Chapter 4

Question 1

Principle tasks during Phase B

Answer 1

Organise project team (hold "kick off")
Clarify user requirements in detail
Prepare detailed system requirements
Prepare project master plan
Review requirements and plan with customer

Question 2

System definition

Answer 2

aims at achieving good understanding of what the end item must do to satisfy user requirements
during system definition, the translation of user requirements into technical requirements occurs

Question 3

Project definition

Answer 3

aims at specifying what the project team must do in the project to produce the end item
during project definition, the project master plan and end-item requirements and specifications are defined

Question 4

System requirements

Answer 4

address “what” the end-item of the project must do

Question 5

Project master plan

Answer 5

describes “how” the project will deliver the end-item that meets system requirements and specifications

Question 6

Project definition = detailed project planning

Answer 6

Details of specifications are defined
Master plan is expanded to reflect details
During expansion, project constraints, opportunities and resources are identified
This leads to revision of specifications
Thus, an iterative process

Question 7

Common elements of Project Master Plan

Answer 7

1. What?
   - scope statement, charter or statement of work
2. What?
   - detailed requirements
3. How?
   - detailed work definition
4. Who?
   - responsibility for work tasks
5. When?
   - detailed schedules with milestones
6. How much?
   - project budgets and cost accounts
7. What if?
   - risk plan
8. How well, what, how?
   - performance tracking and control
9. other elements of plan(as needed)
   - work review and testing
   - quality control
   - documentation implementation
   - communication/meetings
   - procurement
   - contracting and contract admin

Question 8

Phased (rolling wave) project planning

Answer 8

at the start of the project, there are too many unknowns
thus, we develop the plan in phases
the initial plan is rough, but adequate enough to estimate project resources, time, and cost, and to explain it all to the customer
as the project progresses, the unknowns decrease, the details of the plan can be filled in
a more detailed plan is then created for the next, most immediate phase of the project

Question 9

Problems with requirement definition

Answer 9

1. incorrect requirements
   - incorrect definition of needs
   - shifting/vagueness of needs
   - needs of wrong user
   - conflicting needs of multiple users
   - distortion of needs by experts
2. imprecise/ambiguous requirements
   - human language
   - deliberate imprecision for flexibility
   - nebulous projects
   - user’s lack of expertise
   - project planner’s oversight
3. shifting requirements
   - user’s change of mind
   - obstacles that are too great to overcome
   - new opportunities
   - seeking perfection
4. over-specification of requirements
   - initiative discouraged
   - requirements ignored
   - insufficient information
5. underspecification of results
   - chaotic project planning resulting in cost and schedule overruns

Question 10

Guideline for defining user requirements (in order to avoid previously mentioned problems)

Answer 10

1. state each requirement clearly; have both user and project staff sign-off on it
2. assume if a requirement can be misinterpreted, it will be misinterpreted
3. accept that changes to project are inevitable and things will not go precisely as planned
4. include pictures, graphs, models, and other non-verbal exhibits in requirements formulation
5. carefully monitor changes to requirements once project has begun
6. educate both user and project staff about problems associated with specifying requirements

Question 11

Requirements definition: priority level

Answer 11

The relative importance of the requirement

Question 12

Requirements definition: margin

Answer 12

Amount by which requirement can vary

Question 13

Requirements breakdown structure (RBS) should include

Answer 13

every identified functional requirement

Question 14

System specifications

Answer 14

• define the system requirements in more detail
• define the end-item and its subsystems, components and processes in sufficient depth
• system specifications are derived from system requirements, which are derived from user requirements

Question 15

System (performance) specifications

Answer 15

address all areas of the project:

design, fabrication, installation, operation and maintenance

Question 16

Traceability

Answer 16

• involves keeping track of specifications, tying them to physical components, tracing their impacts, and controlling changes so requirements are met and do not conflict
• throughout the SDLC, changes and tradeoffs will be made to requirements and specifications –> tracing the impact of these changes = traceability

Question 17

Managing traceability is called

Answer 17

configuration management

and change control