Defining Expertise in Requirements Elicitation

Abstract

Eliciting high-quality Requirements in large, multi-stakeholder acquisition environments is a form of cognitive work that is not well captured in prescriptive process models. This thesis leverages qualitative methods and the Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) framework for modelling work with complex socio-technical systems to examine how experts in Requirements elicitation approach their work, specifically in the context of the Canadian Armed Forces procurement system. Drawing on the semi-structured Critical Decision Method (CDM) interviews, I explored the experiences of four experienced Requirements elicitation professionals in specific Critical Incidents where their expertise was expressed by analyzing the perceptual cues, reasoning patterns, and adaptive strategies they employed. Thematic Analysis of the interviews revealed how experts negotiate ambiguity, manage competing frames, and stabilize emerging Requirement interpretations—behaviour that is largely absent from formalized descriptions of elicitation practice. To situate these findings within the broader system of constraints I identify the means-ends relationships between themes to construct an Abstraction Hierarchy to represent the domain’s functional purposes, values, and functions. I leverage this to construct a Strategy Flow Map to represent available strategies and How REPs apply them. I provide recommendations for novice Requirements elicitation professionals and the institutions they work within. Reducing overall project size and building relationships with stakeholders are valuable strategies, as is the strategic use of mock-ups and scenarios to support Requirements elicitation.