Using AI to Move from "Order Taker" to "Strategic Partner"

Ways of Working

Betsy Stockdale

Senior Enterprise Systems Analyst

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

About the Presentation

In the traditional project lifecycle, the Discovery Phase is often the most volatile and time-consuming. Project Managers and Business Analysts frequently find themselves trapped in a cycle of manual transcription, chasing stakeholders for "the real requirements," and discovering critical scope gaps far too late.

But now, the game has changed. This session explores how the rise of Agentic AI and Context Engineering is transforming Discovery from a documentation hurdle into a high-speed strategic advantage. We will move beyond basic prompt engineering to explore how "Synthetic Stakeholders" can stress-test your scope before you even hold your first meeting.

Join us to learn how to stop being an "order taker" and start being the strategic architect of your project’s success. It’s time to let AI do the heavy lifting so you can do the heavy thinking.

Learning Objectives:

·         The AI Discovery Toolkit: How to use AI to ingest "dark data" and surface invisible project risks.

·         The Human-in-the-Loop Advantage: Why AI is a world-class synthesizer but a terrible negotiator—and how to lean into your unique human strengths.

·         Real-Time Requirement Mapping: A workflow to automate the "Admin Tax" of generating User Stories and Acceptance Criteria.

·         The Monday Morning Challenge: A 5-minute practical exercise to identify stakeholder conflicts before they derail your project.

About Betsy Stockdale

Betsy Stockdale has spent years mastering the art of requirements elicitation for some of the world's most iconic brands, including Dell, Disney, and currently, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). As a Senior Enterprise Systems Analyst, Betsy focuses on defining scope and optimizing systems to ensure project managers have a clear path to success.

She is particularly passionate about "paying it forward" through mentoring, helping the next generation of analysts and project leaders master the communication skills necessary for effective project discovery.