PMP Certification: Collect Requirements (based on PMBOK® Guide, 6th Edition)


  • WHAT Collect Requirements Is. Collect Requirements implies turning project stakeholders’ needs into requirements, characteristics of project deliverables.
  • WHY Collect Requirements Is Important. The Collect Requirements process generates two outputs – requirements documentation and requirements traceability matrix – that document how the final product or service of the project will look like to meet the stakeholders’ expectations.
  • WHEN Collect Requirements Is Executed. The requirements gathering process is used prior to completing the scope statement.
  • HOW Collect Requirements Operates.
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Collect Requirements 101

What Does Collect Requirements Involve and When Do You Perform It in a Project Life Cycle?


  • WHAT Collect Requirements Is. Collect Requirements implies turning project stakeholders’ needs into requirements, characteristics of project deliverables.
  • WHY Collect Requirements Is Important. The Collect Requirements process generates two outputs – requirements documentation and requirements traceability matrix – that document how the final product or service of the project will look like to meet the stakeholders’ expectations.
  • WHEN Collect Requirements Is Executed. The requirements gathering process is used prior to completing the scope statement.
  • HOW Collect Requirements Operates.
InputsTools and techniquesOutputs
  1. Project charter
  2. Project management plan
    • Scope management plan
    • Requirements management plan
    • Stakeholder engagement plan
  3. Project documents
    • Assumption log
    • Lessons learned register
    •  Stakeholder register
  4. Business documents
    • Business case
  5. Agreements
  6. Enterprise environmental factors
  7. Organizational process assets
  1. Expert judgment
  2. Data gathering
    • Brainstorming
    • Interviews
    • Focus groups
    • Questionnaires and surveys
    • Benchmarking
  3. Data analysis
    • Document analysis
  4. Decision making
    • Voting
    • Multicriteria decision analysis
  5. Data representation
    • Affinity diagrams
    • Mind mapping
  6. Interpersonal and team skills
    • Nominal group technique
    • Observation/conversation
    • Facilitation
  7. Context diagram
  8. Prototypes
  1. Requirements documentation
  2. Requirements traceability matrix

Source: PMBOK® Guide, 6th ed., Chapter 5, section 5.2, p. 138.

Collect Requirements Key Terms

project management professional certification 2018 all-in-one free course preparation tipsographicWhat Are the Key Terms to Fully Understand the Process of Collecting Requirements?


  • Context Diagrams.  A method of diagramming the product scope by representing how people, processes, or systems interact with the product.
  • Facilitated Workshops. A  workshop directed by an independent party that brings together stakeholders to solicit information on a particular issue – i.e., joint application development (JAD) for improving software development process and quality function deployment (QFD) for determining critical characteristics of new product development.
  • Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis. A decision matrix used to score and rank ideas in decision making based on conflicting criteria such as expected risk levels, time estimate, and cost and benefit estimates.
  • Prototypes. A technique of producing a working replica of the finished product, service, or result to help define user requirements.

Collect Requirements Tips

What Are the Best Tips to Answer Correctly the PMP Cerification Exam Questions on Collect Requirements Process?


  • Functional Requirements Vs. Nonfunctional Requirements. Functional requirements describe the intended behavior we want from the product – i.e., new features, bug fixes, and new or different behavior.  Nonfunctional requirements refer to elements that are related to the product but do not describe the product directly – e.g., performance, reliability, ease of use, and so forth.
  • Joint Application Design (JAD) Sessions. A JAD is a facilitated workshop that brings together end users and development team to define requirements for application design/development.

Click here for a detailed analysis of each project management process group and knowledge area.

SOURCES: Project Management Institute (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). 6th ed. Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.

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