TOGAF 10 Foundation: ADM Requirements Management Process - Complete Guide

Requirements Management Process in TOGAF 10 ADM

Why Requirements Management is Important

Requirements Management is critical in enterprise architecture because it ensures that:

• Alignment is maintained between business objectives and architectural decisions throughout the ADM cycle
• Stakeholder expectations are captured, tracked, and addressed continuously
• Changes are controlled in a structured manner to prevent scope creep and unmanaged evolution
• Traceability is preserved from initial business drivers through to implementation and governance
• Quality and completeness of architecture outputs are ensured by validating against requirements
• Risk is minimized by identifying conflicting or unmet requirements early in the process

What is the Requirements Management Process?

The Requirements Management Process in TOGAF 10 ADM is a continuous, parallel activity that operates throughout all ADM phases rather than being a single discrete phase. It is responsible for:

• Identifying and documenting requirements from business and stakeholders
• Analyzing requirements for completeness, consistency, and feasibility
• Managing the baseline of agreed requirements
• Managing changes to requirements through a formal change process
• Validating that architecture and implementation satisfy requirements
• Ensuring traceability between requirements and architecture artifacts

Key characteristics:

• Continuous activity: Operates parallel to all ADM phases
• Cyclical process: Requirements are identified, analyzed, validated, and managed iteratively
• Governance-focused: Ensures requirements changes are properly approved and tracked
• Traceability-driven: Maintains clear linkage between requirements and architectural decisions

How the Requirements Management Process Works

Phase 1: Requirements Identification

This is where requirements are discovered and documented:

• Conduct workshops with stakeholders to identify business drivers and requirements
• Document requirements from multiple sources: business strategy, compliance needs, technology constraints, stakeholder input
• Categorize requirements: functional, non-functional, technical, business, compliance
• Create a requirements repository or database for storage and tracking
• Assign ownership and priority to each requirement

Phase 2: Requirements Analysis and Classification

• Assess each requirement for clarity, completeness, and feasibility
• Identify dependencies and relationships between requirements
• Determine which requirements are architectural (affect the architecture) versus operational
• Prioritize requirements based on business value and strategic importance
• Identify potential conflicts or inconsistencies between requirements
• Validate that requirements are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound

Phase 3: Requirements Baseline Establishment

• Obtain formal agreement and sign-off on the set of requirements from stakeholders
• Create a requirements baseline that serves as the reference point for the architecture
• Document the baseline version with date, approvals, and version control
• This baseline becomes the foundation against which all architecture work is validated

Phase 4: Requirements Validation Against Architecture

• As architecture artifacts are developed in each ADM phase, validate them against the requirements baseline
• Ensure that the proposed architecture addresses all identified requirements
• Identify any gaps where requirements are not met by the architecture
• Document rationale for any requirements that cannot be met
• Perform traceability analysis to confirm all requirements are addressed

Phase 5: Requirements Change Management

• Establish a formal change control process for requirement modifications
• Any proposed change to requirements must go through this process
• Document the change request with rationale, impact analysis, and proposed solution
• Evaluate impact on the current architecture baseline
• Obtain appropriate approvals based on change severity
• Update the requirements baseline and related architecture artifacts
• Communicate changes to all affected stakeholders

Phase 6: Requirements Management and Communication

• Maintain the requirements repository with current status of all requirements
• Track which requirements have been addressed in architecture versus implementation
• Provide regular status reporting to stakeholders on requirements progress
• Manage stakeholder communications regarding requirement decisions
• Escalate conflicts or issues that cannot be resolved at the working level

Key Concepts in Requirements Management

Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)

A tool that documents the linkage between:

• Business drivers to requirements
• Requirements to architecture components
• Architecture components to implementation
• Requirements to test cases for validation

Requirements Baseline

The formally agreed and approved set of requirements that serves as the reference for architecture development. Any changes to the baseline must be formally controlled.

Change Control Process

The formal mechanism for managing modifications to the requirements baseline, ensuring:

• Changes are documented and justified
• Impact analysis is performed
• Appropriate stakeholders approve changes
• Configuration management is maintained

Requirements Attributes

Each requirement should have attributes that help manage it effectively:

• Unique identifier (REQ-001, etc.)
• Description of the requirement
• Category (functional, non-functional, business, technical)
• Priority or importance level
• Owner or responsible party
• Status (proposed, approved, implemented, verified)
• Version and date
• Related architecture artifacts

Requirements Management in ADM Phases

Preliminary Phase: Define the requirements management process and tools; establish governance framework

Phase A (Architecture Vision): Identify high-level business requirements and stakeholder needs; establish initial requirements baseline

Phase B-D (Architecture Development): Validate detailed requirements against business, information systems, and technology architecture; identify and resolve gaps

Phase E (Opportunities and Solutions): Ensure solution proposals address all requirements; manage trade-offs

Phase F (Migration Planning): Track requirements through implementation roadmap; ensure migration initiatives address requirements

Phase G (Implementation Governance): Validate that implementations meet requirements; manage requirement changes during implementation

Phase H (Architecture Change Management): Manage requirements changes for the next cycle of architecture development

How to Answer Exam Questions on Requirements Management Process

Question Type 1: Definition and Purpose

Example: "What is the primary purpose of the Requirements Management Process in TOGAF ADM?"

