Mudassir Iqbal

The Project Management Body of Knowledge, Seventh Edition defines requirements as
“a condition or capability that is required to be present in a product, service, or result to satisfy a business need.”

Requirements are specific, measurable, and achievable conditions or features that a project or system must meet to fulfil its purpose and stakeholders’ needs

Business
Requirements
• High-level needs of an organization.
• Business and project objectives for traceability.
• Business rules for the performing organization.
• Guiding principles of the organization.
Stakeholders
Requirements
• Needs that come directly from a project stakeholder.
• Impacts to other organizational areas.
• Impacts to other entities inside or outside the performing organization.
• Stakeholder communications and reporting requirements
Solution
Requirements
Any feature, function, product, service, or result of a project.
Functional
Requirements
Focus on the behaviours of the product such as actions, processes,
and data.
Nonfunctional
Requirements
Are any conditions that must be present for the outcome to be
successful such as security, reliability, and safety.
Transition and
Readiness
Requirements
• Temporary capabilities necessary for project work to get
done.
• Support and training requirements.
• Reporting requirements.
Project
Requirements
• High-level requirements that the overall project must meet. These can be
actions, processes, or any other condition of the project.
• Levels of service, performance, safety, compliance, and so on.
• Acceptance criteria.
Quality
Requirements
Any condition that the outcomes of a project are validated against.

Requirements should be Unambiguous (measurable and testable), Traceable, Complete, Consistent & acceptable to key stakeholders

  1. Unambiguous: Requirements should be explicit and free of uncertainty, so everyone involved understands their meaning and intent, avoiding misunderstandings.
  2. Measurable and Testable: Each requirement should have criteria for success, allowing validation through testing, and ensuring that objectives are met precisely.
  3. Traceable: Requirements should be linked to their sources and origin, enabling a better understanding of the project’s context and facilitating change management.
  4. Complete: Requirements should encompass all necessary details, leaving no critical aspects overlooked, to achieve the project’s goals comprehensively.
  5. Consistent: Requirements must not contradict or conflict with each other, promoting a cohesive understanding among stakeholders for smoother development.
  6. Acceptable to Key Stakeholders: Requirements must align with stakeholders’ expectations to ensure their satisfaction and project success through active engagement and collaboration.

Comparison of Scope and Requirements

  • The project scope is for the team to deliver i.e. identifies the list of activities/tasks that need to be done in order to fulfil the requirements.
  • Requirements are details of scope, and they are defined and refined throughout the project Initiation and planning phase. Requirements are defined by the customer.

A challenge with these two is that on a common day of a project, they largely mean the same and many uses them interchangeably.

Further Readings



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