Looking for Requirements Elicitation interview examples, MP3/Video

Michiel,

I've worked as a business analyst eliciting, analyzing, and documenting requirements for projects originating from the IT Project Management Office for a U.S. Federal Agency. Your question made me think to google "business analysis podcast," and I found some resources I might check out for myself. (So, thanks for your question!)

I would advise finding a checklist for covering functional, nonfunctional, security, user, and transitional requirements. If you're interested, PM me and I will send you a Requirements Document template we use that touches upon all the various types of requirements.

Typically, I've done face-to-face interviews and small group discussions. First, I clarify the problem that needs to be solved; often times, I encounter solutions looking for a problem: "We need to have a wiki." (The answer to the question of WHY they think they need a wiki might get to the real business need.) Then I like to ask my stakeholders pie-in-the-sky questions like: "Let's say you have a magic wand with enough money and resources to make it happen; what would success look like to you?" and then prioritize that wish-list down to something we can manage within scope, time, and budget.

I typically drill-down when appropriate, such as when I hear language that is not clear, concise, and unambiguous - failure in any one of these three facets leads to poorer requirements. Other trigger: assume, as in "I assume Acquisitions will firm up the contract;" anything denoting uncertainty, as in "I'm not sure whether we'll need daily backups" (begging clarification), and anything said in the passive voice, as in "the database will be set up for us" (begging the question "by whom?").

I think a great tip is one that there's already a podcast for - I think it's the assumptive goal setting cast. For my next project, I'd actually like to take the assumptive goal setting approach, where we imagine we've already succeeded, and we're just looking back to see what we had to do to get here. "Alright, so we're at the end of the project, and we've launched it successfully. What did your area do to make that happen? What did you need from others to help you do what you did?" Now, I haven't done this yet, but I'd be very interested in hearing of anyone's success using this tactic.

All the best,

BJ

Michiel,

I have found that focusing on what Service the particular department provides, or wishes to provide to the organization is a good starting point. matching these to the organization's high level objectives helps to guide the discussion to where needs exist in order to meet the objectives.

Frankie

1. What works well?  What makes that so good?- This will clue you into see pieces that work with the way the business works and what kind of things the people in the business want more of
2. What takes too long? - This highlights the inefficient
3. What part of or process needs work arounds, or help from the technicians (DBA's computer guys, etc.) frequently? - This shows up broken things.  There may even be data availiable from the help desk.
4. What are the top 5 annoying things in your day? - Compile multiplr peoples input, make a pareto chart, viola
5. What wastes the most time? - Highlughts ineffective or broken processes
6. Of the other teams you work with, which is the most demanding? - Highlights a deliverable or deliverables that go out of your area and into that area that doesn't fit right
7. What do you do?  Why do you do it that way? - Can help find the "we've always done it that way" things that we may not be able to eliminate
8. What did you do this morning?  Why? - shows hidden things sometimes
9. What takes the most time in your day? - likely an improovable process
10. Of we could fix some of that how would that be? - Maybe we can do only 20% of the work to get 80% of the bang?
11. What does the management team think you should be doing that you don't because it's silly/too hard/not possible? - kill these processes
12. What reports do you produce?  Why?  Where do they go?

That should get you started