What is the first step of the software development life cycle (SDLC) that identifies policy, standard, and regulatory requirements governing how software operates?

The first step in the software development life cycle (SDLC) that focuses on identifying policy, standard, and regulatory requirements is the process of requirements gathering. During this critical phase, stakeholders engage in discussions to articulate the needs and expectations for the software. This includes not only functional requirements but also non-functional aspects such as compliance with policies, standards, and various regulations.

By placing emphasis on policy and regulatory requirements during the requirements gathering phase, the development team ensures that the software is designed and built in a manner that is compliant from the outset. This foundational understanding helps mitigate risks related to legal and regulatory compliance later in the project, potentially saving time and costs associated with rework or redesign if those requirements are not considered early on.

The other processes, such as solution design, code testing, and test formulation, occur at later stages of the SDLC. The solution design phase focuses on implementing the gathered requirements into a design blueprint, code testing is primarily concerned with verifying that the code behaves as expected, and test formulation develops the actual strategies and plans for executing tests. While these stages are essential for the successful delivery of software, they do not primarily involve the initial identification of policy and regulatory needs that are critical to the project's overall success.