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Stakeholder Interview Guide Template

Interview programme and question bank: information and agreement script, structure, core and role questions, NFR probes, probing techniques, notes sheet, coding, coverage

Requirements & AnalysisFullIIBA BABOK Guide v3 (Interviews); ISO/IEC 25010:2023; GDPR Art. 5 and 13stakeholderinterviewguide

How to use: Use it when you must interview sponsors, process owners, users, operators and partners to understand goals, current processes and constraints. Fill the objectives, interviewee selection and privacy decisions first, then pick 12 to 15 questions and one role module per interview. The main pitfall is asking for opinions about the future instead of specific recent events with numbers.

Preview

Stakeholder Interview Guide: [Engagement or initiative name]

Guide and record for structured one-to-one or small-group interviews with the stakeholders of a change: sponsors, process owners, users, operators, data owners, security and compliance staff, and external partners. It contains the interview programme, a privacy information and agreement script, a timed interview structure, a core question bank organised by topic, role-specific modules, probing techniques, a notes sheet, a coding scheme for synthesis, and a coverage log. The structure follows the Interviews technique and the Elicitation and Collaboration knowledge area of the IIBA BABOK Guide v3; non-functional probes use the quality characteristics of ISO/IEC 25010:2023. Where interviews involve personal data, the privacy section refers to the transparency duties of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Article 13). This is a documentation format, not legal advice. Replace every [bracketed] value and every row marked Example.

Document control

FieldValue
Document ID[SIG-001]
Engagement or initiative[Name]
Version[0.1]
Status[Draft / Approved for use / In progress / Closed]
Owner (lead interviewer)[@lead-interviewer]
Solution architect[@solution-architect]
Approvers/reviewers[@engagement-lead], [@business-sponsor], [@privacy-officer]
Last updatedYYYY-MM-DD
Classification[Confidential: contains personal data once notes are added]
Retention of notes[Retention rule, for example deleted 90 days after the requirements baseline]
Related documents[Stakeholder register], [Discovery workshop plan], [Current-state assessment]

Approvals

RoleNameApprovesDate
Engagement lead[@name]Programme, question setYYYY-MM-DD
Business sponsor[@name]Interviewee list and objectivesYYYY-MM-DD
Privacy officer or data protection officer[@name]Information and agreement script, legal basis, recording and retentionYYYY-MM-DD

Revision history

VersionDateAuthorChange summary
0.1YYYY-MM-DD[@name]First draft
0.2YYYY-MM-DD[@name]Example: Added IT operations module after pilot interviews
1.0YYYY-MM-DD[@name]Example: Approved for use; information and agreement script reviewed by privacy officer

Contents

1. Purpose and interview programme

1.1 Objectives

Objective IDWhat the interviews must establishUsed for
IO-01 (Example)Business goals and success measures as each senior stakeholder sees themBusiness case, solution principles
IO-02 (Example)How the current process actually runs, where it fails and what it costsCurrent-state assessment, pain point list
IO-03 (Example)Constraints and non-negotiables: regulation, contracts, timing, budgetScope and options analysis
IO-04 (Example)Quality expectations: availability, response times, security, accessibilityQuality attribute scenarios
IO-05 (Example)Readiness for change and likely resistanceChange and communication plans
[IO-NN][Objective][Used for]

1.2 Interviewee selection

Select interviewees so that every stakeholder group with a stake in the outcome is heard at least once, and every critical process is described by at least two people (one who manages it and one who does it).

