Checklist: Vision

Have you fully explored what the problem behind the problem is?

Make sure that you have found the root cause of the Stakeholder's problem or need. Often, Stakeholders define solutions rather than stating the problem that they are experiencing or the pain they are experiencing. Subsequently, they may not have identified the problem correctly or the correct solution for it.

For example, "We can't support customers who want to buy online" is better than "We need an on-line purchasing system".

Is the problem statement correctly formulated?

Make sure that you have agreement on the problem to be solved.

Is the list of Stakeholders complete and correct?

Make sure you didn't miss any Stakeholders. If you did, you probably do not yet have all of the perspectives that you need to consider.

Does everyone agree on the definition of the system boundaries?

Define what is in and what is out of system boundaries. This is a critical step in defining the scope of work.

Have you sufficiently explored constraints to put on the system?

Don't forget about the non-functional requirements and constraints. These are often the largest cost of development.

Have you covered all kinds of constraints, including political, economic, and environmental?

These non-technical constraints often lead to problems later.

Have all key features of the system been identified and defined?

Do a completeness check, comparing the features with the problem statement, to make sure that you didn't miss a critical feature.

Will the features solve the problems that are identified?

Are all the features really necessary? Perhaps you can reduce the scope.

Are the features consistent with constraints that you've identified?

Check that conflicting requirements do not exist. If you find conflicts, resolve them now.

Can someone who is not familiar with the project understand what you hope the project will achieve by reading the Vision document?

The purpose of the Vision document is to describe the objectives of the project in terms that non-technical people, who are not closely involved with the project, can understand.