| Gathering and managing requirements are important | | | | 2. # of people on team and how widespread |
| challenges in project management. Most projects | | | | 3. Size of project - $ |
| succeed or fail based upon the quality of the project | | | | 4. Complexity of the product of the project |
| requirements. The Project Manager needs to assess | | | | The more the project requirements are elaborated, |
| and understand the uniqueness of the requirements | | | | the greater need organize Requirements Definitions |
| gathering process for his/her individual project. | | | | for each part of the project. The more parts, and |
| Gathering and managing requirements are important | | | | the more in depth the definitions, the greater is the |
| challenges in project management. Most projects | | | | need for a more sophisticated Requirements |
| succeed or fail based upon the quality of the project | | | | Management system. |
| requirements. Projects can fail due to poor | | | | Putting Together Requirements Definition and |
| requirements at the beginning, or at any time | | | | Requirements Management |
| throughout the lifecycle if the continuously evolving | | | | Here is what can be done to effectively manage the |
| baseline of requirements is not managed effectively. | | | | requirements process on any project: |
| Projects are like snowflakes; no single project is | | | | 1. Identify ALL stakeholders. Develop categories for |
| exactly the same as another. The Project Manager | | | | types of stakeholders, such as users, support, |
| needs to assess and understand the uniqueness of | | | | interfacing in certain areas, managers affected by the |
| the requirements gathering process for his/her | | | | project, and more. Make sure that all areas that the |
| individual project. | | | | project will touch are represented by a stakeholder. |
| 2 Points of Focus Around Requirements Gathering | | | | 2. Determine a communications strategy for engaging |
| Preliminary scope statements are the beginning of | | | | with your stakeholders. You will need to build bridges |
| the requirements gathering process. They are high | | | | to the stakeholders, and will ideally be able to |
| level and are designed to initiate progressive | | | | establish at least one face-to-face meeting with each |
| elaboration, where that preliminary scope statement | | | | stakeholder, and ideally at least one face-to-face |
| is expanded into the detail that makes up the | | | | meeting among all stakeholders. |
| complete requirements baseline. The Project Manager | | | | 3. Develop a list of questions, organized around |
| must get his/her hands around how that progressive | | | | various facets of the problem to be solved by the |
| elaboration process will take place as part of the | | | | project. This list should provide clarification to both |
| project. 2 points of focus can help: Requirements | | | | you and the stakeholders on the issues to be |
| Definition and Requirements Management. | | | | addressed. Make sure they address a clear |
| Requirements Definition | | | | understanding of the problem, as opposed to |
| Requirements Definition refers to the details that | | | | specifying a solution. Thoroughly vet the questions |
| make up the actual requirements, or description of | | | | within the team and with the project sponsor(s). |
| the product of the project. The key is to understand | | | | 4. Determine how much time will be needed, in terms |
| the reason for the project: the underlying problem to | | | | of both sessions and overall duration, for the project |
| be solved or opportunity to be seized. It entails | | | | requirements gathering. Develop a schedule for |
| "discovering" the underlying problem or opportunity. | | | | meetings and other engagements as developed |
| This involves distinguishing what might be symptoms | | | | through your communications strategy. |
| and possible solutions. | | | | 5. Do initial requirements gathering by obtaining |
| Often someone might state something like "What I | | | | answers to the questions you have developed. |
| need is a ..." The individual is acutely aware of a | | | | Whether by survey, face-to-face meetings, online |
| problem and often focuses on a narrow set of | | | | meetings, or one-on-one meetings, you will need to |
| possible solutions, mistakenly stating the problem as | | | | establish a set of raw data addressing your |
| one of these solutions. The PM or Requirements | | | | questions. |
| Analyst needs to gain control of the conversation | | | | 6. Document answers to the questions in an initial |
| and by engaging stakeholders and to identify the | | | | requirements document draft. Review this thoroughly |
| root causes. Once the root cause is identified, many | | | | with all key stakeholder representatives and revise |
| problems become very simple. Other situations may | | | | accordingly. Make sure all stakeholders buy in to |
| be more complex, may demand coordination among | | | | these answers. |
| stakeholders, will require collaboration to discover and | | | | 7. Move into JAD sessions - Joint Application Design |
| document the Requirements Definition. | | | | Development. This is where you will likely engage |
| Requirements Management | | | | developers also, and some iterative solution |
| Requirements Management refers to the | | | | development will take place. One of the keys to this |
| configuration management needed to manage an | | | | process is that you will be able to show stakeholders |
| expanding and changing set of details that make up | | | | what is possible. You will also be able to put |
| that Requirements Definition. Usually in the beginning | | | | something concrete out there that will provide a |
| of the project, there may be little apparent need for | | | | greater point of focus to "smoke out" remaining |
| sophisticated Requirements Management. Often it can | | | | requirements and clarify understanding. |
| be assumed that there will be a need, or that need | | | | 8. Get formal signoff from all major stakeholder |
| will become apparent as the project unfolds. | | | | groups. This is an important process, as it forces |
| Here are 4 key inputs to the important challenge of | | | | some attention by the stakeholders to assure there |
| Requirements Management: | | | | are no hidden doubts or caveats. |
| 1. # of stakeholders and how widespread | | | | |