Cbap/Ccba

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Susan Weese, CBAP(R), PgMP, PMP, is founder of Rhyming Planet Inc., a Colorado-based IT project anagement/business analysis consulting firm. She has over 25 years of software and project management experience and currently focuses her consulting activities on project management and requirements development. Terri Wagner, PMP, is founder of Mentor Source, Inc., a Colorado-based business leadership and project management coaching, mentoring, consulting, and training company. She is an experienced instructional designer, coauthor, and technical editor who has produced several business leadership, project management, and business analysis textbooks and educational programs. Terri has also taught domestically and internationally to state agencies, governmental entities, corporate clients, and at the graduate level in the university system.

Introduction xix Assessment Test xxxii Chapter 1 Foundation Concepts 1 What Is Business Analysis? 2 The Business Analyst's Role 3 Additional Roles: Generalist, Specialist, and Hybrid 4 Essential Skills of Effective Business Analysts 4 The Business Analyst and the Project Manager 6 Dealing with Key Stakeholders 7 Exploring the Business Analysis Knowledge Areas 9 Knowledge Area: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring 10 Knowledge Area: Elicitation 11 Knowledge Area: Requirements Management and Communication 11 Knowledge Area: Enterprise Analysis 11 Knowledge Area: Requirements Analysis 12 Knowledge Area: Solution Assessment and Validation 12 How Are the Knowledge Areas Organized? 13 Exploring Requirements 14 Determining the Business Analysis Approach 15 Defining the Requirements Management Process 15 Classifying Requirements 16 Understanding How This Applies to Your Projects 21 Summary 24 Exam Essentials 25 Key Terms 26 Review Questions 27 Answers to Review Questions 31 Chapter 2 Controlled Start: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring 33 Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring 34 The Business Analyst s Task List 35 When Does Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Take Place? 35 Plan the Business Analysis Approach 37 Conduct Stakeholder Analysis 49 Plan Business Analysis Activities 59 Plan Business Analysis Communication 67 Plan Requirements Management Process 75 Manage Business Analysis Performance 81 How This Applies to Your Projects 88 Summary 90 Exam Essentials 91 Key Terms 92 Review Questions 93 Answers to Review Questions 97 Chapter 3 Controlled Start: Enterprise Analysis 99 Enterprise Analysis 100 The Business Analyst's Task List 101 When Does Enterprise Analysis Take Place? 102 Define the Business Need 102 Assess Capability Gaps 110 Determine Solution Approach 117 Define the Solution Scope 121 Define Business Case 126 How This Applies to Your Projects 132 Summary 134 Exam Essentials 135 Key Terms 137 Review Questions 138 Answers to Review Questions 142 Chapter 4 Overarching Tasks: Requirements Management and Communication 145 Requirements Management and Communication 146 The Business Analyst s Task List 148 When Does Requirements Management and Communication Take Place? 149 Manage Solution Scope and Requirements 150 Manage Requirements Traceability 158 Maintain Requirements for Reuse 166 Prepare a Requirements Package 169 Communicate Requirements 176 How This Applies to Your Projects 181 Summary 183 Exam Essentials 184 Key Terms 186 Review Questions 187 Answers to Review Questions 191 Chapter 5 Controlled Middle: Elicitation 193 Requirements Elicitation 194 The Business Analyst s Task List 196 When Does Elicitation Take Place? 197 Prepare for Elicitation 197 Conduct Elicitation Activity 203 Document Elicitation Results 219 Confirm Elicitation Results 222 How This Applies to Your Projects 225 Summary 228 Exam Essentials 229 Key Terms 230 Review Questions 231 Answers to Review Questions 235 Chapter 6 Controlled Middle: Requirements Analysis 237 Requirements Analysis 238 The Business Analyst's Task List 240 When Does Requirements Analysis Take Place? 240 Prioritize Requirements 241 Organize Requirements 248 Specify and Model Requirements 253 Define Assumptions and Constraints 271 Verify Requirements 273 Validate Requirements 280 How This Applies to Your Projects 284 Summary 285 Exam Essentials 286 Key Terms 288 Review Questions 289 Answers to Review Questions 293 Chapter 7 Controlled End: Solution Assessment and Validation 295 Solution Assessment and Validation 296 The Business Analyst s Task List 298 When Does Solution Assessment and Validation Take Place? 298 Assess Proposed Solution 299 Allocate Requirements 303 Assess Organizational Readiness 308 Define Transition Requirements 313 Validate Solution 318 Evaluate Solution Performance 322 How This Applies to Your Projects 327 Summary 330 Exam Essentials 331 Key Terms 333 Review Questions 334 Answers to Review Questions 338 Chapter 8 Underlying Competencies 341 Essential Skills of Effective Business Analysts 342 When Are the Underlying Competencies Used? 343 Analytical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills 344 Behavioral Characteristics 348 Business Knowledge 349 Software Applications 352 Communication Skills 353 Interaction Skills 356 How This Applies to Your Projects 362 Summary 363 Exam Essentials 363 Key Terms 366 Review Questions 367 Answers to Review Questions 371 Appendix A Advice on Completing Your Exam Application 373 CBAP(R) Experience Requirements 374 CCBA Experience Requirements 375 Calculate Your Experience Hours 377 Additional Exam Eligibility Requirements 378 The Exam Application Process 380 Appendix B Knowledge Areas, Tasks, and Elements 383 Review the Six Knowledge Areas 384 Knowledge Areas, Tasks, and Elements 385 Appendix C Mapping Techniques, Stakeholders, and Deliverables to Knowledge Areas and Tasks 391 Techniques 392 Stakeholders 398 Deliverables 403 Appendix D Quick Summary of Business Analysis Techniques 409 Business Analysis Techniques 410 The 34 General Techniques 411 The 15 Knowledge-Area-Specific Techniques 413 Appendix E Quick Summary of Business Analysis Deliverables 417 Business Analysis Deliverables 418 Appendix F About the Companion CD 423 What You ll Find on the CD 424 Sybex Test Engine 424 Electronic Flashcards 424 PDF of the Glossary of Terms 424 Adobe Reader 424 System Requirements 424 Using the CD 425 Troubleshooting 425 Customer Care 426 Index 427