The RFP Process

With the requirements gathering well underway, it is time to begin the Deconfliction and Refinement stage. Although new requirements will continue to appear throughout the process, the focus here is to sort out and resolve which requirements are in conflict with each other, to find which requirements are really not needed, and to ensure that all legitimate requirements are stated in a clear, percise and understandable manner.

Often one of the best methods for deconflicting and refining requirements is to have a meeting with a broad base of people in the room. This allows the requirments to be examined together, with all interested parties. Where there are conflicts between requirements, each side can present their perspective and issues. Importantly, there doesn't need to be an immediate resolution at the meeting for each conflict. Instead the discussion begun often leads to later resolutions.

Waiting to have a meeting until this phase is often useful. It provides a base of requirements for discussions to begin, and therefore people don't feel as much that their time was wasted. It also prevents an early group think where everyone begins along the same lines, focuses on the same areas, and the broader context is lost. Holding meetings at this point has given people more time to become familiar with the concepts they are working with, and more ready to refine requirements into solid descriptive elements.