Concern to Measure

Convert stakeholder language into structured concerns, scenarios, and measurable requirement instances.

Concern to Measure

Convert stakeholder language into structured concerns, scenarios, and measurable requirement instances. Follows ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010:2011 and TOGAF / BCS guidance. Allow 10–20 minutes per statement.

ARaw statement (verbatim)
BClassify concern type
CReframe as a concern
DMeasure (metric + evidence)
ERequirement instance (SMART)

Figure: Raw statement → Classify → Reframe → Measure → Requirement instance

1 · Raw Statement

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Instructions: Capture the statement verbatim, classify it without debating solutions, reframe it neutrally as a concern, then make it measurable (a requirement instance + evidence).

Source: ISO-IEC-IEEE-42010-2011

Include environment assumptions: peak / normal / degraded · locations · user groups.

2 · Classify Concern Type

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Instructions: Use the ISO/IEC 25010 product quality characteristics as primary labels, and map to BCS NFR terms for concrete discussion. (If you use ISO/IEC 25010:2023, characteristics may be revised; verify against your licensed copy—this mapping assumes the widely used 2011 model names.)

Functional attributes – what the system must do

Quality attributes / NFR types – how well it must do it

(ISO/IEC 25010 primary labels → BCS NFR terms)

Tip: keep type vs instance clear – e.g. "throughput" as type vs "100 tps" as instance (Avancier).

Planning & governance attributes – constraints, risks, controls

3 · Reframe as a Concern [neutral, actionable]

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Template: “Our concern is [topic] so that [stakeholder outcome], under [context].”

(ISO 42010 defines concern as a stakeholder interest; TOGAF framing emphasises concerns as roots of requirements decomposition.)

Template: “Our concern is [topic] so that [stakeholder outcome], under [context].”

4 · Measure [requirement instance + evidence]

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Instructions: BCS defines non-functional requirements as usually quantitatively measurable, and links SMART requirements to acceptance tests.

SMART Goals:

• Specific: Clearly defined and unambiguous, answering what, why, and who.

• Measurable: Include concrete criteria for measuring progress to know when the goal is achieved.

• Achievable: Goals should be realistic and attainable, stretching capabilities without causing overwhelm.

• Relevant: The goal should align with broader objectives and be worthwhile.

• Time-bound: Establish a clear deadline or timeframe to create urgency.