Question 1

Melissa is a Business Analyst with a local television station. In developing a requirements communications plan, she must define the following EXCEPT _______________.

Accepted Answer

Melissa is a Business Analyst with a local television station. In developing a requirements communications plan, she must define the information that is to be communicated, the appropriate delivery method, and the intended audience.
Key Takeaway: An important component of a requirements communication plan is to define what will be communicated. For example, the Business Analyst must define how frequently requirements will be updated and how they will be shared with stakeholders. Also, the Business Analyst must determine the appropriate delivery method of the communication plan (e.g. hard copy vs. e-mail, whether it will be saved on the server or presented to key stakeholders face-to-face). Finally, the communication plan must define who the intended audience is.

Question 2

When a conflict happens between stakeholders on one or more documented requirements, the first action that the Business Analyst must take is to record the conflict in the ______________.

Accepted Answer

When a conflict happens between stakeholders on one or more documented requirements, the first action that the Business Analyst must take is to record the conflict in the requirements issues log.
Key Takeaway: One of the purposes of a requirements communication plan is to define how conflicts between stakeholders in requirements recording occur. In the communication plan, a requirements issues log is placed so that each conflict, its context, and eventual solutions are recorded. The requirements issues log is both a record of the conflicts to be referred to when the project faces difficulties, as well as an educational tool to predict future areas of conflict.

Question 3

Brian's manager at an international investment firm has requested a complete rewrite of the project's requirements communication plan as it was reviewed as "too complex". It is important for a Business Analyst to make sure that ____________ content is not presented to a _________ audience.

Accepted Answer

Brian's manager at an international investment firm has requested a complete rewrite of the project's requirements communication plan as it was reviewed as "too complex". It is important for a Business Analyst to make sure that technical content is not presented to a non-technical audience.
Key Takeaway: An important responsibility of a Business Analyst is presenting the right information to the appropriate audience. If content is too complex and/or too technical, the Business Analyst must make sure that it is simplified for the audience while maintaining the same important information. The same is true for presenting information to a technical audience. A Business Analyst must make sure that it is not too simple for a knowledgeable audience.

Question 4

A Business Analyst will use different tools to document requirements and make decisions on the most effective way of communicating the requirements. Some of these tools will be the following EXCEPT ______________.

Accepted Answer

A Business Analyst will use different tool to document requirements and make decisions on the most effective way of communicating the requirements. Some of these tools will be diagrams, text, and prototyping.
Key Takeaway: A Business Analyst use different tools to document requirements and communicate them to stakeholders. Diagrams, text, and prototypes are all examples of these tools. Usually, the project methodology will determine what tools will be used for requirements documentation.

Question 5

When documenting requirements, the best format choice for a given project is the one that best communicates the specific _________ of the requirement.

Accepted Answer

When documenting requirements, the best format choice for a given project is the one that best communicates the specific content of the requirement.
Key Takeaway: The best format for a requirements document is one that communicates the specific content of the requirement. In other words, the document must detail each requirement's description, application, constraints, and assumptions. Requirements that are vague or incomplete in content risk the development of appropriate solutions to the business problem.

Question 6

A team of Business Analysts are deciding on the best way to format their requirements document. They must determine what the level of ______ and type of ________ are appropriate for each type of stakeholder and create the best way to effectively communicate information.

Accepted Answer

A team of Business Analysts are deciding on the best way to format their requirements document. They must determine what the level of detail and type of language are appropriate for each type of stakeholder and create the best way to effectively communicate information.
Key Takeaway: The Level of detail and type of language used in a requirements document must be adjusted by the Business Analyst. For example, a requirements document geared towards executive sponsors and managers will tend to be high-level summaries that include financial information. Those geared towards technical stakeholders will be more detailed and contain largely technical information.

Question 7

A well-written and appropriately versioned requirements document is MORE likely to ________.

Accepted Answer

A well-written and appropriately versioned requirements document is more likely to result in the development of a viable solution.
Key Takeaway: A Business Analyst must make sure that a requirements document is well-written and versioned appropriately with continuous updates. This is more likely to result in the development of a viable solution to the business problem. It also reduces that chance that stakeholders will find the document ambiguous or confusing.

