Which of the following is a primary focus of requirements elicitation?

The primary focus of requirements elicitation is understanding stakeholder needs. This process is fundamental to systems engineering because it ensures that the resulting system effectively meets the expectations and requirements of all relevant stakeholders. By engaging with stakeholders, engineers and project managers gather vital information about what the stakeholders truly value, their constraints, and their goals related to the system being developed.

This understanding is critical for translating stakeholder needs into clear, actionable requirements that guide system design and development. Once these needs are understood, they can inform various aspects of the project, including the development of project timelines and functional specifications, but the core of requirements elicitation is about grasping the perspectives and desires of those who will use, interact with, or be affected by the system.

Identifying project risks, developing project timelines, and creating functional specifications are all essential activities within project management and systems development, but they either stem from or follow after the crucial step of understanding stakeholder needs.