Stakeholder groupWhy they matterPlanned interviewsSelection rule
Executive sponsors (Example)Set goals and funding3All sponsors
Process owners (Example)Decide how processes work6One per in-scope process
End users and practitioners (Example)Know how work is really done10Two per critical process (5 of the 6 in-scope processes), mix of sites and seniority
IT operations and support (Example)Run current systems and incidents3Service owners of in-scope systems
Data owners and analysts (Example)Know data meaning and quality2Owners of master data domains
Security, risk and compliance (Example)Know obligations and controls2Information security and compliance leads
External partners or customers (Example)Experience the process from outside3Largest partners by volume
[Group][Reason][Number][Rule]

1.3 Programme plan

ItemPlan
Interview windowYYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD
Interviewers[@lead-interviewer], [@second-interviewer] (note taker)
Format[In person / Video / Mixed]
Standard duration[60 minutes; 30 minutes for executives]
Interim synthesis[After every 5 interviews]
Final synthesis dueYYYY-MM-DD

2. Privacy, consent and recording

Interview notes and recordings that identify people are personal data in most jurisdictions. Where the GDPR applies, the organisation collecting the data must tell interviewees, at the time of collection, at least who is collecting it, why, on what legal basis, who will receive it, how long it will be kept and what rights they have (Article 13); collect only what is needed for the purpose (Article 5(1)(c), data minimisation) and keep it no longer than needed (Article 5(1)(e), storage limitation). Check the consolidated text and your local law with your privacy officer; this section is a documentation format, not legal advice.

DecisionChoice
Controller of interview data[Organisation name and contact]
PurposeExample: Understanding current processes and needs for the [initiative]
Legal basis (as decided by the privacy officer)[Basis]
RecordingExample: Audio only, only with explicit agreement, used by the note taker to complete notes, deleted within 10 working days
Who sees raw notesExample: The two interviewers and the lead business analyst
What is sharedExample: Anonymised themes and requirements; quotations only with permission and without names
Retention of raw notes[Rule]
Storage location[Engagement workspace with access control]
Privacy notice reference[Link to the notice given to interviewees]

2.1 Information and agreement script

Read or adapt at the start of each interview, after the introductions:

"Thank you for your time. We are talking to about [number] people to understand how [process or area] works today and what you need from [initiative]. There are no right or wrong answers, and you can skip any question. I will take notes. [With your agreement, I would also like to record the audio so that my notes are accurate; the recording will be deleted by [date] and only [names] will hear it.] We will share themes from all interviews, not who said what, and we will only quote you with your permission. [Our privacy notice is at [link].] Is that all right with you?"

Record the answer in the notes sheet (section 10). If the interviewee declines recording, take notes only and do not ask again.

Agreement to take part, to be recorded or to be quoted is a courtesy and a fairness measure; it is not necessarily the GDPR legal basis for processing the notes. For employees, consent is rarely an appropriate basis because of the imbalance of power between employer and employee (see the EDPB Guidelines 05/2020 on consent), so confirm the basis (often legitimate interests or another basis chosen by the privacy officer) and record it in the table above before the first interview.

3. Interviewee profile

FieldValue
Interview ID[INT-NNN]
Name and role[Name], [Job title]
Stakeholder group[Group from section 1.2]
Organisation unit and site[Unit], [Site]
Relationship to the initiative[Sponsor / Owner / User / Operator / Partner]
Processes and systems used[Processes], [Systems]
Known concerns or history[Summary from stakeholder register or previous contact]
Objectives this interview serves[IO-01, IO-02]
Question set selected[Core questions and module, for example Q-GOAL-01 to 03, Q-PROC-01 to 05, module 7.2]
Documents to review beforehand[Documents]

4. Interview structure and logistics

PartTime in a 60-minute interviewInterviewerNote taker
Opening and agreement (section 5)5 minutesLeadsRecords agreement to notes, recording and quotation
Role and context5 minutesLeadsCaptures role facts
Core questions (section 6)30 minutesLeads, follows the interviewee's threadCaptures answers verbatim where possible
Role module (section 7)12 minutesLeadsSame
Closing (section 9)8 minutesLeadsReads back actions

Logistics checklist, in original wording for this template:

  • Send the invitation with the purpose, duration and privacy notice at least five working days ahead.
  • Book a private room or ask the interviewee to join from a quiet place.
  • Prepare the profile (section 3) and print or open the selected questions.
  • Agree roles between interviewer and note taker; the note taker does not lead questions but may ask for clarification at the end of a topic.
  • Test recording equipment if recording was agreed.
  • Leave 15 minutes after each interview to complete notes while memory is fresh.

