How to Prepare and Facilitate Requirements Workshops

1. Beginning at the Beginning

• What Is a Requirement?
• Stakeholder Responsibilities
• Critical Stakeholder Roles
• User Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
• Requirements Capture (Gathering) Techniques

2. Setting the Right Stage

• Evolution of an Effective Meeting
• Participant Selection
• Defining the Outcome
• Time Versus Depth
• Preparing an Agenda
• Activity Dependencies
• Sample Agenda
• Selecting the Right Seating Arrangements
• Ad Hoc Group Dynamics
• Managed Group Dynamics
• Static Versus Dynamic Groups
• Sending the Right Meeting Invitation

3. Getting the Show Going

• Your Assignment, Mr. Phelps
• Breaking the Ice
• Sample Icebreakers
• Identifying Icebreakers
• The Momentum Challenge
• Maintaining Momentum
• Assigning Group Work
• Debriefing Group Assignments
• Analysis Techniques

4. Managing the Deliverables

• Preparing Meeting Documentation
• Leveraging the Documentation Advantage
• Restructuring Deliverables to Increase Productivity
• Example of Activity-Based Formatting
• Maintaining Group Memory
• Components of the Final Deliverable
• The Last Commandment

5. Meeting Murphy and Fighting Back

• Dealing with Murphy
• What’s Wrong with This Picture?
• Everything Takes Longer Than You Think
• Problem People or People Problems
• Dealing with People Issues
• Creepy Scope
• Back to Square One

6. Closing the Workshop

• Critical Success Factors
• Assigning Open Issues
• Post-Meeting Task List
• Staying in Touch
• Meeting Evaluation Form

1.5 days

Business Analysts
Business Managers
Project Managers
Requirements Engineers
Systems Analysts

NONE

Our instructors have extensive experience in applying these techniques on projects with business experts from a wide variety of fields.