Requirements Elicitation Techniques for Business Analysts Training

Objectives:
• Understand the role of requirements elicitation in business analysis.
• Identify key stakeholders and their influence.
• Distinguish between types of requirements (functional, non-functional, constraints).
• Recognise the importance of elicitation planning.

Topics:
• Overview of business analysis and the requirements lifecycle
• Stakeholder identification and analysis
• Types of requirements and their characteristics
• Introduction to elicitation techniques
• Elicitation planning and preparation
• Ethics and professionalism in elicitation

Objectives:
• Plan and structure effective interviews.
• Apply open-ended and closed-ended questioning.
• Manage interview dynamics and active listening.
• Document interview outcomes accurately.

Topics:
• Types of interviews (structured, semi-structured, unstructured)
• Questioning techniques and probing
• Active listening and non-verbal cues
• Interview preparation and scheduling
• Recording and validating interview results
• Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Objectives:
• Design effective surveys for requirements gathering.
• Choose appropriate question types and scales.
• Administer surveys to target audiences.
• Analyse and interpret survey data.

Topics:
• When to use surveys vs. interviews
• Question design principles (clarity, bias avoidance)
• Rating scales and multiple-choice options
• Survey distribution methods (online, paper)
• Data collection and response rate management
• Analysing quantitative and qualitative survey results

Objectives:
• Plan and facilitate focus groups for consensus building.
• Use workshops to generate and prioritise requirements.
• Manage group dynamics and conflict.
• Capture workshop outputs effectively.

Topics:
• Focus group structure and participant selection
• Facilitation techniques for group discussions
• Brainstorming and idea generation methods
• Prioritisation techniques (e.g., MoSCoW, voting)
• Recording workshop outcomes (minutes, action items)
• Virtual vs. in-person facilitation

Objectives:
• Conduct workplace observations to uncover tacit knowledge.
• Apply ethnographic methods for deep understanding.
• Document observed behaviours and processes.
• Analyse observation data for requirements.

Topics:
• Types of observation (overt, covert, participant)
• Ethnography in business analysis
• Planning observation sessions
• Recording observations (notes, video, logs)
• Identifying gaps between stated and actual processes
• Ethical considerations in observation

Objectives:
• Analyse existing documentation for requirements clues.
• Create low-fidelity prototypes to validate concepts.
• Use prototypes to elicit feedback.
• Integrate findings from multiple sources.

Topics:
• Sources of documentation (manuals, reports, systems)
• Techniques for document analysis (content analysis, gap analysis)
• Introduction to prototyping (paper, wireframes)
• Iterative prototyping for requirements validation
• Combining document analysis with other techniques
• Tools for prototyping (e.g., Balsamiq, Axure)

Objectives:
• Facilitate brainstorming sessions for innovative ideas.
• Apply creativity techniques (e.g., mind mapping, SCAMPER).
• Select and prioritise generated ideas.
• Link creative outputs to requirements.

Topics:
• Principles of effective brainstorming
• Mind mapping for requirements discovery
• SCAMPER and other creative thinking tools
• Nominal group technique
• Voting and prioritisation of ideas
• Overcoming creative blocks

Objectives:
• Plan and conduct Joint Application Development (JAD) sessions.
• Facilitate structured workshops for requirements definition.
• Manage stakeholder participation and decision-making.
• Produce workshop deliverables (e.g., requirements list, diagrams).

Topics:
• JAD methodology and roles (facilitator, scribe, participants)
• Preparing for a JAD session (agenda, materials)
• Facilitation techniques for consensus building
• Using visual aids (whiteboards, sticky notes)
• Documenting requirements in real-time
• Post-workshop validation and follow-up

Objectives:
• Extract requirements from existing system documentation.
• Analyse data models and business rules.
• Use data mining techniques to infer requirements.
• Integrate legacy system insights with stakeholder input.

Topics:
• Reverse engineering existing systems
• Analysing database schemas and data dictionaries
• Business rules extraction from code and documentation
• Data profiling and analysis for requirements
• Interface analysis with legacy systems
• Challenges of legacy system elicitation

Objectives:
• Apply user stories and story mapping for requirements.
• Conduct backlog grooming and sprint planning sessions.
• Use personas and scenarios for user-centric elicitation.
• Adapt traditional techniques to Agile environments.

Topics:
• User stories: format, acceptance criteria, INVEST
• Story mapping for release planning
• Personas and empathy maps
• Scenarios and use cases in Agile
• Backlog management and prioritisation
• Agile ceremonies for elicitation (sprint planning, reviews)

Objectives:
• Validate requirements with stakeholders.
• Manage requirements traceability and changes.
• Prioritise requirements using various frameworks.
• Communicate requirements effectively.

Topics:
• Requirements validation techniques (reviews, walkthroughs)
• Traceability matrices and impact analysis
• Prioritisation frameworks (MoSCoW, Kano, cost-value)
• Change management and version control
• Requirements documentation standards (e.g., IEEE 830)
• Communicating requirements to development teams

Objectives:
• Synthesise multiple elicitation techniques into a cohesive strategy.
• Develop an elicitation plan for a real-world scenario.
• Present findings and recommendations.
• Reflect on learning and plan for continuous improvement.

Topics:
• Selecting the right technique for the context
• Developing an elicitation plan (scope, timeline, stakeholders)
• Case study: end-to-end elicitation project
• Presenting requirements to decision-makers
• Lessons learned and best practices
• Course wrap-up and assessment