Knowledge Area: Requirements analysis and documentation

Requirements Analysis and Documentation is the activities supporting the definition and docuentation of requirements information.


 * Documemtaion is more than just writing requirements down. There are a number of frameworks for writing requirements including Unified Modelling Language and Business Process Modelling Notation. A popular technique is Use Case but there are many.


 * Requirements should be written in precise and accurate language. The uses of words such as "must," "shall," "will" and others have particular importance in this area.


 * There is a capability maturity model called RMM - Requirements Maturity Model which describes five levels of maturity when dealing with requirements. THe lowest is no formal management or documentation, the highest provides for a highly capacble and reuseable set of requirements documentation and management systems.


 * Requirements should be written without inappropriate constraints, or with the imposition of a aparticular solution approach. By defining solution approaches (eg using a particular development approach, a particular computer system and so on) means that a solution designer is constrained unneccessarily. This has been identified as a common cause of delivery probelms for projects by reports such as the infamous Standish Groups CHAOS report.


 * Requirements managed and documented by a BA should add value to the project, not simply be a reprt of what project stakehodlers have asked for. A key reason for the business analysts participation in the project is to ensure requirements are valuable and contribute to the project's success as defined in the business case.

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