This can be very challenging, as the interests of different stakeholders often conflict. Understanding stakeholder values and determining their requirements is an essential part of business analysis.
For candidates preparing for the PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) exam, one of the major study areas is understanding and utilizing elicitation techniques to determine stakeholder values in relation to the product. This forms the basis for effectively prioritizing project requirements.
I. Stakeholder Identification
The first step in the process is identifying who the stakeholders are. Stakeholders could be anyone who has an interest in the product, and this may include end users, product managers, project managers, sponsors, customers, suppliers among others. The key is to identify both direct and indirect stakeholders.
II. Focus on Elicitation Techniques
Elicitation techniques help business analysts gather information and gain insights from stakeholders. These techniques can be in the form of interviews, focus groups, workshops, surveys, benchmarking, or observations.
- Interviews: These can be structured or semi-structured, and are typically one-on-one sessions with stakeholders. They serve as a great platform to explore complex issues.
- Focus Groups: These are group discussions guided by a facilitator. They can be an effective way to explore collective views on a particular topic.
- Surveys: These are valuable for reaching out to larger stakeholder groups, particularly when they are geographically dispersed.
- Workshops: In these sessions, diverse stakeholder groups are brought together to discuss and reach agreements on requirements.
- Benchmarking: By comparing with best practices or industry standards, you can unveil requirements that stakeholders might overlook.
Each of these elicitation techniques have their unique merits and can be selected based on specific project circumstances.
III. Understanding Stakeholder Values
To provide a baseline for prioritizing requirements, it’s crucial to understand what each stakeholder values the most. These values might be related to functionality, cost, performance, reliability, or other product features.
During your elicitation sessions, you can ask stakeholders to rank different product features based on their importance. A simple table like this could be used to document the results:
| Stakeholder | Feature | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Stakeholder 1 | Feature A | High |
| Stakeholder 2 | Feature B | Medium |
| Stakeholder 3 | Feature C | Low |
Having a clear understanding of stakeholder values can greatly enhance the decision-making process when prioritizing requirements.
IV. Prioritizing Requirements
Once the stakeholder values are identified and understood, it’s time to prioritize the requirements based on these values.
Several requirements prioritization techniques can be applied here. For example, the MoSCoW method classifies requirements into four categories: Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won’t have. Another common technique is the 100-point method, where each stakeholder assigns a portion of their 100 points to the requirements.
Ensuring stakeholder values align with the product’s requirements plays a pivotal role in the product’s success. By employing strategic elicitation techniques and focusing on stakeholder values, business analysts can facilitate the development of a product that all stakeholders find beneficial. The PMI-PBA exam candidates must master these skills to excel both in their certification and in their professional lives. Remember, clear and thorough analysis always leads to project success!
Practice Test
True or False: Stakeholder values regarding the product are not crucial while prioritizing requirements.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Understanding stakeholder values regarding the product is key in determining which requirements should be given priority during the planning and execution of the project.
Which of the following elicitation techniques can be used to determine stakeholder values?
- A. Brainstorming
- B. Interviews
- C. Surveys
- D. Prototyping
- E. Use cases
Answer: All of the above
Explanation: These are all common elicitation techniques you can use to gather information about the stakeholders’ values regarding a product or service.
Which of the following is not considered a stakeholder value?
- A. Cost-effectiveness
- B. Quality
- C. Durability
- D. The project manager’s opinion
Answer: D. The project manager’s opinion
Explanation: While the project manager’s opinion is important, it’s not considered a stakeholder value. Stakeholder values generally revolve around cost-effectiveness, quality, and durability.
Stakeholders’ values can change over time. Considering this, the elicitation process should be:
- A. Done once at the start of the project
- B. Repeated periodically throughout the project
- C. Done once after the completion of the project
- D. Not required
Answer: B. Repeated periodically throughout the project
Explanation: Stakeholders’ values can change over time, especially as the project evolves. It’s important to periodically reassess these values to ensure the project still aligns with them.
Is it true or false that the requirements gathering process is done only after stakeholder values have been determined?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: While it’s crucial to understand stakeholder values, requirement gathering is an iterative process that happens in conjunction with determining stakeholder values, not after.
A most effective method of elicitation to determine stakeholder values is:
- A. Surveys
- B. Interviews
- C. Observation
- D. Sampling
Answer: B. Interviews
Explanation: Interviews are often the most effective way to understand stakeholder values as they provide an opportunity for back-and-forth discussion and deeper understanding.
The process of determining stakeholder values is called:
- A. Elicitation
- B. Validation
- C. Speculation
- D. Prioritization
Answer: A. Elicitation
Explanation: The process in which information is retrieved from stakeholders to identify their values is referred to as elicitation.
True or False: Stakeholder values the same for every project?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Values can change from stakeholder to stakeholder and from project to project. It’s important to understand each stakeholder’s individual values for each unique project.
Stakeholder values are not important while prioritizing requirements. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Stakeholder values are crucial for understanding and prioritizing requirements following them increase the project’s success likelihood.
Elicitation techniques should also factor in:
- A. Stakeholder values
- B. Market demand
- C. Project scope
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Elicitation should consider all these aspects to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the project and its requirements.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of applying elicitation techniques when identifying stakeholder values?
Elicitation techniques are applied to determine stakeholder values in order to provide a basis for prioritizing system requirements. It helps in collecting comprehensive, relevant, and accurate information from stakeholders.
What are some examples of elicitation techniques you can use to determine stakeholder values?
Examples of elicitation techniques include interviews, workshops, focus groups, questionnaires/surveys, document analysis, and prototyping.
What is the primary function of a workshop in elicitation?
A workshop’s primary purpose in elicitation is to bring multiple stakeholders together to discuss, analyze, and agree about certain aspects of a product or project.
How are stakeholder values reflected in prioritizing requirements?
Stakeholder values are reflected in prioritizing requirements by ensuring that the requirements that align with and support the highest stakeholder values are prioritized and addressed first.
What is the role of a business analyst in elicitation of stakeholder values?
A business analyst’s role in the elicitation of stakeholder values involves planning, preparing, conducting, documenting, and confirming the results of elicitation activities. They need to analyze the needs and expectations of various stakeholders and ensure that these considerations are taken into account in the project requirements.
How can prototyping aid in the elicitation of stakeholder values?
Prototyping aids in elicitation by providing a visual representation of the end product. It helps stakeholders to interact and experiment with the model, thus giving more precise feedback and enabling the business analyst to better understand stakeholder values.
Why do we need to use different elicitation techniques in different circumstances?
Different elicitation techniques are suitable for different situations. Choice of technique depends on various factors like availability of stakeholders, nature and complexity of information to be elicited, and cultural aspects of the organization. It is therefore necessary to use the technique best suited for the situation to get accurate information.
What is the significance of prioritizing requirements in a project?
Prioritizing requirements helps in decision making about project scope, schedule, cost, risk handling, improved communication among stakeholders, and enhanced project control.
What happens if the elicitation of stakeholder values is not done correctly?
If elicitation is not done correctly, it is likely that the project may not meet stakeholders’ expectations, leading to dissatisfaction and possible project failure. It can result in ill-defined project scopes, improper risk assessments, poor resource allocation, and delayed schedules.
Can Stakeholder Analysis be used to determine stakeholder values and priorities?
Yes, Stakeholder Analysis can be used to determine stakeholder values and priorities. It allows the business analyst to identify all relevant stakeholders, their influence, and their interest in the project. It provides a clear picture of who the key decision-makers are and their level of investment in the project which helps prioritize requirements accordingly.
extutorials.com