FAQs
What Is an FAQ in ArchRepo?
An FAQ is a record of a question raised about the solution and the answer given. FAQs capture the clarifications, stakeholder queries, and responses that arise throughout the project — building a searchable knowledge base that can be referenced by anyone working on or reviewing the solution.
FAQs are referenced using the prefix FAQ- — FAQ-1, FAQ-2, and so on.
Why Record FAQs?
Questions raised during a project often contain valuable context that never makes it into formal documentation. A stakeholder asks why a particular approach was taken; a business analyst queries how an edge case will be handled; an auditor needs to understand a specific policy decision. Without a record, these answers are lost.
FAQs are not just for documenting past questions — they are actively useful during the project:
- Onboarding: New team members can search FAQs to answer common questions without interrupting the team.
- Workshops: Questions raised in workshops can be recorded immediately and tracked through to a formal answer.
- Reviews: Auditors and governance reviewers can see that questions have been raised and properly answered.
- Requirements clarification: A question about a requirement often reveals ambiguity — linking the FAQ to the requirement makes that context permanent.
Structure
Each FAQ record captures the full lifecycle of a question:
| Field | What it captures |
|---|---|
| Topic | The name or subject of the FAQ — the label used to identify and search for it |
| Question | The question raised, stated as fully as possible |
| Raised By | Who asked the question — name, role, or organisation |
| Date Raised | When the question was raised |
| Answer | The response given |
| Date Answered | When the answer was provided |
Status
FAQs support a status field to track where each question is in its lifecycle:
- Open — the question has been raised but not yet answered
- In Progress — the question is being researched or discussed
- Answered — a formal answer has been given
This allows open questions to be identified and prioritised, and provides an audit trail of when answers were given.
Action Tracker
For FAQs that require research, analysis, or input from specific people before they can be answered, the Action Tracker allows actions to be created against the FAQ. Each action has an owner, a due date, and its own status — enabling the work to formulate the answer to be tracked and managed.
Traceability
FAQs can be linked to the items in the solution model that they relate to or inform:
| Link | What it means |
|---|---|
| Supports Business Requirement | The question relates to or clarifies a business requirement |
| Supports Non-Functional Requirement | The question relates to a quality attribute or constraint |
| Supports Transition Requirement | The question relates to a transition or migration requirement |
| Supports Use Case | The question relates to a specific use case |
| Implements Business Reference | The answer draws on or implements a specific policy, standard, or regulation |
Fields Reference
See FAQ Fields for a description of each field and guidance on what to record.