confusion or wasted efforts and can intensify the effect of turnover of project management staff. Activities should not be considered complete, nor decisions made, until there is tangible documentation of the activity or decision. For some large projects, advancement to the next phase cannot commence until the required reviews are completed and approved by senior management. The DOJ considers the data processed by systems to be an extremely valuable resource.
Accurate data is critical to support organizational missions.
Systems life cycle activities stress the need for clear definition of data, the design and the implementation of automated and manual processes that ensure effective data management. The proponent organization identifies the representative who will be responsible for formally accepting the delivered system at the end of the Implementation Phase. The system is formally accepted by the proponent organization representative by signing an Implementation Phase Review and Approval Certification along with the developer. Each project team should work with these organizations, as appropriate, and encourage their participation and support as early as possible in the life cycle to identify and resolve potential issues or sensitivities and thereby avoid major disruptions to the project. Assume all documentation is subject to review by oversight activities.