Project Verification and Validation
THE VALUE OF INDEPENDENT THIRD-PARTY VERIFICATION
What does Legislative Decree No. 36/2023 require for project verification?
Legislative Decree No. 36/2023, in Article 42 and Articles 34 to 44 of Annex I.7, has updated the provisions concerning project verification, which were previously governed by Article 23 of Legislative Decree No. 50/2016 (still partially applicable in cases of transitional regime as outlined in Articles 225 and 226 of Legislative Decree 36/2023).
Verification must be conducted for each of the project levels specified in Article 41 of Legislative Decree 36/2023 (Technical and Economic Feasibility Study and Executive Project) prior to the approval of these levels. The purpose of this verification is to ensure the compliance of project documents with the legal requirements regarding content and alignment with applicable regulations.
Pursuant to Article 44 of Annex I.7 of Legislative Decree No. 36/2023, the Project Manager is required to conclude the verification activities for the project level relevant to the tender through the formal validation act referred to in Article 42, paragraph 4, of the Code.
Project verification therefore remains a crucial phase in the process of carrying out public works.
Who can perform project verification?
Article 34 of Annex I.7 of Legislative Decree 36/2023 identifies the entities qualified to carry out project verification based on the value of the works. Specifically, for projects valued at €20 million or more, and in cases of integrated contracts where the project value meets or exceeds the threshold specified in Article 14, paragraph 1, letter a) of the Code (€5,538,000), verifications must be performed by accredited inspection bodies in accordance with European standard UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17020.
What are the objectives of project verification?
In accordance with Article 34 of Annex I.7 of Legislative Decree No. 36/2023, project verification serves to ensure that the project complies with functional, performance, regulatory and technical specifications outlined in the project documents.
According to Article 39 of the same Annex, project verifications are conducted with reference to the following aspects:
- Reliability;
- Completeness and adequacy;
- Clarity, consistency, and traceability;
- Compatibility.
How do we carry out project verification?
Our intervention takes place in four phases.
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PHASE 1 - VERIFICATION PLANNING
In this initial phase, the timeline for the verification process is defined in the Activity Plan, involving the Designers, Verifiers, and the Project Manager.
The Control Plan lists the verifications to be conducted on the project, in compliance with applicable regulations and as contractually agreed with the Client. -
PHASE 2 - PROJECT EXAMINATION
Each inspector checks their area of responsibility, ensuring that the project documents (reports, drawings, specifications, bills of quantities) are technically correct, complete, consistent, and that the solutions adopted comply with the current regulations. This activity is also carried out collaboratively among the various inspectors within the verification team.
This phase ends with the issuance of the Initial Verification Report. -
PHASE 3 - DISCUSSION WITH DESIGNERS
After remarks are made in the Initial Report, the discussion between Designers, Verifiers and the Project Manager begins. Designers provide feedback on the remarks (resulting in Non-Conformity or Observation), possibly through the Project Manager, with the aim to resolve the issues and/or propose corrective actions. The Verifiers assess the feedback and corrective actions proposed by the Designers.
The outcomes of this discussion are documented in an Interim Verification Report. -
PHASE 4 - PROJECT REVIEW
Based on the commitments made during the discussion phase, the Designers review and/or integrate the project to positively address all issues. The Verifiers re-examine the new documents and/or reviewed sections to ensure the issues outlined in the remarks are dealt with appropriately.
This last phase ends with the issuance of the Final Verification Report, which provides a chronological summary of the entire verification process and outlines the final results, in accordance with Article 41, paragraph 7 of Annex I.7 of Legislative Decree 36/2023.