Attributes of a Great Requirements Engineer: A Survey and Interview Study

Core Concepts

Great requirements engineers possess a unique blend of social, management, technical, and personality attributes, with investigative ability in talking to stakeholders, being judicious, and understanding the business being the most crucial.

Abstract

• Bibliographic Information: Barbosa, L., Freire, S., Maciel, R. S. P., Mendonça, M., Kalinowski, M., Codabux, Z., & Spínola, R. (2024). Attributes of a Great Requirements Engineer. Journal of Systems and Software, 112200.
• Research Objective: This research aims to identify and analyze the attributes that characterize a great requirements engineer, understand the relationships between these attributes, and explore strategies for acquiring them.
• Methodology: The study employed a mixed-methods approach involving a survey of 18 Brazilian software practitioners (requirements engineers and project managers) followed by in-depth interviews with 11 of the survey participants.
• Key Findings: The study identified 22 distinct attributes of great requirements engineers, categorized into four main areas: Personality, Management, Technical, and Social. The most frequently cited attributes were investigative ability in talking to stakeholders, being judicious, understanding the business, good ability to identify missing requirements, and good knowledge of requirements engineering practices. The study also uncovered 13 significant relationships between these attributes, highlighting the interconnected nature of these skills. Furthermore, 38 strategies for cultivating these attributes were identified, with participating in training, acquiring domain knowledge, and talking to all stakeholders emerging as the most prominent.
• Main Conclusions: The study concludes that a combination of technical expertise, strong interpersonal skills, effective management practices, and specific personality traits are essential for excelling as a requirements engineer. The identified attributes, their relationships, and the proposed strategies provide valuable insights for individuals and organizations aiming to develop and enhance requirements engineering competencies.
• Significance: This research contributes significantly to the field of requirements engineering by providing empirically-grounded insights into the attributes of successful practitioners. The findings have practical implications for recruitment, training, and professional development within the software development industry.
• Limitations and Future Research: The study acknowledges limitations related to its sample size and geographical context, suggesting the need for further research with larger and more diverse participant groups. Future studies could also explore the relative importance of the identified attributes and strategies across different software development methodologies and industry sectors.

Stats

The five most cited attributes represent 55% of all mentioned attribute frequency.
The study identified 22 distinct attributes of great requirements engineers.
13 significant relationships were found between the attributes.
38 strategies for cultivating the attributes were identified.

Quotes

"a translator that understands the domain as well as its particular language well enough and also possesses enough IT know-how to be aware of the problems the developers face and to be able to communicate with them on the same level"
"so you have to prepare, study, create a script, so I think that this investigative capacity comes from there..."
"As a very detail-oriented person, he not only investigate but detail the information obtained so that it becomes clear in documentation and easy to communicate."
"It would be the understanding of the business context, where that system will be inserted. Nothing from a technical point of view, from the business itself, from the environment..."
"the analyst needs to be able to understand when something is not clear, when things are not going well. And after, having the ability to elicit what is missing and the ability to validate that with the customer."
"understanding the technique behind these elements that we use... to get in touch with users..."
"Theoretical knowledge, which teaches how to apply the techniques, what is relevant, what kind of attitude the analyst has to have, how he has to prepare, the points of attention he has to have."
"studying that area in which the system is inserted"
"knowing your (system) domain."
"Talking, demonstrating their ideas, talking both with the customer and the software developers, listening, exchanging information."
"it is necessary to seek an innovative, low-cost solution that is developed in the shortest possible time."
"...create test objectives, create test sections..., know test techniques."

Key Insights Distilled From

Attributes of a Great Requirements Engineer

by Lari... at arxiv.org 11-05-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2411.00966.pdf

Deeper Inquiries

How can organizations create a work environment that fosters the development of the identified attributes in their requirements engineers?

Organizations can adopt several strategies to cultivate the identified attributes of great requirements engineers within their teams. Here are some key approaches:

Targeted Training and Development: Offer workshops and training programs specifically designed to enhance the identified attributes. This could include training on:

Soft Skills: Active listening, effective communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, and stakeholder management.
Technical Skills: Requirements elicitation techniques, modeling languages, documentation best practices, and relevant software tools.
Domain Knowledge: Provide opportunities for requirements engineers to gain deeper understanding of the business domains they work in. This could involve cross-functional projects, job shadowing, or mentorship programs.

