To elicit the objectives, ask the business expert, the development manager, and the project sponsor the following questions −
● What business objectives of the company will this project help achieve?
● Why are we doing this project now?
● What will happen if we do it later?
● What if we do not do it at all?
● Who will benefit from this project?
● Do the people who will benefit from it consider it the most important improvement that can possibly be made at this time?
● Should we be doing a different project instead?
Possible objectives might be reducing costs, improving the customer service, simplifying the work flow, replacing obsolete technology, piloting a new technology, and many others. Also, make sure you understand exactly how the proposed project will help accomplish the stated objective.