Question 8

In Business Analysis, the larger the project, the more ____________ the requirements gathered and communicated to stakeholders.

Accepted Answer

In Business Analysis, the larger the project, the more formal the requirements gathered and communicated to stakeholders.
Key Takeaway: In large projects, it is likely that there are many stakeholders from executive sponsors to employees to end-users and clients. Formal presentation of requirements to stakeholders ensures that all levels complexity and involvement is considered. Frequent, formal communication is the only way to ensure that a large project's requirements gathering can lead to the development of viable business solutions.

Question 9

Business Analysts at Accenture are trained in presenting requirements "packages" to their clients based on project types and stakeholder needs. ____________ determine(s) what components are included in the requirements package.

Accepted Answer

Business Analysts at Accenture are trained in presenting requirements "packages" to their clients based on project types and stakeholder needs. Size and scope of the project determine which components are included in the requirements package.
Key Takeaway: The size and scope of a project determine which components of the requirements gathered are included in the package. Other factors that determine these components include whether they are presented to internal stakeholders or external vendors and the actual type of project. A well-prepared requirements package will include all or a portion of the overall project requirements, such as project scope, as well as business, functional and technical requirements.

Question 10

Barnes & Noble, the national bookstore chain, commissions a team of Business Analysts to research vendors who produce inventory management systems. The Business Analysts are more likely to prepare ______________ to collect bids.

Accepted Answer

Barnes & Noble, the national bookstore chain, commissions a team of Business Analysts to research vendors who produce inventory management systems. The Business Analysts are more likely to prepare Requests for Proposal (RFP) to collect bids.
Key Takeaway: RFPs are a specialized type of requirements document whereby a company requests proposals from external vendors offering needed products and/or services. The purpose behind RFPs is to encourage competitive bidding and to uncover the latest in technology, product and service development. Once competing external vendors submit their proposals, Barnes & Noble Business Analysts can rank them according to the quality of offerings and requested prices.

Question 11

Executive sponsors are likely to judge a requirement's _____________ or its ability to return in profit what was invested in resources.

Accepted Answer

Executive sponsors are likely to judge a requirement's Return on Investment (ROI) or its ability to return in profit what was invested in resources.
Key Takeaway: A requirement's Return on Investment (ROI) is often a determining factor in whether executive sponsors will accept it or not. If a requirement shows that new software is needed by the company and yet that software would show a weak ROI, sponsors may not consider it. Similarly, if a requirement would lead to the development of solution with a potentially strong ROI, executive sponsors may accept its inclusion in the final requirements document.

Question 12

A Business Analyst will conduct presentations to stakeholders before and during requirements gathering for the following reasons EXCEPT ________________.

Accepted Answer

A Business Analyst will conduct presentations to stakeholders before and during requirements gathering to review, prioritize or to communicate status, to ensure quality or enhance clarity, and to gain stakeholder buy-in and sign off.
Key Takeaway: Business Analysts conduct initial and interim presentations to stakeholders for a number of reasons such as to review, prioritize or communicate project status. They are also conducted to ensure quality and clarity of requirements through stakeholder feedback. Finally, these presentations are done to gain stakeholder buy-in of project methodology and sign off on any decisions and budget requests.

Question 13

Robert's team of Business Analysts requests a quick update presentation on his latest interviews. This is an example of a(an) ______________ presentation.

Accepted Answer

Robert's team of Business Analysts requests a quick update presentation on his latest interviews. This is an example of an informal presentation.
Key Takeaway: Informal presentations are usually conducted within project teams or a narrow group of stakeholders. They are often short, update presentations that are designed to deal with minor issues and to help Business Analyst teams exchange valuable information collected by team members. Informal presentations are also useful in gaining information and clarification from technical and subject matter experts when collecting requirements.

Question 14

To prioritize a set of gathered technical requirements before proceeding to the solution assessment stage in the project, a team of Business Analysts arrange a ______________ presentation to all stakeholders.

