Often business analysts will facilitate a requirements meeting with many business persons instead of interviewing each business person individually. These types of meeting can be very productive but sometimes problems do occur. The requirements meeting should be evaluated early if not constantly during elicitation for timely performance feedback. During these meetings, the business analyst(s) can play the role of facilitator, documenter or as an analyst knowledgeable of the business process or data requirements. It is important that some form of measurement take place to evaluate how the requirement meeting is progressing by obtaining continuous feedback from the participants.We often see examples of Tuckman's Stages of Group Development Model (Forming - Storming - Norming - Performing - Adjourning/Mourning), not only at the beginning of a project, but also within each set of requirements meetings. The business analyst must be aware of this team performance model especially when the storming phase is reached and problems within the group begin to occur. As the team addresses issues such as the specific problems they are supposed to solve, how the participants will function independently and yet work together, and what appropriate leadership model will be acceptable. Team members need to feel comfortable opening up to each other and challenge each other's ideas and perspectives. In some cases, with the appropriate planning and awareness, the storming stage can be handled quickly and transitioned to norming. The best time to evaluate the requirements meeting and gain feedback is during the storming stage so the team can become aware and overcome the problems and start to norm and move to a higher performance level.
Feedback
The feedback gathered must be provided not only to the business analyst, but also the participants involved. This allows for the requirements meeting process to be improved on a continual basis and adjusted to satisfy the needs of the team. The evaluation can be done verbally and/or in written form at the end of the requirements meeting or at the beginning of the next requirements meeting.
Frequency of the Evaluations
The business analyst/facilitator should determine ahead of time how often to evaluate the requirements meeting. This can be planned to be done during every requirements meeting, every other requirements meeting or every four requirements meetings and definitely a final evaluation at the conclusion of the last meeting. You don't have to evaluate every requirements meeting unless you feel it is necessary especially during the performing stage. The frequency can be adjusted as the meetings progress. Some people wait until the last requirements meeting to evaluate it only to find out that something could have been done previously to improve the requirements meeting.
Advantages of an Evaluation
A major advantage of evaluation is that it allows team members to express their concerns about the requirements meeting. If team members feel that they have a vehicle in which to voice their feeling about the requirements meeting they will feel more involved and as a result have a more positive opinion of the entire requirements meeting process.
The comments or suggestions that people make can be used to improve the requirements meeting. Even though some of the comments or suggestions are of little value, most participants appreciate a forum to express their opinions and suggestions on the requirements meeting process.
Requirements Meeting Evaluation Form
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Requirements Meeting Evaluation Form |
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| Facilitator | |
| Able to keep the group on track and on time? | Yes No |
| Talked too much? | Yes No |
| Handles disrupted behavior? | Yes No |
| Brought the group to closure effectively? | Yes No |
| Involved all participants? | Yes No |
| Business Analyst(s) | |
| Defined the role to the group? | Yes No |
| Captured group memory effectively? | Yes No |
| Produced resulting documents timely? | Yes No |
| Slow down or inhibit requirements meeting? | Yes No |
| Supported the facilitator? | Yes No |
| Facilitated corrections without getting defensive? | |
| Team | |
| Were the right people involved? | Yes No |
| Was the size of team appropriate? | Yes No |
| Were the roles clearly differentiated? | Yes No |
| Room | |
| Was the meeting room appropriate? | Yes No |
| Was the arrangement of tables and chairs? | Yes No |
| Was the room equipment appropriate? | Yes No |
| Was the temperature of room comfortable? | Yes No |
| Agenda | |
| Was an agenda used and followed? | Yes No |
| Were there too many items scheduled for the meeting? | Yes No |
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