Develop an understanding with the requirements providers on the meaning of the requirements.

As the project matures and requirements are derived, all activities or disciplines will receive requirements. To avoid requirements creep, criteria are established to designate appropriate channels, or official sources, from which to receive requirements. The receiving activities conduct analyses of the requirements with the requirements provider to ensure that a compatible, shared understanding is reached on the meaning of the requirements. The result of this analysis and dialog is an agreed-to set of requirements.

Typical Work Products

1.    Lists of criteria for distinguishing appropriate requirements providers

2.    Criteria for evaluation and acceptance of requirements

3.    Results of analyses against criteria

4.    An agreed-to set of requirements

Subpractices

1.    Establish criteria for distinguishing appropriate requirements providers.

2.    Establish objective criteria for the evaluation and acceptance of requirements.

Lack of evaluation and acceptance criteria often results in inadequate verification, costly rework, or customer rejection.

3.    Analyze requirements to ensure that the established criteria are met.

4.    Reach an understanding of the requirements with the requirements provider so that the project participants can commit to them.