Advanced Elicitation & Facilitation Skills for Requirements Gathering Workshops
Outline
Course 328 - 3 Days
REQUIREMENTS GATHERING (ELICITATION) OVERVIEW
- What is a requirements elicitation?
- What is being elicited?
- Elicitation in the context of the SDLC - roles, artifacts and activities
- Common tools for eliciting business process models, high level business requirements and system features, detailed function requirements with use cases, and non-functional requirements
- Challenges to requirements gathering and how to overcome them
- Common elicitation techniques and activities: interviews and facilitated sessions
REQUIREMENTS GATHERING WORKSHOP
- What is a requirements gathering workshop?
- Ingredients for a successful workshop
- Workshop roles and deliverables - who to invite and when?
- Key workshop activities - elicit, specify, review and reach closure
- Setting up the requirements gathering workshop
- The role of the facilitator in requirements gathering
ARRIVING AT EXCELLENCE IN GROUP LEADERSHIP and FACILITATION
- Moving beyond competency - key qualities of the expert facilitator
- Challenges of facilitation in a project setting
- Discover your facilitation style
- Facilitator scorecard - how do you assess your performance?
- Harnessing emotions and developing self mastery
- Key communication skills for becoming a Star Facilitator.
- Practices for developing key communication skills in a requirements gathering context
DESIGN & PREPARE FOR A REQUIREMENTS GATHERING WORKSHOP
- Design activities
- Estimate activity time
-
Survey of collaboration tools & techniques for
- Building commitment
- Structuring the process
- Creating common understanding
- Changing the tone of the workshop
- Creative thinking and generating ideas
- Analyzing and evaluating Ideas
- Decision making
- Managing participants interaction
- Customize tools & techniques to meet the needs of the team
- Case study: tools and techniques to starting the project, getting everyone on the same page and agreeing on the the scope
Create a Collaborative Environment
- What makes an environment collaborative
-
Tools for setting the tone
- Energizers
- Ice-breakers
- FUN
- Techniques for creating a positive atmosphere
- Tools for building commitment
- Tools for conflict resolution
- Tools for active reviewing
- Case study: tools and techniques for getting everyone to understand and agree on the business context and the problem that is being solved.
Evoke Group Creativity
- The creative process
- Overcoming blocks to group creativity
-
Creativity in context
- New products, services, and system features
- Improving products and services
- Recognizing problems
- Solving problems of different kinds
- Analyzing the environment
-
Sample tools for generating & evaluating ideas
- Brainstorming
- Checklists
- Ask Questions
- Force field Analysis
- Affinity Diagrams
- Future Scenarios
- Mind Mapping
- Storyboarding
- Case Study: tools and techniques for generating ideas for defining high level business requirements and system features
Support Decision Making
- The group decision making process
- Consensus vs. majority vs. individual
- Choosing the appropriate approach
-
Sample tools for making decisions
- Rating Alternatives
- Nominal Group Technique
- Brainstorming Filtering
- Consensus Card Method
- Paired Choice Matrix
- Case Study: applying practical tools and techniques for deciding system features
Advanced Tips & Techniques for Facilitating Creation of Key Deliverables and Work Products
- Creating Process Models in Group Setting
- Stakeholder Needs & Expectations
- Features
- Functional requirements discovery workshop
- Tips and techniques for facilitating reviews and walkthroughs
- Case Study: tools and techniques for eliciting detailed functional level requirements with use cases and process models
Manage the Collaboration Process
- Set clear context
- Customize tools & techniques to meet the needs of the team
- Work effectively with the group
- Create quality results
- Design and implement closure
- Case Study: practical tools and techniques for eliciting non-functional requirements
Becoming a Star Facilitator - Next Steps
- Assessing your growing edge
- Setting-up a plan for growth
- Keeping track of progress
- Tools for continuous growth
- Breaking through self-imposed ceilings
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Attendee Comments
" The use case and object-oriented thinking versus traditional flowcharting was really eye-opening. "
- R.H., Engineer, Honda of America
" Very enjoyable and informative course "
- J.F., Director of IS, Healthsource
" Highly dedicated, interested, knowledgeable instructor who gave a sense of urgency and desire to learn more. "
- C.S., Operations Analyst, MediaOne
" Excellent material. The instructor has a superior knowledge of a wide area of topics. "
- C.P., Senior Business Effectiveness Consultant, TransCanada Pipeline
" The course was truly remarkable "
- V.D., Project Manager, Universal Systems
" We leave feeling we have gained a significant level of knowledge. We're glad we came. "
- T.B., Manager, Samson Companies