How do you help stakeholders prioritise requirements?
What the interviewer wants to hear
- Link requirements to business objectives
- Use techniques like MoSCoW or value vs effort
- Involve the right decision makers
- Consider regulatory, risk and dependencies
- Document and revisit priorities
Model answer
I start by linking every requirement to a business objective, because that gives a fair basis for comparing them. Then I use a simple technique like MoSCoW or a value versus effort matrix in a workshop with the key stakeholders and the product owner. I bring the data I have, such as how many users are affected or how much time a change saves, and I get effort estimates from the team. Regulatory or legal requirements come first, and I also check dependencies, because some items must come before others. When everyone marks things as must have, I ask what would happen if this was not in the first release, which usually reveals the real essentials. Finally I document the agreed priorities and revisit them when things change.
Can you answer it under time pressure?
Take a timed medium round and get scored on every answer.
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