Course Introduction

Project Management is the management of change, but this only works with pre-agreed “goals” and “boundaries” to set the rules of engagement. Requirements Management defines the project and provides a framework to see that those requirements are successfully tracked and completed through all phases of the project. In simple terms, we lay out the project details then analyze the triple constraints of time, cost and performance.

This Oxford Management Center training course provides proven requirement management techniques and begins by exploring the challenges encountered when gathering requirements. This training course will progress by exploring the bigger picture, understanding what is needed from a strategic perspective, consider operational or tactical requirements. Best-practice standards available will be considered to help establish a framework for your project requirements.

Let’s start to develop the appropriate skills to gather, define, agree, and master Project Requirements.

Objectives

At the end of this training Course, you will learn to:

• Define product and project requirements
• Understand the roles of both the Requirements Analyst and the Project Manager.
• Understand the importance of the strategic nature of requirements management and a solution upon the client’s business.
• Understand the tactical process of requirements gathering from Initialization to Requirements Baseline.
• Recognize the implications of contract types upon requirements management.
• Learn to manage baseline requirements via verification, validation & change control.
• Uncover best practices in the discipline of requirements management.
• Utilize project templates necessary for proper requirements management

Training Methodology

Participants will receive a thorough training with the Tutor utilising a variety of proven adult learning teaching and facilitation techniques. Training methodology includes an insight into industry best practice project management delivery tools and processes. The training course uses an applicable case study and includes group discussion and critical analysis of actual projects.

Organisational Impact

The approach of this training course is to define what project requirements are, how to gather and document them, what to document, and how to track them throughout the project.  This will benefit any project organisation to satisfy and keep clients.

The organization will attain the following benefits:

• Increasing their project requirement knowledge base
• Enhancing their strategies and practices to optimise project planning and execution
• Expanding their existing Portfolio and Attracting new clients
• Increasing the efficiency of their project teams
• Improving key performance indicators and success rates
• Maintaining corporate values and achieving objectives

Personal Impact

Gain the key skills required in all aspects of requirements management.  This will be beneficial to project managers who wants to stand out as someone who delivers exactly what the client wants.  Understand how to deliver project management excellence and avoid project management mediocrity.

Gain an understanding how to:

• Deliver projects instinctively,
• Prioritize key requirements to be focused on first,
• Identify and manage deviations from scope effortlessly
• Know what it is to put the clients’ needs first
• Become a trusted project manager

Who Should Attend?

This Oxford Management Centre training course will greatly benefit: 

• Program and project managers
• Project support managers
• Senior project control professionals with responsibility for managing project schedules and costs
• Project Engineers, Lead Engineers
• Procurement
• PMO personnel
• Requirements Analysis

Course Outline

DAY 1

The Trouble with Incomplete Requirements

• When requirements are not clear or complete
• Product requirements defined
• Project requirements defined
• The role of the requirements analyst
• The project manager’s role in regard to requirements
• Requirements phase documentation

DAY 2

The Strategic Point of View – Requirements and Client Vision

• Why client vision is necessary towards requirement and project success?
• Attentive listening
• Benefits of attentive listening
• Steps to attentive listening
• Socialization to the requirements process
• Wants vs. Needs

DAY 3 

The Tactical Point of View – The Requirements Process and Activities

• Requirements initialization
• The outputs of project initiation
• Plan initial interviews elicitation - how to ask questions.
• Analysis and specifications development
• Requirements review process
• Requirements baselining, verification and validation
• Use of automated requirements traceability tools
• Risks related to a requirements process

DAY 4 

Requirements Best Practices

• Best Practices in Requirements Management
• The Requirements Database Best Practices
• The Requirements Definition Best Practices
• The Work Breakdown Structure Best Practices.
• The Requirements Traceability Matrix Best Practices
• Traps to Avoid When Implementing a Requirements Process

DAY 5 

Managing Requirements...and Expectations

• Expectation setting prior to baseline
• Project change control
• Benefits and agreement to the change management process
• Contractual implications
• Managing expectations once the baseline has been established
• Implementing an effective project change control process
• Managing requirements risk
• Maneuvering political waters