What is the primary goal of elicitation activities in business analysis?

The primary goal of elicitation activities in business analysis is to gather information from stakeholders, which includes identifying their needs, requirements, and perspectives about the business or project. This process involves engaging stakeholders through various techniques such as interviews, workshops, surveys, and observation, enabling the business analyst to collect a comprehensive set of requirements that reflect what the stakeholders want and need.

While gathering existing business analysis information can be a part of the overall process, the focus of elicitation is more about actively drawing out new information and insights directly from stakeholders rather than simply compiling pre-existing data. This new information is often crucial for understanding the context and scope of the project, which helps in devising effective solutions that align with stakeholder expectations.

The other options, while related to business analysis, do not capture the essence of the elicitation activities as well as gathering stakeholder input does. For instance, preparing for stakeholder engagement is certainly important but is more of a preliminary step in the overall analysis process rather than the defining characteristic of elicitation itself. Evaluating current business performance and conducting market research are distinct activities that may occur later in the analysis process or as separate endeavors, rather than being the primary focus of elicitation.