Functional specifications are a type of requirements documentation that describes what the system or product should do in terms of functions, features, behaviors, inputs, outputs, etc. Functional specifications can help the business analyst to document the requirements in a way that is clearly understood by the development team and provides enough information to check if the requi rement has been met. Functional specifications can also include acceptance criteria, test cases, data models, user interface designs, etc.  References : = PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline (2019), page 10; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide (2015), page 39.

 A weighted- ranking matrix is a technique that involves assigning scores and weights to different criteria and options to compare and prioritize them. A weighted-ranking matrix can help the business analyst to prepare the recommendation by quantifying and ranking the three different solution options based on their alignment with the business objectives, benefits, costs, risks, and other factors. A weighted-ranking matrix can also help to justify and communicate the recommendation with evidence and transparency.  Referen ces : = PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline (2019), page 11; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide (2015), page 66.

 Interviewing is a technique to elicit information, opinions, or feedbac k from stakeholders by asking them questions and listening to their responses. Interviewing can be used to clarify or validate requirements, resolve conflicts or misunderstandings, build rapport and trust, and explore complex or sensitive issues. A good ti me to consider using the interviewing method is when there are communication challenges among stakeholders, such as different perspectives, expectations, or interests. Interviewing can help to overcome these challenges by providing a direct and personal co mmunication channel, allowing the interviewer to tailor the questions and responses to each stakeholder, and facilitating a deeper understanding of the stakeholder’s needs and concerns. The other options are not good times to consider using the interviewin g method. Attempting to obtain sign-off on requirements from stakeholders is not an elicitation activity, but a validation activity that requires formal documentation and approval. There is not enough time to gather requirements from many different sources is a constraint that limits the use of interviewing, as it is a time-consuming and resource-intensive technique that can only involve a few stakeholders at a time. Assembling a requirements traceability matrix is not an elicitation activity, but an analys is activity that involves linking the requirements to their sources and deliverables using a tool or document.  References : PMI-PBA® Examination Content Outline, page 10; PMI-PBA® Reference List, page 1, BABOK® Guide v3, page 50.

Requirements baseline is the approved version of the requirements document that serves as a reference point for further changes. Requirements can be changed after they are baselined through a defined process that involves submitting a change request, analyzing the impact of the change, obtaining approval from the stakeholders, updating the requirements document, and communicating the change to the project team and other affected parties. Requirements can be changed at any stage of the project life cycle as long as they follow the defined process.  Referenc es : = PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline (2019), page 10; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide (2015), page 40.

A requirements traceability matrix (RTM) is a tool that helps to track the relationship between the requirements and the pr oduct features, test cases, and other artifacts. It can be used to ensure that all requirements have been met by verifying that each requirement has a corresponding feature, test case, and acceptance criterion. A RTM can also help to identify the risks ass ociated with dependent requirements, but that is not its primary purpose. A RTM does not define a convention to map the requirements to their sources, but rather uses an existing convention or standard.  A RTM does not address the responsibili ty owner for each requirement, but rather show s the status and priority of each requirement.  References : PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline 1 , PMI Guide to Business Analysis 2 , Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide

Tracing requirements is a technique that involves tracking the origin, dependencies, allocation, and status of each requirement throughout the project life cycle. Tracing requirements can help the business analyst to determine this issue before delivery by ensuring that each project objective is linked to one or more requirements, and that each requirement is verified and validated against the project objectives. Tracing requirements can also help to identify any missing, redundant, or conflicting requirements.  References : = PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-P BA)® Examination Content Outline (2019), page 10; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide (2015), page 40.

Requirements management is a method for requirements change control. Requirements management is a process that involves planning, monitoring, and controlling the requirements and the solu tion throughout the project lifecycle. Requirements management can help the business analyst to ensure that the requirements are clear, complete, correct, and consistent, and that they align with the business needs and objectives. Requirements management c an also help to handle changes to the requirements and the solution, and to communicate the impact and implications of the changes to the stakeholders.  Requirements management can be done usin g various tools and techniques, such as a requirements management plan, a requirements traceability matrix, a change control system, and a configuration management system 5 2 .  References : PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline 3 , page 24; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide 4 , page 133.

 A requirements traceability matrix is a to ol that shows the relationship between each requirement and other project elements, such as objectives, deliverables, test cases, design components, etc. A requirements traceability matrix can help the business analyst to determine the impact for the speci fic requirement change by showing how the change affects other related requirements and project elements. A requirements traceability matrix can also help to assess the feasibility, scope, value, and risk of the change request.  References : = PMI Profession al in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline (2019), page 10; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide (2015), page 40.

 A requirements specification is a document that describes the customer’s needs for a product an d includes a functional model, a data model, and a glossary of terms. A standard operating manual is a document that provides instructions on how to use a product or service. A business case is a document that justifies the initiation of a project or inves tment based on its expected benefits and costs. A project charter is a document that authorizes the start of a project and defines its scope, objectives, and stakeholders.  References : = PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline (2019), page 8; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide (2015), page 36.

 A use case is a technique that describes how an actor interacts with a system to achieve a goal or perform a task. A use case consists of a main scenario and possible alternative scenarios that capture the normal, exceptional, and error flows of events. A use case can be used as a source for building tests of end-to-end business processes across business functions and systems, as it provides a comprehensive and realistic view of the expected behavior and outcomes of the solution.  A use c ase can also help to verify and validate the functional requirements and acceptance criteria of the solution.  References : PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline 1 , pag e 20; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide 2 , page 99.