The first step of the Assessment phase is to define the project goals and objectives. These goals and objectives should be clear, concise and jointly developed by key stakeholders and the Data ID Development team. During this phase a project team is assigned, resources are allocated, and project scope is clearly defined. A non-refundable commitment fee is due at this time to continue the assessment phase.

Prior to requirements gathering, existing client technology relating to the project is analyzed and well understood by the project team. This requires a collaborative information collection effort, including interviews and documentation review.

During this phase, requirements of the project are defined in a Functional Requirements document, building on the high-level description provided in the Statement of Work. These requirements state what is to be delivered, and what functional or performance requirements must be met. The Functional Requirements document also specifies any important attributes of the system, regards to any or all of the following:

• Function
• Performance
• Interfaces
• Resources
• QA/Testing
• Security
• Portability
• Maintainability
• Documentation

• Assessment
• Planning and Design
• Development and Validation
• Deployment and Operations