2.5 Requirements Management Plan

The requirements management plan is part of the project management plan. It specifies how requirementsactivities will be conducted throughout the project.

 

Managing requirements activities includes  at least:

• Planning activities such as:

   ○○ Collecting/eliciting

   ○○ Analyzing

   ○○ Categorizing

   ○○ Prioritizing○○ Documenting

   ○○ Determining metrics

   ○○ Defining the traceability structure

• Managing activities such as:

   ○○ Tracking

   ○○ Reporting

   ○○ Tracing○○ Validating

   ○○ Performing configuration management

 

The requirements management plan can receive information from:

• Project charter

• Development approach

• Quality management planIt is related to:

• Scope management planIt provides information to:

• Requirements documentation

• Requirements traceability matrix

• Quality management plan

• Risk register

 

The requirements management plan is an output from the process

5.1 Plan Scope Management in thePMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition. It is developed once and does not usually change.

 

Tailoring Tips

Consider the following tips to help tailor the management plan to meet your needs:

• For smaller projects you can combine the requirements management plan with the scope managementplan.

• If your project involves business analysis, you may want to incorporate information on how businessanalysis requirements activities and project management requirements activities will interact.

• You can document the test and evaluation strategy in this plan. For larger projects you may want tohave a separate testing plan.

• If you are using an agile or adaptive development approach you may want to incorporate informationon how the backlog will be used to manage and track requirements.

 

Alignment

The requirements management plan should be aligned and consistent with the following documents:

• Development approach

• Change management plan

• Scope management plan

• Release and iteration plan

• Requirements backlogDescription

 

You can use the descriptions in Table 2.4 to assist you in developing a requirements management plan.T

 

Table 2.4 Elements of the Requirements Management Plan

 

Document Element                      Description

Requirements collection               Describe how requirements will be collected or elicited. Consider techniques

                                                 such as brainstorming, interviewing, observation, etc.

 

Requirements analysis                 Describe how requirements will be analyzed for prioritization, categorization,

                                                 and impact to the product or project approach.

 

Requirements categories              Identify categories for requirements such as business, stakeholder, quality, etc.

 

Requirements documentation        Define how requirements will be documented. The format of a

                                                  requirements document may range from a simple spreadsheet to more

                                                   elaborate forms containingdetailed descriptions and attachments.

 

Requirements prioritization            Identify the prioritization approach for requirements. Certain requirements will

                                                  be non-negotiable, such as those that are regulatory or those that are needed

                                                  to comply with the organization’s policies or infrastructure. Other requirements

                                                  may be nice to have, but not necessary for functionality

 

Requirements metrics                   Document the metrics that requirements will be measured against.

                                                  For example,if the requirement is that the product must be able to support 150 lb,

                                                  the metric may be that it is designed to support 120 percent (180 lb) and that any

                                                  design or engineering decisions that cause the product to go below the 120

                                                   percent need approval by the customer.

 

Requirements traceability               Identify the information that will be used to link requirements from their origin

                                                   tothe deliverables that satisfy them.

 

 

Requirements tracking                   Describe how often and what techniques will be used to track progress

                                                   on requirements.

 

Requirements reporting                 Describe how reporting on requirements will be conducted and the frequency

                                                   of such reporting.

 

 

Requirements validation                Identify the various methods that will be used to validate requirements such

                                                   asi nspection, audits, demonstration, testing, etc.

 

Requirements configuration           Describe the configuration management system that will be used to control

management                                requirements, documentation, the change management process, and

                                                   the authorization levels needed to approve changes.