Accepted Answer

To prioritize a set of gathered technical requirements before proceeding to next project the solution assessment stage in the project, a team of Business Analyst arrange a formal presentation to all stakeholders.
Key Takeaway: Formal presentations serve a number of purposes that include prioritizing requirements before the project proceeds to solution assessment stage. Often, a formal presentation will include a large segment of stakeholders if not all of them. Conducting this type of presentation allows for sign off on major decisions needed before proceeding and to address any concerns about work scope. Once requirements are prioritized, key stakeholders can decide which will be included in the requirements document and which will be removed.

Question 15

M&M's meat shop decides to conduct a formal requirements ___________. The purpose of this exercise is to verify the accuracy of the requirements

Accepted Answer

M&M's meat shop decides to conduct a formal requirements review. The purpose of this exercise is to verify the accuracy of the requirements.
Key Takeaway: A formal requirements review is designed to verify the accuracy of the requirements as well as their clarity. It is also designed to check whether the requirements reflect the business need or problem. Following a review, redundant, vague, incomplete or incorrect requirements will be removed from the document. Furthermore, such a review helps a Business Analyst to judge whether the project is within time and money scope or if it needs modification.

Question 16

A local government requests its Business Analysts to review Workers' Compensation IT infrastructure. To conduct a formal requirements review of the infrastructure, the Business Analysts must have the following EXCEPT ____________.

Accepted Answer

A local government requests its Business Analysts to review Workers' Compensation IT infrastructure. To conduct a formal requirements review of the infrastructure, the Business Analysts must have a complete requirements document, a good number of experienced reviewers, and a facilitator.
Key Takeaway: Conducting a formal requirements review necessitates that the requirements document be complete. A review also requires several experienced reviewers who would examine the document individually and then discuss it in a group. A review also requires a skilled and experienced facilitator to lead a discussion involving the reviewers.

Question 17

In a requirements review, participants' roles are the author of the document (who is the lead Business Analyst), reviewers, and a ____________ who is a person documenting all suggestions, comments, issues, and concerns.

Accepted Answer

In a requirements review, participants' roles are the author of the document (who is the lead Business Analyst), reviewers, and a recorder who is a person documenting all suggestions, comments, issues, and concerns.
Key Takeaway: During a requirements review, a recorder is important to document all suggestions, comments, issues and concerns shared by the Business Analyst, facilitator, and reviewers. The recorder prepares and submits this written account of the reviewing discussion so that input is integrated into the project's documentation. Input is also considered in the preparation of the final version of the requirements document.

Question 18

According to studies, approximately 55% of all communication is based on this form of communication:

Accepted Answer

55% of communication is nonverbal communication.
Paralingual pertains to the sound (tone and pitch) of a voice when speaking (think Fran Drescher).
Feedback is when you offer responses to a particular idea.
Active listening is a skill, in which the other party demonstrates that they are hearing what you are saying while you are speaking (for example: nods in agreement or asks a question).
Key Take Away: Often when BAs are "in the trenches" of a complex problem, we forget about the nuances of communication. It's often very easy and convenient to become dependent on e-mail. The key take away here is that we often can learn so much more from project participants by relaying on or seeking out information in person and gauging their non-verbal cues.

Question 19

Paralingual communication pertains to the way that the pitch and tone of a voice convey meaning

Accepted Answer

Paralingual communication specifically refers to the part of communication that is encoded in the pitch and tone of a voice.
Key Takeaway: Anyone who has a passive aggressive co-worker will be familiar with the idea that much of the meaning of words lies in the way you say them.
Be wary of team members who do not seem to understand this, either in their own communication style or the way that they interpret others. This can be an instant red flag for someone who needs to be managed tightly.

Question 20

Steven is a Business Analyst preparing a review session of his requirements document. To have a productive requirements review, Steven must arrange for _____________.

Accepted Answer

Steven is a Business Analyst preparing a review session of his requirements document. To have a productive requirements review session, Steven must arrange for experienced reviewers who are neutral.
Key Takeaway: For a requirements document review to be productive, a Business Analyst must arrange for experienced reviewers who are neutral to examine the document ahead of a group discussion. It is important that Steven's supervisors are not present during the review session to encourage any and all comments on the document. Furthermore, it is important to instruct reviewers that the object of review and discussion is the content of the requirements document and not the author.

Quiz 3: Requirements Communication