Business rules are statements that define or constrain some aspect of the business, such as policies, standards, procedures, regulations, or constraints. Business rules can be uncovered by asking about the reasons for choosing a particular course of action when modeling processes or analyzing tasks. By asking why a certain decision is made, what criteria are used, what conditions are applied, or what consequences are expected, the business analyst can elicit the business rules that govern the behavior or outcome of the process or task. Asking about tasks that overlap with each other, work that may be performed out of sequence, or task transitions that hinder organizational performance may help to identify issues or opportunities for improvement in the process or task, but they may not reveal the business rules that underlie them. References:
PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)Examination Content Outline1, page 15; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide2, page 95.

When a change request is received, the business analyst is responsible for analyzing the impact on business and underlying systems. The business analyst should assess how the change request will affect the business needs, objectives, and value, as well as the existing or planned systems, processes, and functions. The business analyst should also evaluate the feasibility, priority, and urgency of the change request, and provide recommendations and alternatives to the stakeholders. References: PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)Examination Content Outline1, page 23; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide2, page 132.

The next step that the business analyst should take after comparing the requirements to internal and external quality standards is to ensure that the requirements are validated. Validation is a process that confirms that the requirements align with the business objectives, stakeholder needs, and expected value of the project.
Validation also ensures that the requirements are feasible, acceptable, and testable. Validation can be performed by using techniques such as reviews, walkthroughs, inspections, or demonstrations. Validation can help to identify and resolve any errors, gaps, or conflicts in the requirements before they are approved and implemented. Setting the priority of the requirements is not the next step that the business analyst should take after comparing the requirements to internal and external quality standards, as it is a process that determines the order and importance of the requirements based on their value, risk, urgency, or dependency. Priority can be set before or after comparing the requirements to quality standards, but it does not verify or confirm that the requirements meet the stakeholder expectations or project goals. Communicating the requirements to stakeholders is not the next step that the business analyst should take after comparing the requirements to internal and external quality standards, as it is a process that involves sharing and presenting the requirements to relevant stakeholders for feedback, approval, or implementation. Communication can be done before or after comparing the requirements to quality standards, but it does not check or ensure that the requirements are aligned with the business objectives or deliver value to the stakeholders. Baselineing the requirements is not the next step that the business analyst should take after comparing the requirements to internal and external quality standards, as it is a process that establishes an agreed-upon version of the requirements as a reference point for further changes or development. Baselineing can be done only after validating and approving the requirements, as it implies that they are complete, correct, clear, and consistent. References:
Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide 1, page 113-114; PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)Examination Content Outline 2, page 17.

A requirements traceability matrix (RTM) is a tool that helps to track the relationship between the requirements and the product features, test cases, and other artifacts. It can be used to ensure that all requirements have been met by verifying that each requirement has a corresponding feature, test case, and acceptance criterion. A RTM can also help to identify the risks associated with dependent requirements, but that is not its primary purpose. A RTM does not define a convention to map the requirements to their sources, but rather uses an existing convention or standard. A RTM does not address the responsibility owner for each requirement, but rather shows the status and priority of each requirement. References: PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)Examination Content Outline1, PMI Guide to Business Analysis2, Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide

A RACI matrix is a tool that defines the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in a project or a process. It clarifies who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each task or deliverable. The business analyst should refer to the RACI matrix to identify who is responsible for signoff, as this person has the authority and accountability to approve the solution and its testing results. Contacting the sponsor, the stakeholder who provided the majority of requirements, or the project manager may not be appropriate, as they may not be the designated person for signoff according to the RACI matrix. No signoff is necessary is incorrect, as signoff is an important step to confirm that the solution meets the requirements and acceptance criteria. References: PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)Examination Content Outline1, page 13; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide2, page 77.