Choosing the right elicitation technique
Which elicitation technique fits which scenario signal (scale, a gap between what people say and do, a need for agreement, sensitive or single-source knowledge, group dynamics, idea generation, people who cannot describe what they want), how to prepare and run a workshop, and what the conduct and confirm stages involve.
Given a scenario, choose the most effective technique for eliciting business needs from stakeholders.
~8 min read · 20 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Name the recognized elicitation techniques and reject non-techniques such as regression testing or release management.
- Read the scenario signal (scale, say-versus-do gap, need for agreement, single expert, power dynamics, idea generation, inability to articulate needs) and pick the technique, or combination, that fits.
- Prepare and run a requirements workshop: an agenda in advance, roles such as a note-taker, individual input before group discussion, a parking lot.
- Distinguish the conduct and confirm stages of elicitation and what belongs in each.
Key terms: elicitation (drawing forth information from stakeholders or other sources); behavioral vs attitudinal methods (what people do vs what they say); contextual inquiry (observing people in their own work environment); focus group (a moderated group discussion); Hawthorne effect (people behave differently when watched, more so across a power gap).
Key facts
- Detail
- Brainstorming, document analysis, focus groups, interface analysis, interviews, observation, process modeling, prototyping, requirements workshops, surveys
- Detail
- Determine project needs first, then one or more methods
- Detail
- Cast a wide net to collect many responses
- Detail
- What people do vs what people say
- Detail
- Reveals how people work, pain points and workarounds that interviews miss
- Detail
- Stronger when there is a power difference
- Detail
- Build consensus; easier sign-off than questionnaires or interviews
- Detail
- Suspend disbelief; don't shoot down bold ideas
- Detail
- Validate that requirements match the problem and stakeholders' intentions
Sources for this section (5)
- Explore Techniques for Information Discoverytrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Define Your Research Plantrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Collect Your Datatrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- See Business Process Mapping in Practicetrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Ideate in Teamstrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Which technique fits when supervisors describe a process that error reports contradict?
- When is a requirements workshop better than more interviews?
- Why should brainstorming defer evaluation?
- What happens in the confirm stage of elicitation?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
Keep reading with the Business Analyst pack
- Core concepts
- Exam traps
- Worked scenario
The pack includes:
- All 22 lessons of the Business Analyst guide, with reading progress
- Interactive decision walks and step-by-step sequence steppers
- Inline practice questions and one-click topic practice (20 questions for this lesson)
- An official source cited for every claim
- An AI tutor that answers from the guide
- Unlimited timed practice exams