Concepts
When preparing for the PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) examination, one critical area of focus should be on methods to elicit or identify requirements. Effective elicitation requires the use of both individual and group elicitation techniques that are designed to discover and capture requirements with supporting details like origin and rationale.
I. Individual Elicitation Techniques
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Interviews:
This technique involves one-on-one conversations with stakeholders to gather facts, opinions, and information. Often, interviews are planned and structured, touching on key points of interest while leaving enough flexibility for open-ended discussions to reveal unanticipated information.
For example, an analyst wanting to understand the requirements of a new project management software may interview individual project managers to ascertain their needs and preferences.
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Questionnaires/Surveys:
Questionnaires are useful when you need to gather information from large numbers of people. However, they require careful design to ensure they collect relevant and useful data.
For instance, an analyst may design a survey to evaluate users’ satisfaction with a specific feature in a current software and identify potential areas of improvement.
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Document Analysis:
This covers a wide variety of written material that can help the analyst identify requirements, such as existing system documentation, workflows, or regulations.
II. Group Elicitation Techniques
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Workshops:
By gathering a group of stakeholders in a facilitated session, an analyst can harness the collective insights of the group and achieve consensus on key requirements. The interactive nature of workshops can stimulate creative thinking and reveal interdependencies among requirements.
One example is a JAD (Joint Application Development) session, where end users, developers, and sponsors come together to identify software system requirements.
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Brainstorming:
Whether guided by a facilitator or less structured, brainstorming sessions encourage participants to think out of the box and propose innovative solutions.
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Prototyping:
Prototyping is a technique that involves creating a preliminary model (or prototype) of a system’s interface and asking users to interact with it. Feedback from users helps to refine the requirements before the system is fully developed.
When deciding between individual or group elicitation techniques, neither is inherently better than the other. The choice relies heavily on the context, the nature of the requirements, availability, and preferences of the stakeholders.
| Technique | Suitable when | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interviews | Detailed information is required from specific individuals | Structured yet flexible | Time consuming |
| Workshops | Consensus is needed among stakeholders | Encourages collaboration | Can be influenced by dominant personalities |
| Surveys | High volume of information is needed from a large pool | Economical and quick | Less interpersonal, lack of depth |
| Prototyping | Requirements are unclear or complex or when there is a need for iterative development | Encourages interaction, real-time feedback | Time and resources consuming |
In conclusion, effective requirements elicitation is a crucial part of business analysis. When used strategically, individual and group elicitation techniques can ensure that your requirements are comprehensive, clear, and rooted in real stakeholder needs. This will greatly improve your chances of passing the PMI-PBA exam while making you a more effective business analyst.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: Elicitation is a technique used to gather information from stakeholders, customers, and end-users.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Elicitation is an essential part of the requirement gathering process and is used to gather insights, information, and expectations from all relevant stakeholders.
Multiple Select: Which of the following are methods of identifying requirements in project management?
- a) Brainstorming
- b) Document Analysis
- c) Prototyping
- d) Staffing Management
Answer: a) Brainstorming, b) Document Analysis, c) Prototyping
Explanation: Brainstorming, Document Analysis, and Prototyping are methods used to identify and capture requirements. Staffing Management, however, is not.
Single Select: When identifying requirements, the origin of a requirement refers to what?
- a) The document where the requirement was first written down
- b) The person or group who first proposed the requirement
- c) The process where the requirement was approved
Answer: b) The person or group who first proposed the requirement
Explanation: The origin of a requirement indicates where or from whom the requirement initially came from.
True or False: All requirements must have a detailed rationale attached to it.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: While it can be helpful, not every requirement will necessarily have a detailed rationale attached to it, particularly if it’s self-explanatory or universally understood.
Multiple Select: Which of the following are common group elicitation techniques?
- a) Brainstorming
- b) Interviews
- c) Focus Groups
- d) Document Analysis
Answer: a) Brainstorming, c) Focus Groups
Explanation: Both Brainstorming and Focus Groups are common group elicitation techniques, while Interviews and Document Analysis are typically individual techniques.
True or False: Elicitation techniques are only used at the beginning of the project.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Elicitation techniques can be used throughout the project lifecycle as new requirements may arise during the execution phase of the project.
Single Select: Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of a business analyst?
- a) Identifying project requirements
- b) Testing the final product
- c) Managing team members
Answer: c) Managing team members
Explanation: The role of a business analyst is to understand business needs and translate them into requirements, not to manage team members.
True or False: Group elicitation methods are always more effective than individual elicitation methods.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The effectiveness of individual or group elicitation methods depends on the needs of the project. Some scenarios may benefit from the depth of individual exploration, while others might need the breadth of a group meeting.
Single Select: What is the main aim of using elicitation techniques?
- a) To create project timelines
- b) To manage project risks
- c) To capture requirements with supporting details
Answer: c) To capture requirements with supporting details
Explanation: The main aim of using elicitation techniques is to discover, clarify, and capture requirements with supporting details.
Multiple Select: Elicitation methods must be
- a) Documented
- b) Tailored based on the nature of the requirement
- c) Only performed by a business analyst
- d) Performed regularly throughout the project timeline
Answer: a) Documented, b) Tailored based on the nature of the requirement, d) Performed regularly throughout the project timeline
Explanation: The elicitation process should be documented and tailored to the nature of the requirement. It should be performed both at the beginning and throughout the project. Anyone can perform the elicitation, not solely a business analyst.
Great insights on elicitation techniques! I particularly found the group elicitation section helpful.
Thanks for the detailed post! Elicitation techniques are crucial for proper requirements gathering.
I have a question. How effective are focus groups for discovering requirements?
Appreciate the post! Very informative.
How do interviews compare to workshops for requirement elicitation?
Could you provide more examples of individual elicitation techniques?
I like how rationale and origin are highlighted when capturing requirements.
Nice post! The importance of group elicitation is often underestimated.