Which phase of TOGAF involves validating the architecture against requirements?

The Architecture Development phase is where validation of the architecture against requirements takes place. This phase includes activities related to the design and development of the architecture, ensuring that it aligns with the business requirements and architectural vision established in the earlier phases. During this phase, the architecture undergoes rigorous evaluation to ensure that it meets the specified needs of the organization.

This is a crucial step because it verifies that the architecture is not just theoretically sound but also practically applicable within the constraints of the operational and business environment. The validation process typically involves checking traceability back to the requirements and ensuring that all forms of architecture—business, data, application, and technology—are cohesively developed and aligned with the overall goals.

In contrast, the other phases serve different primary functions: the Architecture Vision phase focuses on establishing a high-level view and goals; the Architecture Implementation phase deals with putting the architecture into action and operationalizing it; and the Architecture Change Management phase is concerned with managing changes to the architecture over time. Therefore, while they are important, they do not specifically address the validation of the architecture against the requirements as directly as the Architecture Development phase does.