A number of cross-cutting activities are often needed to support the development and operation of programs. Elicitation is an important activity that, when performed correctly, effectively and accurately gathers and documents information needed to develop a program. The typical types of information include needs, goals, objectives, requirements, and stakeholder expectations. Some information may be in a documented form or stated clearly by the stakeholders, but much of the needed information may be implied or assumed. Elicitation processes help draw out and resolve this information, resolve conflicting information, build consensus, and validate the information. The following are the key enabling activities that can be used to support one or more of the life-cycle processes for a given program.