A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) is the written guide to the collection of Business analysis knowledge reflecting current best practice, providing a framework that describes the areas of knowledge, with associated activities and tasks and skills required .
According to Capability Maturity Model Integration, organisations interested in process improvement need to adopt industry standards from the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (and other associated references) to lift their project delivery from the ad-hoc to the managed level.
History
The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge was first published by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) as a draft document version 1.4, in October 2005, for consultation with the wider business analysis and project management community, to document and standardise GeneRally accepted business analysis practices. The first formal release was at version 1.6 in June 2006. Version 2.0 was released 31st March 2009.
As with other bodies of knowledge, the BABOK is defined and updated by the professionals who use it every day, and is under ACTIVE review and consultation all the time.
Professional certification
Once the body of knowledge had been established, the IIBA created the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) designation to recognise senior business analysts who could demonstrate in-depth long-term experience in these knowledge areas (5-10 years in a dedicated business analyst role).
As of September 2008, the IIBA was developing intermediary certification to allow business analysts with less than 5 years experience to have their skills and competencies recognised.
Knowledge areas
The business analysis body of knowledge defines 6 knowledge areas, which group together related sets of tasks and techniques. Each of these tasks and techniques describes the typical knowledge, skills, processes, and deliverables that the business analyst requires to be able to perform those tasks competently.
While a flow of tasks and processes is suggested by these knowledge areas, the BABOK is deliberately not setting out a prescribed methodology. Indeed, version 2.0 has separated techniques from the knowledge area tasks, into a new section.
- Business analysis planning and monitoring
- how business analysts plan the tasks and activities for business analysis. It covers stakeholder analysis, selecting an approach to managing issues, risks and requirements; deciding how to monitor and report on requirements activities; and negotiating how to manage change on a project.
- Elicitation
- how business analysts work with stakeholders to help them understand their requirements within the scope of a project. It covers eliciting requirements; brainstorming; analysing documents; running focus groups; analysing system interfaces; interviewing; observing; prototyping; facilitating requirements workshops; reverse engineering existing systems; and collecting input via surveys and questionnaires.
- Requirements management and communication
- how business analysts ensure that the project team and stakeholders stay in agreement on project scope. It covers communicating requirements; resolving conflicts; gaining formal approval; baselining and tracking requirements through to implementation.
- Enterprise analysis
- how business analysts take a business need, expand and define that need, and propose a solution that could be implemented by the business. It explores establishing a business architecture; undertaking feasibility studies; defining the project scope; and developing a business case.
- Requirements analysis
- how business analysts work with the whole project team towards defining a solution that should meet the agreed requirements. It covers documenting and analysing end user, functional, and quality of service requirements; modelling the business domain using process diagrams, flowcharts, data models; exploring behaviour models using use case, user experience design, storyboards, wireframes, user profiles and user stories; and finally verifying and validating requirements.
- Solution assessment and validation
- how business analysts assess proposed solutions to help the stakeholders select the solution which best fits their requirements, and once selected how the business should prove that the solution meets those requirements and ultimately whether the project has met its objectives. It covers evaluating alternate solutions, quality assurance processes, support through implementation, and post-implementation reviews.
- Underlying competencies
- covers the leadership, problem solving, and communication skills; business and technical knowledge that support effective business analysis.