5. Opening script

  1. Introduce yourselves and your roles in one or two sentences each.
  2. State the purpose and how long the interview will take.
  3. Explain why this person was chosen ("You run the credit process in North region, so you know where it works and where it does not").
  4. Read the information and agreement script (section 2.1) and record the answer.
  5. Say what will happen with the results and when they will see them.
  6. Ask an easy opening question: "Could you describe your role and a typical week?"

6. Core question bank

6.1 Business goals and outcomes

IDQuestionProbe
Q-GOAL-01What would make this initiative a success for you, a year after it goes live?How would you measure that?
Q-GOAL-02Which business results are you accountable for that this area affects?Which of them is under most pressure now?
Q-GOAL-03What happens if nothing changes?Who notices first, and when?
Q-GOAL-04Which outcomes matter most if we cannot deliver everything at once?What would you give up first?

6.2 Current process and pain

IDQuestionProbe
Q-PROC-01Walk me through the last time you handled [a typical case], from start to finish.What did you do next? Who else was involved?
Q-PROC-02Where does work wait, and for whom?How long does it usually wait?
Q-PROC-03Tell me about the last time something went wrong.What did it cost in time or money? How often does it happen?
Q-PROC-04Which steps do you do outside the system, for example in spreadsheets or email?Why there and not in the system?
Q-PROC-05Which exceptions or special cases take the most effort?How many per week or month?
Q-PROC-06What workarounds have you invented that others rely on?What would break if you stopped?

6.3 Data and information

IDQuestionProbe
Q-DATA-01Which information do you need to do this work, and where do you get it?How do you know it is correct?
Q-DATA-02Which data do you create or change that others use?Who uses it, and what do they do with it?
Q-DATA-03Where do you see the same data held differently in two places?Which one do you trust?
Q-DATA-04Which reports or numbers do you rely on for decisions?How late or wrong are they at times?
Q-DATA-05Does this work involve personal, financial or otherwise sensitive data?Who is allowed to see it?

6.4 Systems and integrations

IDQuestionProbe
Q-SYS-01Which systems do you use for this work, and for which steps?Which one could you not work without?
Q-SYS-02Where do you copy information from one system to another by hand?How often and how much?
Q-SYS-03Which systems are slow, unavailable or hard to use, and when?What do you do when that happens?
Q-SYS-04Which external parties exchange information with you, and how?Files, portals, email, interfaces?

6.5 Quality expectations (non-functional probes)

The probes follow the product quality characteristics of ISO/IEC 25010:2023. Ask only those relevant to the interviewee, and always ask for a concrete situation and a number.

IDCharacteristicQuestion
Q-NFR-01Performance efficiencyHow quickly must [the key screen or step] respond for you to work without frustration? What happens at month-end or peak?
Q-NFR-02ReliabilityIf the system were unavailable for an hour on a working day, what would happen? For a day?
Q-NFR-03SecurityWho must never see or change this information? Have there been incidents or audit findings?
Q-NFR-04Interaction capabilityWho uses this with limited training, on mobile, or with accessibility needs?
Q-NFR-05CompatibilityWhich other systems or devices must this work with?
Q-NFR-06MaintainabilityHow often do rules, prices or forms change, who changes them today, and how long does a change take?
Q-NFR-07Safety (where relevant)Could an error here harm people, property or the environment?
Q-NFR-08Functional suitabilityWhich results must be exactly right, and how do you check them now?
Q-NFR-09FlexibilityWhich changes will come in the next two years: new sites, volumes, channels or products?

Turn every answer into a measurable scenario later, in Quality Attributes (requirements/quality-attributes) or the NFR Catalogue (requirements/nfr-catalogue).

6.6 Constraints, risks and change readiness

IDQuestionProbe
Q-CON-01Which rules, regulations or contracts limit how this work can be done?Where are they written down?
Q-CON-02Which dates cannot move, and why?What depends on them?
Q-CON-03What has been tried before to fix this, and what happened?Why did it stop?
Q-CON-04Who will find this change hardest, and why?What would help them?
Q-CON-05What worries you most about this initiative?What would reduce that worry?

