Business Analysis within a Project Environment

Courses Syllabus

Introduction

Today’s organisation deals with ever increasing levels of complexity and the ever increasing speed of change. In order to achieve maximum effectiveness managers must continually sharpen their skills. In this programme you will study how to:

• Understand and apply best practices of the business analysis discipline
• Conduct a business-needs analysis to elicit stakeholder requirements
• Utilise methods, tools and techniques to identify issues and opportunities
• Develop effective requirements and communication plans
• Prepare, manage and implement solution assessment and validation

objectives

• Understand how a business analyst acts as an intermediary managing the interests and needs of both the business/project management and IT communities
• Learn how to use a systematic approach based on “A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide)” Version 2.0 and “A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)”  5th Edition
• Understand and apply the systematic framework for conducting business analysis activities through the phases of the business analysis life cycle
• Provide best practices and theory with practical tools and techniques that can be applied immediately in your own organisation

Contents

Day One

Business Analysis Planning Monitoring

• Business Analysis and Project Management contexts
• Key Concepts and Knowledge Areas
• Introduction to Tasks and Techniques
• Sources of Business Analysis Information
• Business Analysis as part of a Project Plan
• Identify, analyse and communicate with relevant Project Stakeholders
• Determining activities, deliverables, resources and measures
• Define how to approve requirements and manage scope changes
• How to track, assess, and report on the quality of work

Day Two

Requirements Elicitation Management Communication

• How to ensure requirements are clear, correct and consistent
• How to draw information out of stakeholders
• Recording and confirming the information provided by stakeholders
• Managing Stakeholder Consensus for Scope & Requirements
• Manage objectives, requirements, deliverables, & components relationships
• Manage post-implementation knowledge of requirements
• Ensure requirements are understood, and usable, by stakeholders
• Managing productive workshops and making effective presentations

Day Three

Enterprise Analysis Requirements Analysis

• Identify and define why organisational change is required
• Identifying Needs for New Capabilities
• Defining solution scope and prepare the business case
• Does the Business Case justify investment required to deliver proposed solution
• Prioritizing and Organizing Requirements
• Specifying and Modelling Requirements
• Defining Assumptions and Constraints
• Verifying and Validating Requirements
• Solution Assessment & Validation

Day Four

Developing Business Analysis and Project Capabilities

• Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Behavioural Characteristics
• Business Knowledge
• Communication Skills
• Interaction and Conflict Resolution Skills
• Risk, responsibility, and skills analyses
• Time Management
• Case Study

Day Five

Business Analysis and Project Management

• Project Scope, Schedule and Metrics
• Team Development
• Power and Influence
• Business Analysis in a Project Environment
• Personal Planning
• Commitment to Action