How do you handle requirements that are out of scope or beyond the available resources?
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One of the first steps to avoid scope creep or unrealistic expectations is to define the scope of your project clearly and explicitly. This means documenting the goals, objectives, deliverables, assumptions, constraints, and acceptance criteria of your project in a scope statement or a project charter. You should also identify the key stakeholders, roles, and responsibilities, as well as the communication and change management processes. By having a clear and agreed-upon scope, you can establish a baseline for measuring and controlling your project, and avoid ambiguity or confusion.
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A brass tacks approach to keep stakeholders focused is to keep a halved sheet of paper handy with the in-scope epics on the left side. Leave the out-of-scope (right-)side blank. Write their out-of-scope item there. Then ask "Which in-scope epic [they] are willing to slide right? Realizing the delivery dates will slide with it?" Defining and documenting in-scope deliverables is not confined to paper or an MS Word document. Meeting minutes, Team whiteboards, slides, and Jira epics are all fair game. Bombard stakeholders with their priorities and previous decisions. Show them how their impulsive decision can and most likely will hesitate - in the best case - or derail - in the worst - the momentum towards existing goals and priorities.
Another important step is to validate the requirements that you gather from your stakeholders. This means ensuring that the requirements are clear, consistent, complete, feasible, testable, and aligned with the project scope and objectives. You can use various techniques to validate the requirements, such as interviews, workshops, surveys, prototyping, or peer reviews. You should also prioritize the requirements based on their value, urgency, and dependency, and categorize them into must-haves, should-haves, could-haves, and won't-haves. By validating the requirements, you can avoid unnecessary or redundant features, and focus on the ones that matter most.
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Identify early from business requirements the clear set of underlying data flows , dependencies and data quality that will help give a fair bit of idea the complexities involved. In general business stakeholders don't really have an understanding of data lineage and complex systems in the value chain . The FO system that is actually responsible to solve the Consent Order related deliverable/ requirement is never discovered which ultimately leads to poor planning and execution with focus being the last mile delivery
Effective communication is essential for managing out-of-scope or unrealistic requirements. You should communicate regularly and transparently with your stakeholders, and keep them informed of the project status, progress, risks, and issues. You should also listen to their feedback, concerns, and expectations, and address them promptly and respectfully. If you encounter a requirement that is out of scope or beyond the available resources, you should explain the impact and implications of adding or changing it, and propose alternative solutions or trade-offs. You should also document any changes or decisions in a change log or a change request form, and get approval from the appropriate authority.
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When the requirements will be too much of a lift technically given the timeline or available resources, your ability to explain what’s entailed technically to non-technical stakeholders will be key. I’ve found it’s best to be detailed and thorough in these explanations rather than talking down to people. Even if they don’t understand the nitty gritty details, people will generally get the gist and appreciate your transparency and leveling with them.
Sometimes, you may need to negotiate and compromise with your stakeholders to handle out-of-scope or unrealistic requirements. Negotiation is a process of finding a mutually acceptable solution that meets the needs and interests of both parties. Compromise is a way of making concessions or adjustments to reach an agreement. You should approach negotiation and compromise with a positive and collaborative attitude, and focus on the benefits and value of the project, rather than the costs or limitations. You should also be flexible and creative, and look for win-win scenarios that satisfy both sides.
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Remind the stakeholders of the pain points that the current project is trying to solve. Also have a clearly defined project program and roadmap with visuals showing "we are here" and "we want to get there." Finally, asking them how their requested ask gets us all closer to the future state than the current project plan is a great way to get them to defend their stance.
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- Be transparent and set clear expectations by outlining what we can and cannot be handled within the current project scope. - Seek Win-Win solutions by suggesting alternatives that could be integrated into the original requirements and contribute positively to the project. - Provide a full picture of how the new they might impact the project from other various aspects; e.g. The project's delivery timeline, users adoption, etc. Additionally, discuss the potential of handling the requirements in later phases or releases. - Keeping decision-makers informed about the progress, challenges, and decisions related to these new requirements is crucial for managing expectations and building trust.
Finally, you should manage the expectations of your stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. This means setting realistic and achievable goals, deliverables, and deadlines, and communicating them clearly and consistently. You should also monitor and control the project performance, quality, and scope, and report any deviations or variances. You should also acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and successes of your project team and stakeholders, and solicit feedback and lessons learned. By managing expectations, you can build trust and confidence, and ensure the satisfaction and acceptance of your project outcomes.
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Assumptions: If assumptions need to be made to accommodate the requirement, ensure they are clearly documented. Assumptions should be realistic, agreed upon by the stakeholders, and considered temporary measures until a more appropriate solution can be implemented.
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