Better Project Requirements

J. LeRoy is ExecVP, International Institute for Learning.

  Requirements Management   ProjectsAtWork  

It will almost always cost more to fix a requirements problem during the execution phase than if the same problem was discovered in the planning phase. And the root cause of these problems is usually people-oriented. Here are four key best practices for writing better project requirements.

“We never have enough time to do it right, but we always have enough time to do it over.” Does this often quoted remark summarize projects that you’ve managed? Poor project requirements not only “cost” time and money, but also, they can cost you your job! Study after study shows that it can cost 1,000 times more to fix a requirements problem during the execution phase (or worse, after the project has been delivered), than if that same problem was discovered in the planning phase. 

Is there anything that can be done to mitigate the problem? Must we be forever resigned to the fact that poor project requirements are just a part of life and the cost of doing business? I not only say “No,” but “Heck No!”

Best practice #1: Teaming for Success

How we form our teams can make or break a project. Every project manager needs to ask the following three questions:

1. Do we have the right people?
2. Are they in the right roles?
3. Is everyone clear as to their responsibilities? 

I advocate the use of an …

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