The Performance Institute presents the findings from the research “The Problem with Requirements: Why is it Still a Problem?” providing answers to the questions about effective Requirements Management authored by Doug Jackson.
Requirements management is a major contributing factor to project failures. The research “The Problem with Requirements: Why is it Still a Problem” embarks on the journey to answer the question: Why organizations have not been able to address requirements problems effectively. Here’s a short overview of what the Performance Institute found:
Organizations Don’t Set The Right Goals
The misguided mission of “getting the work done,” instead of enhancing two-way communication with stakeholders about components needed to propel the organization forward, lead to problems. As a result, the projects deliver results that simply fail to meet the strategic business needs.
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Requirements Management is Neglected
All the failed projects have something in common: not enough time is devoted to eliciting requirements. Successful projects reported the opposite.
The ‘Wrong’ Person Is Responsible For Requirements
Most of the cases that The Performance Institute reviewed, didn’t pay much attention to who was responsible for proper requirements management and documentation. Sometimes, the person who has the time to gather requirements is the person asked to define requirements. Other times, it’s the vendor is given the responsibility of documenting requirements. Both scenarios lead to a lack of structure and miscommunication in the team.
Performance Institute Consultation Sessions can help strategically plan the upcoming projects and tackle common government performance issues.
BAs Can’t Deliver Effective Requirements Management
Research has found that just because someone holds the title “Business Analyst” doesn’t guarantee that a person is qualified to define and manage requirements for difficult, complex projects. Furthermore, holding certification in business analysis doesn’t mean that they are able to navigate successfully in this environment.
Government Contracts Are Complex
A timely and transparent contracting process is key to efficient requirements management. Delays between when a request is submitted and when the product or service is actually contracted often mean that the requirements information becomes Overcome By Events (OBE) -- resulting in a solution that does not meet the business need.
Take Your Requirements Management To The Next Level
The research showed, that a whopping 62% of organizations experienced one or more challenges in over 1/3 of their projects. And despite the value of requirements to the enterprise, most organizations apply surprisingly little rigor to their approaches to requirements elicitation and management.
Want to be one of the few organizations that have a smooth and fail-proof requirements management process? Join The Performance Institute to upskill in different areas of Government Performance, including strategic planning, performance measurements and more.
Doug is also a key contributor to the report “The Problem with Requirements: Why is it Still a Problem?”. Read the full version of it here.
