ARD.SP 3.3 Analyze Requirements to Achieve Balance

Stakeholder needs and constraints can address such things as cost, schedule, product or project performance, functionality, reusable components, maintainability, or risk.

Requirements are analyzed to determine whether they reflect an appropriate balance among cost, schedule, performance, and other factors of interest to relevant stakeholders. Models and simulations can be used to estimate the impacts that requirements will have on these factors. By involving stakeholders from different phases of the product’s lifecycle in analyzing these impacts, risks can be determined. If the risks are considered unacceptable, the requirements can be revised or reprioritized to improve the balance of cost, schedule, and performance.

Example Work Products

1. Assessment of risks related to requirements
2. Proposed requirements changes

Subpractices

1. Use proven models, simulations, and prototyping to analyze the balance of stakeholder needs and constraints.

Results of analyses can be used to reduce the cost of the product and the risk in acquiring and using the product.

2. Perform a risk assessment on requirements and design constraints.

3. Examine product lifecycle concepts for impacts of requirements on risks.

4. Perform a cost benefit analysis to assess impact of the requirements on the overall acquisition strategy and acquisition project costs and risks.

This assessment of impact often focuses on an evaluation of requirements addressing architecturally significant quality attributes. As an example, a combination of tight response time requirements and high reliability requirements could prove expensive to implement. Once the possible impacts are better understood, the requirements can be adjusted to achieve a better balance among cost, schedule, performance, and risk; and thus enable a more affordable capability to be acquired.