6.7 Success measures and priorities

IDQuestionProbe
Q-MEAS-01Which number would you look at to know things have improved?What is it today?
Q-MEAS-02If you could change one thing about how this works, what would it be?Why that one?
Q-MEAS-03Who else should we talk to?What will they tell us that you cannot?

7. Role-specific modules

7.1 Executive sponsor

IDQuestion
Q-EXE-01Which strategic goals does this initiative serve, and how does it rank against your other priorities?
Q-EXE-02What budget and timeline are you prepared to commit, and what would make you stop it?
Q-EXE-03Which decisions do you want to take yourself, and which do you delegate?
Q-EXE-04How will you judge the solution team at the first steering meeting?

7.2 Process owner

IDQuestion
Q-OWN-01Which policies and rules govern this process, and which of them are you willing to change?
Q-OWN-02How do the sites or regions differ, and which differences are justified?
Q-OWN-03Which measures do you report on for this process today?
Q-OWN-04Who must approve a change to how this process works?

7.3 End user or practitioner

IDQuestion
Q-USR-01Show me, on your screen if possible, how you handle a typical case.
Q-USR-02Which part of your day is wasted, and on what?
Q-USR-03What do new colleagues struggle with when they learn this work?
Q-USR-04What must the new way of working keep, because it works well today?

7.4 IT operations and support

IDQuestion
Q-OPS-01Which incidents and problems recur for these systems, and what causes them?
Q-OPS-02How are these systems monitored, backed up, patched and released today?
Q-OPS-03What are the support hours, escalation paths and contractual service levels?
Q-OPS-04Which components are end of life or depend on one person's knowledge?

7.5 Security, risk and compliance

IDQuestion
Q-SEC-01Which regulations, standards and internal policies apply to this area?
Q-SEC-02What open audit findings or risk acceptances relate to these processes or systems?
Q-SEC-03How is access granted, reviewed and removed today?
Q-SEC-04Where must data be stored and processed, and who may access it from where?

7.6 Data owner or analyst

IDQuestion
Q-DOW-01Which data do you own, and which definitions are disputed?
Q-DOW-02How is data quality measured, and what are the known problems?
Q-DOW-03How much history must be kept and migrated, and why?

7.7 Finance and procurement

IDQuestion
Q-FIN-01What does the current solution cost to run, including licences, contracts and staff?
Q-FIN-02Which contracts renew or expire in the next three years, and with what notice periods?
Q-FIN-03How are capital and operating costs approved for this initiative?

7.8 External partner or customer

IDQuestion
Q-EXT-01How do you exchange information with us today, and what goes wrong?
Q-EXT-02What would make working with us easier?
Q-EXT-03Which changes on our side would cost you effort, and how much notice do you need?

8. Probing and questioning techniques

TechniqueHow to use itExample
Ask about a specific past eventAnchor on the last real case instead of "usually""Tell me about the last order that got stuck."
Follow the threadLet the interviewee's answer decide the next question, then return to the plan"You mentioned the spreadsheet. Who else uses it?"
Ask for numbers and rangesTurn "often" and "slow" into frequencies and durations"Roughly how many times a week? Is it closer to 5 or 50?"
Ask why, carefullyAsk "what makes that necessary?" rather than a blunt "why?" to find the underlying need"What makes the second approval necessary?"
Ask for a demonstrationAsk to see the screen, form or spreadsheet"Could you show me where you check that?"
Summarise and confirmRestate the answer in your words and ask whether it is right"So the hold is released only after a phone call. Is that correct?"
Use silencePause after an answer; people often add the most useful detailCount to five before the next question
Separate need from solutionWhen a feature is requested, ask what problem it solves"If you had that button, what would it let you do?"

Avoid these patterns:

  • Leading questions ("Wouldn't it be better if the system did X?").
  • Double questions (two questions in one sentence).
  • Jargon and internal project names the interviewee does not use.
  • Promising features or dates.
  • Arguing with the interviewee's view; record it and test it later.

