What does "requirements traceability" refer to in a project lifecycle?

Requirements traceability refers to the ability to link requirements throughout the project lifecycle to ensure that all requirements are addressed and met. This process is crucial because it helps project teams track the origin and evolution of each requirement, ensuring that every need identified at the beginning of the project is accounted for in the final deliverable.

By maintaining traceability, teams can confirm that requirements are linked to specific project deliverables, changes can be managed effectively, and stakeholders can trace the relationships between requirements and outcomes. This practice aids in managing scope changes, validating whether completed work meets the specified requirements, and ensuring accountability, ultimately leading to a more successful project outcome.

The other options focus on different aspects of project management that do not pertain to the linkage and fulfillment of requirements, such as scheduling, budgeting, and stakeholder engagement, making them less relevant in the context of requirements traceability.