## 6.6.2 Notify the Applicant 

At least six weeks prior to the review, the approval authority must notify the applicant in writing about the approver’s expectations in the software review. The following information should be included in the notification letter: 

• The purpose of the review; 

• The type of review (e.g., planning, development, verification, final, or other); 

• The date and duration of the review; 

• A list of review participants with contact information; 

• A request that the software plans identified in RTCA DO-278A, Section 4.3, be provided; 

• A request that pertinent lifecycle data be made available at the time of review; 

• An indication of which RTCA DO-278A objectives will be assessed; 

• A suggestion that applicants conduct their own self-assessments before the review; and 

• A request that the responsible managers; developers; and CM, verification, and quality assurance personnel be available to answer questions. 

## 6.6.3 Conduct the Review 

A typical review includes the following elements: 

• An approval authority entry briefing, including (1) an introduction of review team members, (2) a restatement of the purpose of the review, and (3) an overview of the review agenda. 

• An applicant briefing , including (1) the system under review; (2) the software lifecycle model, processes, and tools used; and (3) any additional considerations. 

• A software developer’s briefing , including: 

1) Availability of facilities; 

2) The availability of lifecycle data; 

3) Any personnel schedule constraints; 

4) An overview of the system; 

5) Descriptions of the interaction of the system with other systems, the system architecture, the software architecture, and the software lifecycle model (including tools and methods); 

6) Progress against previous action items or issue papers (if appropriate); 

7) The current status of the development (including status accounting report or similar data); 

8) A summary of self-assessment results (if performed); and 

9) Any additional considerations (per RTCA DO-278A, Section 12). 

• An approval authority’s review of the applicant/developer’s processes and product. 

Note : Desk reviews may be performed instead of or in addition to in-person reviews. 

