In Part 2 of this course, you learned about analyzing a project to prepare a client brief.
In Chapter 1, you learned what makes an effective client brief:
The client brief is the most important piece of information on which you and your client will agree.
A client brief is brief. It’s designed for a specific purpose, no more and no less.
An effective brief states crystal clear objectives.
A brief’s objectives define its success criteria.
A client brief can almost write itself when you ask the right questions.
In Chapter 2, your learned how to identify and extract business requirements using multiple information gathering techniques. You learned that:
Some common methods for gathering requirements include: a business requirements brief,client/stakeholder interviews, and real-time observation.
The two most important questions for gathering requirements are also headings in the client brief: Where are we now? and Where do we want to be?
Requirements can be classified as functional or non-functional.
Functional requirements describe what a system should do, while non-functional requirements describe how a system works.
In Chapter 3, you learned about project constraints, what they are, and how they affect project development. You learned that:
Constraints limit or restrict your options.
The most common types of constraints are those that limit the time, resources, or budget.
Constraints, like requirements, must be clearly documented; otherwise, they leave gaping holes in the project that can lead to catastrophic failure to deliver.
Effectively documenting constraints helps you devise a strategy for managing and working within those constraints throughout the project life cycle.
In Chapter 4, you learned about the importance of having a stakeholder management plan, or SMP. You learned that:
The SMP is a separate document not necessarily related to the client brief, but essential to the beginning of any project.
Managing stakeholders means getting to know them so you can effectively optimize your communications with them.
A good SMP can help you prioritize certain requirements over others when necessary, leading to greater stakeholder satisfaction.
Stakeholder insights can help shape your project and is often critical in project success.
