This intensive one-day training programme has been developed to help those involved in producing specifications create high quality documents in an organised and effective way.
The programme explains the primary purpose of specifications and the importance of understanding the context in which they are used. It focuses particularly on how to develop and structure content and write requirements that are clear and concise. The methods and techniques presented will provide a practical foundation course for those new to the topic whilst offering new insights to those with more experience.
The objectives of the workshop are to:
Review and discuss the role and purpose of specifications
Present a structured approach for organising and producing specifications
Explain each of the key steps involved in creating effective specifications
Review some methods for assisting in defining requirements
Explain how to define the scope and develop the structure for a specification
Present methods to assist the writing and editing of specifications
Review how specifications should be issued and controlled
1 Introduction
Course objectives
Review of participants' needs and objectives
2 Specifications in perspective
The role and purpose of specifications
The impact of specifications on commercial performance
The qualities of an effective specification
The five key steps of 'POWER' writing: prepare-organise-write-edit-release
3 Step 1: Preparing to write
Defining the purpose the specification; integrating the specification and contract
Deciding how to specify: when to specify in functional and technical terms
Getting the right people involved at the right time; engaging stakeholders
Applying procedures for writing, issuing and controlling specifications
4 Step 2: Organising the specification content
Scoping the document: scope maps, check lists, structured brainstorming
Clarifying requirements; separating needs and desires
Dealing with requirements that are difficult to quantify