Some Other Requirements-Gathering Techniques

So far in this chapter, we have described a variety of requirements-discovery techniques that we have found useful and successful over the years. Other techniques are less well known, and many more are being developed. We do not want to make this chapter overly long, nor do we want to dump dozens of techniques on you. However, some of the other options contain ideas you might find interesting.

Family therapists do not set out to make people agree. Instead, they aim to make it possible for people to hear and get an understanding of other individuals' positions.

Family Therapy

Family therapists do not set out to make people agree. Instead, they aim to make it possible for people to hear and get an understanding of other individuals' positions, even if they do not agree with them. In other words, you should not expect every stakeholder to agree, but you should help them to accept that disagreements, conflicts, and the need for choices and compromises will always arise. Early in the project identify which mechanisms you will use to deal with these situations when they inevitably occur.

Satir, V., J. Banmen, J. Gerber, and M. Gomori. The Satir Model, Family Therapy and Beyond. Science and Behavior Books, 1991.

The field of family therapy is a rich source of ideas about how to work effectively with a diverse group of peoplesuch as stakeholders in a requirements-trawling process. We use ideas from family therapy as a way of helping us to listen to stakeholders and of providing a feedback loop to help avoid misinterpretations.

Soft Systems and Viewpoints

Peter Checkland developed a systems thinking approach called soft systems. It provides techniques for observing and modeling the world for the purpose of understanding and tackling real-world problems.

Checkland, Peter, and Jim Scholes. Soft Systems Methodology in Action. John Wiley, 1999.

The systems thinker can look at an aspect of the world from a number of different viewpoints. When you use viewpoints, you have a better chance of discovering the requirements. Some viewpoints that are particularly useful are listed here:

• How it is: the view of the world you are trying to understand

• What it is: the view of the meaning or the essence behind how things are done

• What it will be: the view of how things will work in the future, or the product you plan to build