WASHINGTON, 11 May 2005. NASA has selected Northrop Grumman Information Technology, Falls Church, Va., and Titan Corporation, Reston, Va. for the independent verification and validation (IV&V) of software services.
The purpose of the contracts is to provide NASA with the capability to independently verify and validate selected software at the IV&V facility in Fairmont, W.Va., and other specified locations.
Verification determines whether the safety requirements for the software are being fulfilled. Validation determines whether the software designed for a specific intended use meets the needs of the mission or agency. Some of the IV&V work will support programs such as the International Space Station, Space Shuttle, and the James Webb Space Telescope.
All potential IV&V support projects will be competed between the two contracts to ensure the best quality work and best price for the effort. The minimum amount of supplies and services that can be ordered is $100,000 with the maximum amount of $200 million per contract. Each contract has a five-year ordering period, but individual efforts may extend beyond that timeframe.
The two firms have been awarded cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts.
The director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., administratively manages the IV&V facility. NASA's chief safety and mission assurance officer functionally manages the IV&V effort. For more information, see www.nasa.gov.