How to answer:

• State that it is a continuous, parallel activity throughout all ADM phases
• Emphasize that it manages requirements from identification through validation
• Mention that it ensures alignment between business objectives and architecture
• Include that it controls changes to requirements through formal processes
• Highlight the importance of traceability and stakeholder management

Key points to include: continuous, parallel, identification, analysis, baseline, validation, change control, traceability

Question Type 2: Process Steps

Example: "Which of the following is NOT a step in the Requirements Management Process?"

How to answer:

• Be familiar with the six main steps: Identification, Analysis, Baseline, Validation, Change Management, and Communication
• Understand what happens in each step
• Recognize that requirements management is not about architecture design itself, but about managing the requirements that guide design
• Eliminate options that describe activities that are not part of requirements management (e.g., technology implementation, detailed design)

Key points to remember: Requirements management manages requirements, not solutions. It's a governance and control activity.

Question Type 3: When Requirements Management Occurs

Example: "In which ADM phases does Requirements Management occur?"

How to answer:

• State that it occurs in all ADM phases as a parallel activity
• It is not a single phase but a continuous process
• From Preliminary Phase through Phase H (Architecture Change Management)
• Emphasize that it doesn't follow a sequential pattern but runs concurrently with all architecture development

Question Type 4: Requirements Baseline

Example: "What is a Requirements Baseline and when is it established?"

How to answer:

• Explain it is the formally agreed and approved set of requirements
• It serves as the reference point for architecture development
• Established after requirements identification and analysis are complete
• Requires formal stakeholder sign-off and approval
• Changes to the baseline must go through formal change control
• Typically established early in Phase A (Architecture Vision)

Question Type 5: Change Control and Impact Management

Example: "How are changes to approved requirements managed in the Requirements Management Process?"

How to answer:

• Explain that a formal change control process is established
• Changes must be documented with justification and impact analysis
• Changes require appropriate stakeholder approval based on severity
• The requirements baseline is updated only after approval
• All affected architecture artifacts are updated to reflect the change
• Stakeholders are communicated about the change

Question Type 6: Traceability

Example: "Why is Requirements Traceability important in TOGAF architecture?"

How to answer:

• Explain that traceability ensures clear linkage between requirements and architecture artifacts
• It enables validation that all requirements are addressed by the architecture
• It helps identify gaps or redundancies in architecture
• It supports change impact analysis when requirements change
• It provides accountability and audit trail for architecture decisions
• Reference the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) as a tool

Question Type 7: Stakeholder and Requirements Conflict Resolution

Example: "What should be done when there are conflicting requirements from different stakeholders?"

How to answer:

• Emphasize that conflict identification is part of the Requirements Analysis phase
• Conflicting requirements should be documented and escalated appropriately
• Prioritization helps resolve conflicts based on business value
• Stakeholder forums or governance groups may need to decide which requirement takes precedence
• Decisions should be documented with rationale
• Unmet requirements should be documented in the architecture document

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Requirements Management Process

Tip 1: Remember it's a Parallel Activity, Not a Phase

A common misconception is that Requirements Management is a separate ADM phase. It's not. It's a continuous, parallel activity that supports all ADM phases. If an exam question implies it's a single phase, that's likely incorrect.

Tip 2: Focus on Governance and Control

Requirements Management is fundamentally about governance and control. It's not about designing the architecture but about ensuring the right requirements drive the architecture. When answering, emphasize control, approval, and formal processes.

Tip 3: Understand the Baseline Concept

The Requirements Baseline is a key concept. Understand that:

• It represents formally agreed requirements
• Changes require formal approval
• It's the reference point for architecture validation
• It provides configuration management and version control

Tip 4: Traceability is Essential

Traceability links are critical. Be prepared to explain how:

• Business drivers link to requirements
• Requirements link to architecture components
• Architecture components link to implementation
• This linkage enables impact analysis and validation

Tip 5: Change Control is Formal

Changes to approved requirements are not casual. They go through a formal change control process that includes:

• Documentation and justification
• Impact analysis
• Approval by appropriate governance
• Baseline update
• Communication to stakeholders

Tip 6: Distinguish Requirements Management from Requirements Engineering

TOGAF focuses on Requirements Management (ongoing management, change control, traceability) rather than detailed Requirements Engineering. Don't get lost in technical requirements elicitation details; focus on management and governance aspects.

