Contract-based requirements engineering

The authors have observed that traditional requirements engineering practices are inadequate to support large projects that are defined by a contract. Unlike a product development effort, contract requirements are not at a uniform level so the typical “V” model for tracing does not work well. Other important attributes of contracts such as penalty clauses, contract options, incentive payments, regulatory codes and standards, cross-cutting and project execution requirements all need to be considered. This paper describes some of the challenges and recommended best practices for the management of requirements on large contract-based projects as described from the perspective of the lead supplier or prime contractor.