The business analyst should follow the chang e control process to handle the new regulatory mandate that affects the project. The change control process is a set of procedures that defines how changes to the requirements or the project scope are identified, analyzed, approved, and implemented. The ch ange control process helps to ensure that changes are aligned with the business need, the project objectives, and the stakeholder expectations.  References : PMI Guide to Business Analysis, Chapter 9, Section 9.4.1; PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI -PBA)® Examination Content Outline, Domain IV: Traceability and Monitoring, Task 2.

 The business analyst should conduct a stakeholder analysis and balance requirements by understanding the relative power associated with each stakeholde r group. This action will help the business analyst to identify and prioritize the needs and expectations of different stakeholders, and to manage any conflicts or trade-offs among them.  The business analyst should also con sider the alignment of the requirements with the project objectives and the business value.  References : PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline 1 , page 9; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide 2 , page 38.

 Accor ding to the PMI Guide to Business Analysis, planning the requirements change process involves defining how requirement changes will be identified, analyzed, approved, and communicated throughout the project life cycle. Communication is a key aspect of mana ging requirement changes, as it ensures that all stakeholders are aware of the status, impact, and rationale of the changes, and that they can provide their feedback and input. How requirement changes will impact the requirements baseline, how they will be implemented, and how they will impact the validation plan are all important considerations, but they are not part of planning the requirements change process. They are part of executing, monitoring, and controlling the requirements change process.  Referen ces : PMI Guide to Business Analysis, page 286-287.

One of the main purposes for creating a requirements traceability matrix is to track how requirements can be connected to the solution. A requirements traceability matrix is a tool that links the requirements to the project scope, objectives, deliverables, and test cases. A requirements traceability matrix can help the business analyst to track the origin, allocation, dependencies, and status of the req uirements throughout the project lifecycle, and to ensure that the solution meets the requirements and the stakeholder expectations. A requirements traceability matrix can also help to manage changes, resolve issues, and measure the quality and performance of the solution.  A requirements traceability matrix can be created using various formats, such as a table, a spreadsheet, or a database 1 2 .  References : PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Ex amination Content Outline 3 , page 18; Business Analysis for Practi tioners: A Practice Guide 4 , page 92.

 The project life cycle is a key factor that drives the selection of business analyst activities to be included in the project. The project life cycle is the sequence of phases or stages that the project goes through from initiation to closure. The pr oject life cycle can be selected based on various factors, such as the nature, complexity, size, and uncertainty of the project, the stakeholder preferences, the organizational culture, and the industry standards. The project life cycle can influence the a pproach that the business analyst and the project team use to plan, execute, monitor, and control the project, and to deliver the product or service.  The project life cycle can also affect the type, level, and timing of the business analysis activities, such as elicitation, analysis, documentation, validation, and management of the requirements.  References : PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline 1 , page 15; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide 2 , page 84.

A review of the solution prototype would be the most viab le technique to use in this scenario for validating requirements through in-person sessions. A solution prototype is a simplified version of part or all of a solution that can be used to elicit feedback from stakeholders. A review of a solution prototype i nvolves presenting or demonstrating it to stakeholders and asking them questions to assess their satisfaction, understanding, agreement, or concerns. A review of a solution prototype can help to validate that the solution meets the stakeholder requirements and delivers value to them. A brainstorming session is a technique for generating ideas or solutions by encouraging free and creative thinking from participants. A brainstorming session can help to elicit or analyze requirements but not validate them. A u se-case development session is a technique for creating use cases that describe how actors interact with a system to achieve their goals. A use-case development session can help to elicit or specify requirements but not validate them. A review of the previ ous version is a technique for examining an existing solution or product to identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats.  A review of the previous version can help t o elicit or analyze requirements but not validate them.  References : PMI Professional in Business Analysis (P MI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline 1 , page 13; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide 2 , page 76.

 The business analyst should determine if the defect is in the solution developed, in the original requirement, or in the test case. This criterion will help the business analyst to identify the root cause of the defect, and to decide the appropriate response to the defective test result. Depe nding on the source of the defect, the business analyst may need to revise the requirement, update the test case, or request a change to the solution.  The business analyst should also communicate the defect and the response to the relevant stakeholders, and document the discrepancy report accordingly.  Referen ces : PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PB A)® Examination Content Outline 1 , page 25; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide 2 , page 140.

According to the PMI Guide to Business Analysis, the business analyst’s role during acceptan ce testing is to ensure that the solution meets the requirements and expectations of the stakeholders, and that it delivers the intended business value. One of the ways to do this is to assist the quality assurance department by defining acceptance criteri a, which are measurable and observable conditions that must be met for the solution to be accepted by the stakeholders. Acceptance criteria help to verify and validate that the solution meets the requirements and conforms to the quality standards. Executin g all acceptance tests on behalf of the user community, delegating execution of acceptance testing and defect identification to users, or acting as a resource only when users encounter difficulties while performing tests are not effective strategies for th e business analyst’s role during acceptance testing, as they do not ensure the involvement and satisfaction of the stakeholders, or the alignment of the solution with the business needs and objectives.  References : PMI Guide to Business Analysis, page 316-3 17.

 A matrix is a tool that can be used to record, organize, and track the requirements throughout the lifec ycle of the project. A matrix can help the business analyst to identify the sources, dependencies, relationships, and attributes of the requirements, as well as to monitor their status, changes, and traceability. A matrix can also facilitate the communicat ion, verification, and validation of the requirements with the stakeholders, and ensure their alignment with the business needs and objectives. A matrix can be updated and reviewed regularly to reflect the current state of the requirements and the solution , and to obtain the approval and acceptance from the stakeholders.  A common example of a matrix is the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM), which is a tool that links the requirements to the project scope, objectives, deliverables, and test cases 1 2 .  References : PMI Professional in Busine ss Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline 3 , page 18; Busi ness Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide 4 , page 92.

Req uirements baseline is a document that contains the approved version of the requirements that serves as a reference point for further changes. Requirements baseline can help the business analyst to address the issue of underestimating the required budget an d schedule by defining the scope, value, quality, risk, and feasibility of each requirement. Requirements baseline can also help to negotiate the scope in the contract with the customer by showing how each requirement aligns with their needs and expectatio ns, and proposing possible trade-offs or alternatives.  References : = PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline (2019), page 10; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide (2015), page 40.