Which stage of the SDLC typically focuses on validating the project's requirements?

The correct answer is the Analyze stage of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). This stage is crucial as it involves gathering and clarifying the requirements of the project. During the Analyze phase, stakeholders, including customers and technical teams, collaborate to identify what the system needs to achieve. This may involve interviews, surveys, and reviewing existing documentation to ensure a comprehensive understanding of user needs and project goals.

Validating the project's requirements at this point is essential because it sets the foundation for subsequent stages. If requirements are not accurately captured and agreed upon during the Analyze phase, it can lead to misunderstandings, costly changes later in the process, or a final product that does not meet user expectations. Thus, proper validation helps in minimizing risks and ensuring that the design and implementation stages are guided by clear, validated requirements.

The Design, Implement, and Plan stages also play important roles in the SDLC, but they focus on different aspects of the project lifecycle. The Design stage organizes the validated requirements into a blueprint for development. The Implement stage focuses on the actual coding and building of the system based on the designs established. The Plan stage concentrates on project scope, timelines, and resource allocation rather than validating requirements specifically.