Elicitation & Collaboration

Assignment $1$: Case Study

Cynthia was assigned the task of eliciting business requirements for the senior management team of a firm. She was looking forward to facilitating several focus group sessions that targeted the definition of and the agreement to the proposed business requirements for developing a new Enterprise Resource Planning system. Cynthia believed this was going to be an interesting and rewarding consulting assignment, and she was right.

The initial focus group session kicked off mid$-$morning on Tuesday. Cynthia, in her role as moderator, arrived early to make sure the room was arranged correctly and that all required materials were available to share with the attendees. She made certain that the room was arranged in the traditional U$-$shape that many facilitators prefer. This arrangement would allow Cynthia to facilitate effectively by walking the inside of the tables to make points, clarify issues, and minimize any conflicts.

This group was a heterogeneous set of stakeholders from the numerous operating units at the firm. The discussion guide for this session focused on the high$-$level business drivers justifying the project and the big$-$picture capabilities that would be required. Everyone arrived pretty much on time, dressed for success. The coffee was poured into lovely ceramic mugs with the firm logo on them, breakfast treats were selected, introductions were made, and the focus group was off and running.

About an hour into the session, it became apparent to Cynthia $($and everyone else in the room$)$ that two of the stakeholders had conflicting opinions about the definition of the new system capabilities. They were sitting right across the table from one another, voices were rising, and the conflict began to escalate. Ever the well$-$trained facilitator, Cynthia walked briskly down the tables to physically stand between them and shut down their conflict.

Just as Cynthia stepped between them, one of the angry stakeholders threw his coffee cup across the table right at the other fellow. Alas, that coffee cup never got to the other fellow$$it hit Cynthia in the face. The room went very still as the cup fell to the floor. Cynthia knelt, picked up the cup, and stood back up$.$

"Well," she said, "Let's get on with things, shall we$?"$

She then moved on to the next topic in her discussion guide.

Funny thing, there were no more conflicts in that focus group. Even funnier, there were no conflicts in the sessions that followed. The business requirements for the project were defined and agreed upon, and the project was off and running. After she got back home, Cynthia found herself wondering if it was her strong facilitation skills that made those focus groups go so very well, or if it was her black eye that got everyone's undivided attention during the rest of the week.

Case Study Questions

In a Word document, not exceeding four pages and following APA formatting, complete the assignment according to the following instructions.

List $3$ errors you noted in the approach taken by the BA$.$

Provide $3$ suggestions on what she could have done better.

State $2$ lessons learned from this scenario that apply to you personally.

Explain in detail $2$ advantages and $2$ limitations of the elicitation technique used by the BA$.$

Provide personal examples and references to the BABOK or course materials, where needed, to justify your arguments.

Grading

Case Study Evaluation

$3$ Points

$2$ Points

$1$ Point

List $3$ errors you noted.

Student identifies $3$ errors in the approach taken by the BA$.$ Student identifies $2$ errors in the approach taken by the BA$.$ Student identifies $1$ error in the approach taken by the BA$.$

Provide $3$ suggestions on what she could have done better.

Student identifies $3$ possible alternative things the BA could have done to resolve $($or prevent$)$ the situation. Student identifies $2$ possible alternative things the BA could have done to resolve $($or prevent$)$ the situation. Student identifies $1$ possible alternative thing the BA could have done to resolve $($or prevent$)$ the situation.

Explain in detail two advantages and limitations of the elicitation technique used.

Student identifies $2$ advantages and $2$ limitations of the elicitation techniques used by the BA in the case. Student identifies $1-2$ advantages and $1-2$ limitations of the elicitation techniques used $($total of $3$ arguments made$)$ by the BA in the case. Student identifies $1-2$ advantages and $1-2$ limitations of the elicitation techniques used $($total of $2$ arguments made$)$ by the BA in the case.

Assignment includes appropriate examples and references.

Student uses $3$ or more personal examples or references to the BABOK or course materials, providing rationale for both of the arguments. Student uses $2$ or less personal examples or references to the BABOK or course materials, providing rationale for both of the arguments.

State $2$ lessons learned from this scenario.

Student identifies