9. Closing script

  1. "Is there anything important that I have not asked about?"
  2. "Who else should we talk to, and is there a document or report we should see?"
  3. Read back any follow-up actions with owners and dates.
  4. Confirm whether quotations may be used, and in what form.
  5. Explain when and how they will see the synthesis, and thank them.

10. Notes sheet

FieldValue
Interview ID[INT-NNN]
Date, time and formatYYYY-MM-DD, [hh:mm], [In person / Video]
Interviewee[Name or code], [Role]
Interviewer and note taker[@names]
Agreement to notes, recording, quotation[Notes yes; recording yes or no; quotation yes, no or anonymous only]
Objectives covered[IO-01, IO-02]
Question IDAnswer (facts, numbers, quotations in quotation marks)Interpretation (interviewer)Codes
Q-PROC-01 (Example)Last stuck order on Tuesday: credit hold, controller on leave, released after 2 days by phone from the sales managerSingle point of failure in credit releasePAIN, PROC-CREDIT, ROLE-DEPENDENCY
Q-PROC-04 (Example)"Every hold goes into my spreadsheet, because the system does not let me add a reason." About 15 per weekAudit trail gap; candidate requirementPAIN, COMPLIANCE, REQ-CANDIDATE
Q-NFR-02 (Example)If the order system is down for an hour at month-end, about 200 orders are delayed to the next dayMonth-end availability matters more than average availabilityNFR-RELIABILITY
[Q-ID][Answer][Interpretation][Codes]
Follow-upOwnerDue
Example: Send copy of the credit hold spreadsheet with personal data removedIntervieweeYYYY-MM-DD
[Follow-up][Owner]YYYY-MM-DD

11. Coding and synthesis

11.1 Code book

CodeMeaningExample
GOALA stated business goal or success measureReduce order lead time
PAINA problem in the current process, with its effectOrders wait for credit release
PROC-[name]Relates to a named processPROC-CREDIT
DATAData quality, ownership or availability issueDuplicate customer records
SYSSystem capability, usability or reliability issueSlow pricing screen
NFR-[characteristic]Quality expectation, by ISO/IEC 25010:2023 characteristicNFR-RELIABILITY
CONSTRAINTRegulation, contract, date or budget limitTax rule effective from a fixed date
COMPLIANCEAudit, control or regulatory needMissing approval evidence
REQ-CANDIDATEA statement that may become a requirementRecord the reason for each hold release
CHANGE-RISKConcern about adoption or resistanceFear of losing local control
CONFLICTDisagreement with another stakeholder's viewCentral versus local credit decisions
[Code][Meaning][Example]

11.2 Theme summary

Counts use the number of interviews held at the time of synthesis as the denominator. Example: 23 of the 29 planned interviews held (section 13.2).

Theme IDThemeInterviews mentioning itGroupsStrengthRepresentative evidenceLeads to
TH-01 (Example)Credit holds create delays and lack an audit trail13 of 23Users, process owners, complianceStrongINT-003, INT-007, INT-011Requirement candidate, current-state finding
TH-02 (Example)Customer prices are kept in several places8 of 23Users, financeModerateINT-002, INT-009Data finding, workshop topic
TH-03 (Example)Regions disagree on central credit control5 of 23Process owners, executivesConflictINT-001, INT-005Decision for sponsor
[TH-NN][Theme][Count][Groups][Strong / Moderate / Weak / Conflict][INT-][Destination]

Define the strength scale before synthesis, for example Strong when more than half of the interviews in two or more groups mention the theme, and report counts so that readers can judge for themselves. Stop adding interviews for a group when two consecutive interviews add no new theme, and say so in the synthesis.

