A focused review of whether an in-progress software effort appears to be staying aligned with its certification or compliance objectives, with particular attention to lifecycle assumptions, evidence direction, and issues that may create avoidable trouble later.
Certification problems rarely begin at the moment of audit. More often, they begin much earlier, when teams move forward on assumptions about required evidence, lifecycle rigor, traceability, verification completeness, tooling, or standards interpretation that have not been examined carefully enough. By the time those assumptions are tested under pressure, the cost of correction is often far higher than expected.
The Certification Alignment Checkup is intended to provide an experienced external perspective on whether a current effort still appears to be pursuing a sound certification path. It is designed for programs already in progress that want a bounded, technically grounded review of whether current engineering and process activity remain consistent with the project’s stated certification or compliance goals.
This engagement is not a substitute for a full Certification Readiness Assessment. It is a shorter, more focused checkup for teams that want to know whether their current direction appears sound, where key assumptions may be weak, and whether broader review or corrective action may be warranted.
Half-day scope
A half-day engagement is appropriate when the scope is tightly constrained, such as a defined artifact set, a single standards-related concern, or one narrow alignment question. In that format, the goal is not to establish full readiness, but to provide a focused reality check on whether a specific part of the effort appears to be tracking appropriately.
Typical half-day activities may include:
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Review of a limited set of plans, procedures, traceability materials, or verification artifacts.
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Discussion of the intended standard, assurance target, and current project assumptions.
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Identification of the most immediate mismatches between current practice and likely certification expectations.
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Concise guidance on whether the selected area appears aligned, drifting, or in need of correction.
Half-day price: $2,350
Full-day scope
A full-day engagement is appropriate when the review needs to consider broader alignment across plans, selected procedures, lifecycle artifacts, traceability assumptions, verification posture, and evidence direction. This format supports a more complete perspective on whether the project’s current course appears coherent and defensible.
Typical full-day activities may include:
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Review of selected plans, procedures, and representative lifecycle artifacts.
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Examination of whether current engineering and evidence practices appear consistent with stated certification objectives.
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Identification of weak points in traceability, verification completeness, documentation structure, process execution, or standards interpretation.
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Prioritized guidance on where corrective effort is most likely to reduce later audit pain, rework, or schedule disruption.
Full-day price: $3,600
The result is a practical alignment perspective for teams that want to catch certification drift early, while the project is still in a position to correct course without unnecessary upheaval.