Validation & Verification
PV Nature
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Plan Vivo’s validation and verification process ensures that projects meet PV Nature requirements and are of the highest-quality.
During a validation or verification, an independent auditor reviews a project’s documents and visits the site to check that what’s happening on the ground matches what’s been planned and reported. They look at things like how activities are carried out, how biodiversity benefits are measured, and how communities are involved. A public report is then produced, confirming whether the project meets PV Nature’s requirements.
Validation is the independent review that checks a planned activities before the project can be PV Nature certified, whereas Verification assesses whether a certified project is delivering its expected benefits and continues to meet PV Nature requirements.
See our Validation & Verification Requirements for more information.
VVBs
Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs) are responsible for carrying out project validations and verifications under PV Nature. To ensure consistency, quality, and trust across biodiversity projects, all VVBs must be approved by Plan Vivo before undertaking any validation or verification activities.
Accreditation helps confirm that VVBs are competent, impartial, and qualified to assess biodiversity outcomes, reducing risk and supporting confidence in the emerging voluntary biodiversity market.
To be approved under PV Nature, VVBs must hold:
- Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17029:2019 (Conformity assessment — General principles and requirements for VVBs), issued by a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
In addition, the validation and verification team must have experience in one or more relevant fields, such as biodiversity, ecology, conservation or environmental science, or environmental projects delivering social and/or environmental benefits.
VVBs must receive approval from Plan Vivo before starting any validation or verification activities and may apply for approval at any time.
Organisations wishing to become an approved VVB for PV Nature should complete the application form and submit it, along with all required supporting documentation, to: biodiversity@planvivofoundation.org
The following supporting documents are required:
- Evidence of accreditation
- Curriculum Vitae (CVs) for all Lead Auditors and essential team members, including training and skills
- Evidence of professional service liability insurance
*The application form and other relevant documents are available below.
At the time of application, the VVB must identify the proposed audit team, including at least two Lead Auditors (a Team Leader and a Senior Internal Reviewer).
When a VVB is contracted to validate or verify a specific project, a Conflict of Interest (COI) form must be submitted to the Plan Vivo Secretariat on behalf of the proposed audit team.
CVs for the audit team and relevant team members must be submitted alongside the COI form and approved by the Plan Vivo Foundation before any validation or verification activities begin.
*The COI and other supporting documents are available below.
Independent Experts
Independent Experts are individuals or teams of experts who carry out validation and verification audits for PV Nature projects. This includes conducting site visits, recording findings, and preparing validation or verification reports.
Independent Experts must be approved by Plan Vivo before undertaking any validation or verification activities.
Independent Experts must have the following qualifications and skills:
- Education: Master’s degree or higher in a subject relevant to the evaluation, such as biology, marine sciences, ecology, environmental engineering, environmental sciences, or a similar field.
- Work experience:
- At least three (3) years of work experience in biodiversity, ecology, environmental science, environmental project development, or initiatives delivering social and/or environmental benefits; or
- At least two (2) years of experience undertaking audits of such projects or initiatives.
- Country-specific knowledge and/or language skills
- Interviewing, listening, and observation skills
- Sensitivity to socio-economic issues and environmental and social safeguards
Independent Experts may be proposed by projects or apply directly to Plan Vivo. To apply, candidates must submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and the completed application form to:
biodiversity@planvivofoundation.org
*The application form and other relevant documents are available below.
Once approved, Independent Experts are listed on a publicly available roster of Plan Vivo-approved Independent Experts. No validation or verification activities may take place before approval, and all contracts with Independent Experts must be co-signed by Plan Vivo.
All Independent Experts are required to complete at least three information sessions with the Plan Vivo Secretariat before carrying out audits. These sessions include:
- Training on the Plan Vivo Biodiversity Standard (PV Nature)
- Training on relevant PV documentation and Terms of Reference
- Project-specific information prior to site visits (completed once the Independent Expert has been contracted)
When an Independent Expert is contracted for a site visit, a Conflict of Interest (COI) form must be submitted to Plan Vivo. The CVs of the audit team and relevant team members must also be submitted and approved before any validation or verification activities begin.
*The COI form other relevant documents are available below.
The cost of validation and verification audits includes the fee for contracting the Independent Expert (paid directly to the Independent Expert), in addition to a validation and verification review fee charged by Plan Vivo. See more in Eligibility, Costs & Fees.
FAQs
Validation is the process of checking that a PV Nature project has been designed in line with the Standard’s requirements and that it is ready to deliver the intended biodiversity and social outcomes. It ensures the Project Design Document (PDD) accurately reflects project activities and meets PV Nature criteria before the project begins.
Verification is the ongoing assessment of a project’s performance. It confirms that the project is implemented as planned, continues to meet PV Nature requirements, and is delivering the expected biodiversity and social benefits.
Audits are carried out by approved third parties, either Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs) or Independent Experts (IEs), depending on the project size and scale.
A VVB is an accredited organisation approved by the Plan Vivo Foundation to perform validation and verification audits. VVBs are assessed for competence, impartiality, and experience in biodiversity, ecology, or environmental science.
An IE is an individual or team approved by Plan Vivo to conduct site visits, record findings, and produce validation and verification reports. IEs must meet specific education and work experience criteria and complete Plan Vivo training sessions before conducting audits.
The audit route depends on the scale of the project. Larger projects generally require VVBs to perform audits, while smaller or microscale projects may use approved Independent Experts under the oversight of Plan Vivo.
Yes. VVB teams must have relevant biodiversity or environmental expertise, and IEs must have a master’s degree (or higher) in a relevant field, work experience in biodiversity or related projects, country-specific knowledge, and skills in observation and stakeholder engagement.
If a project does not meet the Standard’s requirements, the audit will identify the gaps, and the project team must take corrective actions before certification (validation) or continuing compliance (verification) can be confirmed.
Yes. All validation and verification reports are publicly available, ensuring transparency and credibility for funders, buyers, and other stakeholders.
Validation and verification are essential to ensure projects deliver high-quality, credible outcomes. They provide assurance that projects meet PV Nature requirements, maintain integrity, and generate measurable biodiversity and social benefits.
Questions about PV Nature?
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