Requirements reflect the needs and expectations of the stakeholders and indicate what you need to cover in your project. Therefore, it is important to find out what the stakeholders want and translate this into requirements. You can do this by simply asking them about it, but you can also organize interviews, surveys or brainstorming sessions. Besides talking to stakeholders, you might also find a description of requirements in documents like a project charter or a quotation. Below is a simplified requirements template. For more complex projects you may want to leverage a requirements traceability matrix where requirements will directly align with your WBS and other supporting project documents.

Requirements Template

The Requirements Management Plan is a necessary tool for establishing how requirements will be collected, analyzed, documented and managed throughout the lifecycle of a project. I do want to point out that in the PMBOK 6th Edition there is no such plan as Requirement Management Plan, but I have found this helpful when working on large and complex projects.

Here’s an analogy to illustrate the role of a Project Manager vs Developer:

Imagine a recipe.

• The project manager is like the author of the recipe, outlining the ingredients and steps in a general way.
• Developers are like chefs who follow the recipe, but they may also add their own personal touches or adjustments based on their experience and the available ingredients.

Ultimately, both the project manager and developers play crucial roles in the project’s success. The project manager ensures the project stays on track and meets its objectives, while developers bring the technical expertise to life and deliver the final product.

Requirement Management Plan