Creating a Culture of Learning and Feedback:

Knowledge Sharing: Encourage regular knowledge sharing sessions where experienced requirements engineers can mentor junior team members, share best practices, and discuss challenging cases.
Constructive Feedback: Implement a system for regular, constructive feedback between requirements engineers, stakeholders, and development teams. This fosters continuous improvement and open communication.

Empowering Requirements Engineers:

Decision-Making Authority: Give requirements engineers a degree of autonomy and decision-making power within their scope of work. This builds confidence and ownership.
Access to Stakeholders: Ensure requirements engineers have direct access to key stakeholders to facilitate effective communication and information gathering.

Recognizing and Rewarding Excellence: Acknowledge and reward requirements engineers who demonstrate the desired attributes. This reinforces the importance of these skills and motivates continuous development.
Leveraging Technology: Provide access to and training on tools that can support requirements engineering activities, such as collaborative platforms, modeling tools, and requirements management systems.
By implementing these strategies, organizations can create a supportive environment where requirements engineers are empowered to develop the crucial attributes that lead to successful software projects.

Could the emphasis on certain attributes, such as "investigative ability," potentially lead to adversarial relationships between requirements engineers and stakeholders?

While emphasizing "investigative ability" is crucial for a requirements engineer to uncover hidden needs and potential conflicts, it's true that an overly aggressive approach could create friction with stakeholders. Here's how to strike a balance:

Framing the Investigative Process:

Collaboration, Not Interrogation: Position the requirements gathering process as a collaborative exploration rather than an interrogation. Emphasize that the goal is to understand their needs and perspectives fully.
Transparency: Be open about the reasons behind specific questions and explain how the information will be used. This builds trust and reduces the likelihood of stakeholders feeling scrutinized.

Building Rapport and Trust:

Active Listening: Demonstrate genuine interest in stakeholders' perspectives by actively listening, paraphrasing their responses, and asking clarifying questions.
Empathy: Acknowledge stakeholders' constraints, concerns, and priorities. Showing empathy helps build rapport and fosters a more collaborative environment.

Focusing on Solutions, Not Problems:

Problem-Solving Mindset: While identifying potential issues is important, frame the discussion around finding solutions together. This shifts the focus from blame to collaboration.
Positive Language: Use positive and constructive language when discussing challenges or potential conflicts. Focus on shared goals and opportunities for improvement.
By adopting these strategies, requirements engineers can leverage their investigative skills effectively without jeopardizing stakeholder relationships. The key is to approach the process with transparency, empathy, and a focus on collaborative problem-solving.

In an era of increasingly sophisticated AI and automation tools, how might the role and essential attributes of a requirements engineer evolve in the future?

As AI and automation reshape the software development landscape, the role of a requirements engineer will undoubtedly evolve, demanding a new set of skills and attributes:

From Elicitor to Orchestrator:

AI-Assisted Elicitation: AI tools will automate basic requirements gathering tasks, such as analyzing documents, transcribing meetings, and identifying patterns in data.
Focus on Complex Needs: Requirements engineers will shift their focus to understanding and defining complex, nuanced requirements that require human judgment and interpretation.

Mastering the Human-AI Partnership:

AI Literacy: Requirements engineers will need a strong understanding of AI capabilities and limitations to effectively leverage these tools and interpret their output.
Human-Centered Design: The ability to design for human needs and experiences will become even more critical as AI systems become more integrated into our lives.

Navigating Ethical Considerations:

Bias Detection and Mitigation: Requirements engineers will play a key role in identifying and mitigating potential biases in AI systems by ensuring diverse data sets and ethical design principles.
Explainability and Transparency: Understanding and communicating the rationale behind AI-driven decisions will be crucial for building trust and ensuring responsible use.

Adaptability and Continuous Learning:

Rapid Technological Advancements: Requirements engineers must embrace continuous learning to stay abreast of evolving AI technologies and methodologies.
Agile and Iterative Approaches: The ability to work in agile and iterative environments will be essential for adapting to rapidly changing requirements and incorporating feedback from AI systems.
In essence, the future requirements engineer will be less of a traditional information gatherer and more of an AI-savvy orchestrator, guiding the development of human-centered AI systems that are ethical, transparent, and aligned with business goals.