Method / 02

A claim-led, system-level method connecting intent, architecture, implementation, runtime behavior, controls, and independent opinion.

Independent software assuranceSM / 02.10

SecondMark position

The method adapts to the system while preserving a fixed discipline: define the claim, establish the boundary, challenge the evidence, and state only what the record supports.

The examination is bounded to defined claims, a versioned system, and evidence that can be traced to the state under review. Any material exclusion or uncertainty remains visible in the conclusion.

01

Core questions

What the examination needs to establish.

  1. 01

    What decision will the opinion inform?

  2. 02

    Which system state is actually in scope?

  3. 03

    What evidence could contradict the claim?

  4. 04

    What conditions limit continuing validity?

02

Evidence model

Evidence is assembled around the claim—not the folder structure.

01

Defined claims and decision context

Collected, attributed, challenged, and connected to the exact system boundary under examination.

02

Versioned system and dependency record

Collected, attributed, challenged, and connected to the exact system boundary under examination.

03

Direct observations and reproducible tests

Collected, attributed, challenged, and connected to the exact system boundary under examination.

04

Contradictory, missing, and residual evidence

Collected, attributed, challenged, and connected to the exact system boundary under examination.

Intended outcome

A transparent reasoning chain from consequential claim to calibrated independent conclusion.

Recorded reasoning chainFindings linked to evidenceConditions for continuing validity
03

Professional boundary

What an opinion does—and does not—mean.

It provides

A traceable independent conclusion on defined claims, grounded in the evidence and system state examined.

It does not provide

A guarantee that failure is impossible, a permanent certification, or a conclusion beyond the stated scope and validity conditions.