Tip 7: Know the Six Main Activities

Be able to quickly recall and describe:

1. Requirements Identification
2. Requirements Analysis and Classification
3. Requirements Baseline Establishment
4. Requirements Validation
5. Requirements Change Management
6. Requirements Management and Communication

Tip 8: Answer in TOGAF Terminology

Use TOGAF-specific terms when answering:

• "Requirements Baseline" not "approved requirements list"
• "Change Control Process" not "change request system"
• "Requirements Traceability Matrix" not "requirements mapping"
• "ADM phases" when discussing where it occurs

Tip 9: Connect to ADM Phases Appropriately

While Requirements Management runs throughout all phases, you should understand its special importance in:

• Phase A: Establishing the initial requirements baseline
• Phase B-D: Validating architecture against requirements
• Phase G: Ensuring implementations meet requirements
• Phase H: Managing requirements for the next cycle

Tip 10: Look for "Always" or "Never" Statements

Be cautious with absolute statements in exam questions. For example:

• "Requirements Management always identifies new requirements" - True, it's continuous
• "Requirements Management never involves solution design" - True, it manages requirements, not solutions
• "Requirements Management always occurs in Phase A only" - False, it's in all phases

Tip 11: Understand the Role of Stakeholders

Requirements Management involves continuous stakeholder engagement:

• Stakeholders provide and validate requirements
• Conflicts between stakeholder requirements are escalated
• Stakeholders approve baseline and changes
• Stakeholders receive communication on requirements status

Tip 12: Recognize Common Wrong Answers

Watch out for options that describe:

• Solution implementation (Requirements Management doesn't implement, it manages requirements for implementation)
• Technology selection (This is architecture design, not requirements management)
• Detailed design (This is architecture work, not requirements management)
• Project management (Requirements Management is architecture governance, not project management)
• Risk management (While requirements management reduces risk, it's not the same as risk management)

Tip 13: Practice Scenario-Based Questions

Prepare for questions like: "A new regulatory requirement has been identified that conflicts with an existing architectural decision. What should happen next in the Requirements Management Process?"

Answer approach:

• Document the new requirement
• Analyze its relationship to existing requirements
• Perform impact analysis on current architecture
• Present options to stakeholder governance
• Obtain approval for change to baseline
• Update architecture artifacts as needed

Tip 14: Remember the Configuration Management Aspect

Requirements Management includes configuration management elements:

• Version control of requirements
• Baseline identification and management
• Change tracking and audit trails
• Configuration item identification

Tip 15: Time Management in Exam

Requirements Management questions are often straightforward if you understand the fundamentals. Don't overthink them. If the answer isn't obvious, look for the option that mentions:

• Baseline
• Change control
• Traceability
• Stakeholder approval
• Continuous/parallel activity

Sample Exam Questions and Answers

Sample Question 1:
"Which of the following best describes the Requirements Management Process in TOGAF ADM?"

A) A phase of the ADM that occurs after Phase A
B) A continuous, parallel activity throughout all ADM phases
C) A process that occurs only in Phase G (Implementation Governance)
D) A project management activity separate from architecture development

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Requirements Management is not a discrete phase but a continuous, parallel activity that operates throughout all ADM phases. This is a fundamental concept that appears frequently on exams.

Sample Question 2:
"What is the primary purpose of establishing a Requirements Baseline?"

A) To create a list of all possible requirements
B) To provide a formally agreed reference point against which architecture can be validated and changes managed
C) To complete the requirements identification phase
D) To ensure that no new requirements can ever be added

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: The Requirements Baseline is the formally agreed set of requirements that serves as the reference point. It's not about having all possible requirements, and it allows for managed changes (not preventing all changes). It provides the foundation for validation and change control.

Sample Question 3:
"In the Requirements Management Process, what should happen when a change request is submitted to modify an approved requirement?"

A) The requirement is immediately updated to reflect the change
B) The change request goes through impact analysis, governance approval, and baseline update if approved
C) The change is evaluated only by the requirements manager
D) The change is rejected because the baseline cannot be modified

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Change Control is a formal process involving impact analysis, appropriate stakeholder approval, and proper baseline management. It's neither immediate nor simply rejected; it follows a structured governance process.

Sample Question 4:
"Which activity is primarily concerned with ensuring that all approved requirements are addressed by the proposed architecture?"

A) Requirements Identification
B) Requirements Analysis
C) Requirements Validation
D) Requirements Baseline Establishment

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: Requirements Validation is the step where the architecture is checked against requirements to ensure all requirements are addressed. This often uses a Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM).

Conclusion

The Requirements Management Process is a fundamental aspect of TOGAF architecture governance. Success in exam questions depends on understanding that it's a continuous, parallel activity focused on governance and control through identification, analysis, baseline establishment, validation, and change management. Master the concepts of baseline, traceability, and change control, and you'll be well-prepared for any Requirements Management question on your TOGAF 10 Foundation exam.