TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> Development has already started, the BRs are
> unfinished, and the FRs have not even been started.
> The FRs are supposed to be developed from the Use
> Cases (which sounds bassackwards to me), and the UCs
> also have not been started.
This late in the game, the originally planned sequence is
probably no longer operable. Unless upper management
is waiting to see the UCs, BRs and FRs so they can
decide whether to allow development to go on as-is or
order a change in direction, what you will be doing is
documenting the status quo for them so they can use it
as a baseline to ensure that development doesn't stray
from its current direction. It's possible that your "mutant
hybrid bastard document" might be just what is needed
here, if you can make a case for it to your director.
> My job here will focus on documentation for future
> reconfiguration, maintenance, and modification of the
> system. The developers have actually been working with
> the IT director for over 6 months now, and everybody
> figures they already know so much about what the
> outcome should act like, they don't need a design
> guide now.
If this is truly the case, the documentation should be
relatively easy. You won't be developing requirements,
but extracting the participants' concepts of what they
are (i.e., what they're working to), comparing them to
ensure they're all on the same wavelength, then writing
what amounts to a report to upper management.
As far as how to shape the docs for the execs, try to
avoid words with more than two syllables. :)
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
Now shipping: Help & Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help & Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
