Derivation is the backwards tracing activity in requirements traceability. It involves identifying the source or origin of a requirement, such as a business need, a stakeholder request, a regulation, or another requirement. Derivation helps to ensure that the requirements are aligned with the business objectives, to validate the rationale and assumptions behind the requirements, and to assess the impact of changes or issues on the requirements12.
The other options are not correct because:
Option A is incorrect. Allocation is a forward tracing activity in requirements traceability. It involves assigning or distributing a requirement to one or more components of a solution, such as a system, a module, a function, or a process. Allocation helps to ensure that the requirements are covered by the solution, to verify the feasibility and consistency of the requirements, and to measure the progress and performance of the solution34.
Option B is incorrect. Lineage tracking is not a specific term used in requirements traceability. It may refer to the general process of tracing the history and evolution of a requirement from its origin to its current state, or vice versa. However, it is not a standard or widely accepted term in the business analysis domain5.
Option D is incorrect. Backwards pass is a term used in project management, not in requirements traceability. It is a technique for calculating the late start and late finish dates of the project activities by working backwards from the project end date. It is part of the critical path method for scheduling the project activities6.
References:
Requirements Traceability, section “Description of Change”
What is Traceability? - Jama Software, section “Backward to Requirements”
Allocation, section “Description of Change”
Requirements Allocation, section “What is Requirements Allocation?”
Forward and backward traceability: Requirements and challenges (Keynote), section “Abstract”
Backward Pass, section “Description of Change”
