chaussky/ainalyst/requirements-validate

SKILL.md — BABOK 7.3 Validate Requirements

What this task is about

Validation answers the question: "Did we write the right requirements?"

Distinction from verification (7.2):

• 7.2 Verify → "Are the requirements written correctly?" (quality of wording)
• 7.3 Validate → "Do we need these requirements?" (value to the business)

A requirement can be perfectly worded — atomic, unambiguous, testable — but useless to the business. Validation is what catches that.

Key principle: 7.3 is an iterative task. It can be invoked multiple times at different stages of the project, unlike 7.2 (a one-time pass).

Three axes of validation (BABOK)

Axis 1: Value

Does the requirement bring benefit to stakeholders?

• Every req should trace back to a business goal (BG)
• An orphan req without traceability is a candidate for removal or decomposition

Axis 2: Alignment with the future state

Does the req help achieve the Future State described in the business context?

• check_business_alignment checks this automatically (BFS + title-matching)
• The coverage matrix shows which BGs are not covered by any req

Axis 3: Assumptions and risks

Have assumptions been identified, and are the related risks managed?

• Every contestable assumption must be logged via log_assumption
• High-risk assumptions block validation (warning in mark_req_validated)

Pipeline (steps in order)

1. set_business_context        ← once, at the start of validation
2. check_business_alignment    ← check all verified req
3. set_success_criteria        ← [optional] for critical req
4. log_assumption               ← [as you go] when an assumption surfaces
5. resolve_assumption           ← [as you go] after confirming/refuting
6. mark_req_validated           ← move verified → validated
7. get_validation_report        ← summary report

MCP tools

1. set_business_context

When: once, at the start of work on validating the project.

set_business_context(
  project_id = "crm_upgrade",
  business_goals_json = '[
    {"id":"BG-001","title":"Reduce request processing time","kpi":"from 24h to 4h"},
    {"id":"BG-002","title":"Increase NPS","kpi":"from 45 to 65"}
  ]',
  future_state = "Operators handle requests in a single window, prioritization is automated",
  solution_scope = "In scope: CRM module, integration with 1C. Out of scope: mobile app"
)

Data is stored in {project}_business_context.json. The business context is synced with tasks 6.1/6.2.

2. check_business_alignment

When: after creating the business context, before mark_req_validated.

check_business_alignment(project_id = "crm_upgrade")
# Checks all verified req
 
check_business_alignment(
  project_id = "crm_upgrade",
  req_ids = '["US-001", "FR-005", "UC-002"]'
)
# Checks specific req

What it checks:

• BFS traversal of the 5.1 graph: is a node of type business reachable from the req?
• Title-matching against the BGs from business_context
• Returns: aligned / orphan for each req
• Coverage matrix: which BGs are not covered

Interpretation:

• aligned (bfs) → traced through the 5.1 graph — the best outcome
• aligned (title-match) → keyword match — worth adding an explicit link in 5.1
• orphan → neither BFS nor title-match → requirement without a business justification

3. set_success_criteria

When: optional — for critical req where it matters to measure the outcome.

set_success_criteria(
  project_id = "crm_upgrade",
  req_id = "FR-001",
  criteria_json = '{
    "baseline": "Assignment time: 45 min manually",
    "target": "Assignment time: ≤ 30 sec automatically",
    "measurement_method": "Average time in the monitoring system over 1 week",
    "kpi_ref": "BG-001"
  }'
)

Tip: the tool automatically shows the KPI from the linked business goal as a reference point.

Link to 8.1: the success_criteria data from 7.3 becomes input for Measure Solution Performance.

4. log_assumption

When: whenever a contestable assumption is discovered while working on validation.

log_assumption(
  project_id = "crm_upgrade",
  description = "We assume operators are willing to switch to the new interface without extensive training",
  req_ids = '["US-005", "US-006"]',
  risk_level = "high",
  assigned_to = "A. Petrova"
)

Risk levels:

• high → warning at mark_req_validated while still open
• medium → logged, does not block
• low → low risk, informational record

5. resolve_assumption

When: after confirming or refuting an assumption (interview, test, research).

resolve_assumption(
  project_id = "crm_upgrade",
  assumption_id = "AS-001",
  resolution = "confirmed",
  resolution_note = "Ran a pilot with 3 operators — the switch went smoothly within 2 hours"
)
 
resolve_assumption(
  project_id = "crm_upgrade",
  assumption_id = "AS-002",
  resolution = "refuted",
  resolution_note = "Integration with the legacy system is not possible without a data migration"
)

On `refuted`: the tool produces a list of related req for re-examination. A new round of elicitation (4.1–4.3) may be needed.

6. mark_req_validated

When: a req is ready — verified, no high-risk assumptions, and traced to a BG.

mark_req_validated(
  project_id = "crm_upgrade",
  req_ids = '["US-001", "FR-001", "FR-002"]'
)
 
# Override when warnings are present:
mark_req_validated(
  project_id = "crm_upgrade",
  req_ids = '["US-007"]',
  force = True
)

Three preconditions — warnings, not blockers:

1. Req status = verified (from 7.2)
2. No open high-risk assumptions for this req
3. Traced to a business goal

Lifecycle: draft → verified (7.2) → validated (7.3)

7. get_validation_report

When: at the end of validation work, to hand off to 7.5.

get_validation_report(project_id = "crm_upgrade")

What it contains:

• % validated out of total req
• Coverage matrix (BG → req)
• List of orphan req without traceability
• Open assumptions by risk_level
• % of req with success_criteria
• Readiness verdict for 7.5

Typical workflow

Start of the project

1. Verify the requirements (7.2)
2. Call set_business_context — enter the business goals from the customer

Main body of work

1. check_business_alignment — find orphan req and gaps in BGs
2. For orphan req: add traceability via 5.1 (add_trace_link) or exclude the req
3. log_assumption — log contestable assumptions as they are discovered
4. Verify assumptions through work: interviews, pilots, analysis → resolve_assumption

Finalization

1. mark_req_validated for ready req
2. get_validation_report → report to hand off to 7.5

Files created by task 7.3

Links to other tasks

Detailed methodology and techniques

• Three axes of validation, BABOK techniques, error patterns →

references/validation_guide.md

• Working with assumptions, risk classification, assumption patterns in IT →

references/assumptions_guide.md