Purpose (Why) - The five "reason categories" provide the underlying motives, justification, direction and priorities

Objectives (What) - Specific objectives that have to be achieved to realize the purpose

Strategies (How) - The resource, way, method, process etc. which will achieve the objectives

Tactics (Who, When, Which) - The plan includes start and end dates and tasks with duration's, dependencies and resources

Implementation - Meets the objectives (put into practice, carry out, complete or become operational)

Requirements Planning Structure

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• Requirements / planning structure - used to meet single, multiple, simple or complex requirements and to plan.  Planning enables us to structure requirements to reduce complexity, understand dependencies, consider options / alternatives and determine the correct solutions

  • A requirement that has been sanctioned / approved is placed at the correct level in the five level Requirements / Planning Structure.  The level determines the type of actions to be taken and preceding and succeeding dependencies

  • Although a single level can be used on its own to meet simple requirements dependencies are taken into account to ensure time, money and effort are not wasted on incorrect or incomplete requirements

  • A complex requirement can be simplified and risks reduced by breaking the requirement down into its component types, placing them at the correct levels and understanding the dependencies between them

  • Yes / no options or alternatives are considered for each level and subjected to the decision process for comparison, selection and the best course of action

  • An approved requirement at one level becomes the starting point for the next lower level requirement.  For example the correct objective (s) must be established before strategies are considered and strategies must be correct before tactics and resources are considered

• Extensive and complex requirements like strategic planning can be met by repeating the plan for different divisions / levels of the organization.  The output from a higher level plan becomes the starting point for the next lower level