11.3 Outputs

OutputDestination
Candidate requirementsBusiness Requirements Specification (requirements/business-requirements) or Stakeholder Requirements Specification (requirements/stakeholder-requirements)
Current-state findingsCurrent-State Assessment (architecture/current-state-assessment)
Topics needing a group decisionDiscovery Workshop Plan (requirements/discovery-workshop-plan)
Risks and concernsRAID Log (project/raid-log)
Stakeholder attitudes and engagement needsStakeholder Register (project/stakeholder-register)

12. Follow-ups and validation

IDItem to validateMethodOwnerDueResult
VAL-001 (Example)About 15 credit holds per week per controllerReport from the order system for the last 3 months@business-analystYYYY-MM-DD[Result]
VAL-002 (Example)Month-end outage delays about 200 orders per hourOrder volume by hour at the last two month-ends@business-analystYYYY-MM-DD[Result]
VAL-003 (Example)Theme TH-01 summary is accurateSend summary to interviewees INT-003, INT-007@lead-interviewerYYYY-MM-DD[Result]
[VAL-NNN][Item][Document / Data / Observation / Read-back][@owner]YYYY-MM-DD[Result]

Send each interviewee a short summary of what they said, or the theme summary, and invite corrections within a set period. Record corrections in the notes sheet and keep the original text.

13. Interview log and coverage

13.1 Interview log

Interview IDDateInterviewee (role or code)GroupSiteInterviewersNotes linkStatus
INT-001 (Example)YYYY-MM-DDChief Operating OfficerExecutive sponsorsHead office@lead-interviewer[Link]Notes reviewed
INT-002 (Example)YYYY-MM-DDPricing analystEnd usersCentral@lead-interviewer, @analyst[Link]Notes reviewed
INT-003 (Example)YYYY-MM-DDCredit controllerEnd usersNorth@analyst[Link]Follow-up open
[INT-NNN]YYYY-MM-DD[Role][Group][Site][@names][Link][Planned / Held / Notes reviewed / Cancelled]

13.2 Coverage matrix

ObjectiveExecutive sponsorsProcess ownersEnd usersIT operationsData ownersSecurity and complianceExternal partners
IO-01 Goals (Example)3 of 34 of 6
IO-02 Current process (Example)5 of 67 of 102 of 31 of 3
IO-03 Constraints (Example)2 of 33 of 62 of 2
IO-04 Quality (Example)2 of 66 of 103 of 32 of 2
IO-05 Change readiness (Example)3 of 36 of 68 of 10
[IO-NN]

14. Glossary and references

14.1 Glossary

TermMeaning
CodeA short label attached to a piece of interview evidence so that it can be grouped
ElicitationDrawing out information from stakeholders and other sources
Leading questionA question that suggests the answer the interviewer expects
ProbeA follow-up question that asks for detail, an example or a number
SaturationThe point at which further interviews in a group add no new themes
ThemeA pattern found across several interviews, supported by coded evidence

14.2 References

IDReferenceVersion or dateUse
REF-01A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide), International Institute of Business AnalysisVersion 3, 2015Elicitation and Collaboration knowledge area; Interviews technique (structure only)
REF-02ISO/IEC 25010:2023 Systems and software Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE), Product quality modelEdition 2, November 2023Characteristic names used for non-functional probes
REF-03Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation), eur-lex.europa.euAs consolidated; check the current textArticles 5 and 13, section 2
REF-04European Data Protection Board, Guidelines 05/2020 on consent under Regulation 2016/679, edpb.europa.euVersion 1.1, adopted 4 May 2020Section 2.1, consent in the employment context
REF-05Stakeholder Register (project/stakeholder-register)[Version]Interviewee selection
REF-06[Internal privacy notice or research policy][Version]Section 2

Standard and licence note

Structure aligned with the Interviews technique and the Elicitation and Collaboration knowledge area of A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide) Version 3, published by the International Institute of Business Analysis, and with the product quality characteristics of ISO/IEC 25010:2023. Only technique, knowledge area and characteristic names are used; no text, definitions or tables from either source are reproduced, and the questions, scripts and examples are original. The privacy section is based on Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (Articles 5 and 13), paraphrased in original words; it is a documentation format, not legal advice, and you should check the consolidated text and local law. Obtain the BABOK Guide from IIBA and the standard from ISO or your national body for their full content. BABOK and IIBA are registered trademarks of the International Institute of Business Analysis; this template is not affiliated with or endorsed by it. Template licence: MIT.

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