If inconsistencies arise between different elicitation results, the business analyst (BA) should:

When elicitation results show inconsistencies, it typically indicates differing perspectives, needs, or understandings among stakeholders. The business analyst's fundamental role is to facilitate communication and build a shared understanding. The most appropriate first step is to engage the relevant stakeholders in a collaborative process. By bringing the sources of the conflicting information together, the BA can facilitate a discussion to explore the discrepancies, negotiate a resolution, and arrive at a consolidated, agreed-upon result. This approach ensures that all viewpoints are considered and the final outcome is accurate and has stakeholder buy-in.

A. escalate them to the business sponsor. Escalation is a last resort for major roadblocks or strategic disagreements, not the initial step for resolving informational inconsistencies.
B. report them to the project manager. While keeping the project manager informed is important, the BA's role is to analyze and resolve such issues, not simply report them.
D. reconcile them through experience. Unilaterally resolving conflicts based on personal experience can introduce bias and lead to incorrect requirements by overriding valid stakeholder perspectives. ---

1. International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). (2015). A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide) (Version 3).

Section 4.3.4.3

Compare Elicitation Results Against Other Elicitation Results: This section explicitly states

"Inconsistencies in elicitation results are often discovered when comparing results from multiple elicitation activities... The business analyst is responsible for identifying and resolving these conflicts." The resolution process described is inherently collaborative.

Section 9.3.2

Interaction Skills - Facilitation: This section details the BA's competency in facilitating interactions. It states

"Business analysts facilitate interactions between stakeholders in order to help them make a decision

solve a problem... or reach an agreement." Resolving inconsistent results is a form of problem-solving that requires facilitated agreement.

2. Pohl

K. (2010). Requirements Engineering: Fundamentals

Principles

and Techniques. Springer.

Chapter 7

Elicitation: This chapter discusses the challenges of elicitation

including conflicting stakeholder views. It emphasizes that "conflict resolution is a negotiation process" that involves identifying the conflict and having stakeholders "negotiate a resolution that is acceptable to all of them." This supports the principle of collaborative resolution. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12578-2)