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User Requirements Document (URD) Principles

What is the User Requirements Document (URD) ?

The User Requirement Document (URD) is a structured definition of the MOD's through-life need for a bounded capability which is managed throughout the life of the capability.

What is the purpose of the URD ?

It defines what outcome or effect is needed, in what quantity, how effective and by when.
It informs the development of a System Requirements Document(SRD) to enable acquisition of the solution to the need.
It informs Through Life Capability Management that a capability gap has been bounded for equipment-centric acquisition purposes and allows residual gap analysis to take place.
It defines the benchmark to validate the SRD against and to conduct the following against:
- Balance Of Investment (BOI)
- analysis of Trade-Offs
- option down-selection
- Combined Operational Effectiveness Approval (part of the Combined Operational Effectiveness Investment Appraisal (COEIA))
- source selection – for service provision.
It defines the benchmark for levels of availability and sustainability to justify DE&S sponsored changes against.
It underpins the Initial Gate Business Case. The URD Part 1 (General Description) and Part 2 (Key User Requirements) form part of the Initial Gate Business Case. The remainder is available for reference.
It supports the Main Gate Business Case, as a reference document.

What is the Scope and Boundary of the URD ?

The scope and boundary of the URD includes:

What - in summary. Definition of one operational capability, as summarised in the Single Statement of User Need (SSON), delivered by all contributing DLoDs when all are exercised together, and subject to one Acceptance Strategy.
Who and what - in detail. All applicable user requirements and their justification for inclusion.
How much and how effective. The Measures of Effectiveness and values that define Full Operational Capability (FOC), expressed as Effectiveness Envelopes where appropriate.
When. The required in-service date(s), and operational life or out-of-service date(s).
Context. The context within which the capability is to be deployed or exercised.
Constraints. All applicable capability constraints, including constraints that the non-equipment DLoDs need to impose on the solution for the equipment DLoD.
Origins. A synopsis of the origins of the capability need.

Where is a URD applicable?

A URD is applicable whether there is an equipment or non-equipment gap, although it is typically applied in the equipment environment.

For URDs sponsored by Equipment Capability Customer (ECC)

A URD is used whenever closing a capability gap involves equipment-centric acquisition of new or upgraded capability. This is irrespective of whether the acquisition is of operational capability, enabling capability, managed services or any combination of these.

For URDs sponsored by Front Line Command (FLC)

A URD is used whenever an equipment-centric acquisition is needed in order to maintain established levels of availability and sustainability of an existing capability - the capability is updated.

How is Change Management applied ?

Throughout the Concept and Assessment stages of the acquisition programme (and to a much lesser extent after Main Gate) the scope of a URD is subject to managed adjustment. This occurs as the capability management and acquisition processes interact to optimise achievability and value-for-money.

A ‘Change’ is defined within the Programming Round. The Options process might de-scope requirements from a URD in response to a savings target.

After Initial Gate, and to a much greater extent after Main Gate, the scope for accommodating Changes is constrained by the need to consider submission of a Review Note to the Investment Approvals Board (IAB).

Min or changes to the URD that do not affect the definition of the capability gap (e.g. refinement of validation criteria) may be made within Equipment Planning Rounds.

What happens if the acquisition is Cancelled ?

If a complete acquisition is cancelled by the IAB at Initial or Main Gate then the Capability Management process should determine the future of the related URD.

What about Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs) ?

URDs should be raised for UORs. The urgency does not remove the need to take a systematic approach to define and express the need.

For further guidance see the SMART Approvals Guidance External link to Ministry of Defence Intranet content and AOF Approvals and Scrutiny.

What is the structure and format of a URD ?

Each URD consists of a complete, structured, set of individual requirements and constraints supported by other text and documents.

The URD Structure comprises five parts and although the standard format may be augmented it should not be abridged without very good reason.

The use of a requirements Management tool such as DOORs should be considered to ensure good configuration management and linking.

Change History