Improving Requirements Planning (Virtual Course)
Intelligence fulfils its function when it satisfies a specific information need. Accordingly, effective requirements planning is the cornerstone of sound intelligence. Our requirements planning course provides researchers and intelligence professionals with the skills needed to identify, prioritise, and manage intelligence requirements effectively.
The course provides a rigorous and exacting approach to requirements planning. Emphasis is given to understanding the needs and expectations of one’s customers and dealing with common challenges to the requirements planning process. The course introduces a variety of tools and methods that participants can combine to develop an approach that is uniquely theirs and applicable regardless of the scope of their projects, the size of their intelligence teams, or the character of their organisations.
The course will be delivered live over three, 3.5 hour sessions. There will be separate iterations of the course for audiences in Asia, the Americas, and Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Please select the start time (SGT, EST, or CET) that suits you best.
Course Outline
Introduction to Requirements Planning
On Intelligence Requirements
- Intelligence requirement as a need
- A typology of intelligence requirements
Understanding Requirements Planning
- What is requirements planning?
- The importance of requirements planning
- The goals and objectives of requirements planning
- Requirements planning frameworks
- Common challenges and how to address them
The Art and Science of Asking Questions
- Why does questioning matter?
- How to improve your questioning skills?
- Applying questioning to requirements planning
- Tools to automate questioning
Managing Stakeholders and Customers
On Intelligence Stakeholders
- Who is an "intelligence stakeholder"?
- Stakeholder types and characteristics
- Identifying and classifying intelligence stakeholders
- Understanding intelligence stakeholders
Stakeholder Needs Analysis
- A typology of stakeholder needs
- Gathering stakeholder needs and expectations
- Prioritising stakeholder needs
- Anticipating the evolution of stakeholder needs
Working with Requests for Information (RFIs)
- Key definitions
- Best practice guidance
- Prioritising RFIs
- Managing RFIs
Operationalising Requirements Planning
Best Practices for Requirements Planning
- Identifying, validating and prioritising intelligence requirements
- From general to specific intelligence requirements
- Working with structured frameworks and models
- Managing and documenting requirements
- Updating requirements
Beyond Requirements Planning
- From requirements to collection planning
- Building the resource base
- Understanding the work to be done
Course Details
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This course is intended for anyone looking to develop or improve a structured requirements planning process in their organisation.
HOW YOU BENEFIT
On completion of this course you will have the ability to:
- Define and develop a typology of intelligence requirements
- Identify, validate, and prioritise intelligence requirements efficiently and effectively
- Develop and implement a structured approach to requirements planning
- Manage the needs, expectations, and preferences of different stakeholders
- Address routine challenges that may affect the process of requirements planning
- Operationalise simple workflows to improve the first step in the intelligence cycle
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
- A full set of course slides
- Templates to support requirements planning
- A certificate of completion
COURSE FEE
EUR 750
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Please observe the following technical requirements:
- You will need a Windows or Mac laptop (tablet computers are not recommended)
- Install Google Chrome. You will be required to install a range of browser extensions, so it is important that you have administrative rights to your laptop
- Install Microsoft Office
- Install Zoom
- Set up a Google account to facilitate the use of online tools
- A second monitor is recommended but not essential
Additional software requirements will be sent prior to the start of the course.
