Business Analysis Fundamentals Course (Level 1 – ECBA™ Certification Preparation Course)

Don’t get left behind…

Business strategy execution depends upon developing and implementing solutions that provide demonstrable value to an organisation. Optimal value however can only be realised when solutions are based on precise requirements that fully address an issue or opportunity within the context of the “whole organisation and environment.”

What you gain from the course

Enrol for Business Analysis Fundamentals course and you’ll gain:

• Hands-on, business ready expertise that you can immediately apply
• Comprehensive Business Analysis program materials and case studies

Our three day interactive and practical course provides you with proven tools, techniques and processes to help deliver solutions that satisfy stakeholder requirements and deliver expected benefits to the organisation.

Aligned with A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge^® (BABOK^® Guide), current research, and best practice industry standards, this course enables business analysts to effectively undertake their role and to gain an appreciation of the knowledge areas required for the Entry Level Certification in Business Analysis™ (ECBA™) certificate.

Course Objective

This course provides participants with the fundamental knowledge of the processes and disciplines that enable the delivery of objective requirements that add maximum value to an organisation.

By combining a practical and pragmatic approach to business analysis, aligned with industry standards, this course will provide you with the opportunity to prepare for the International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA^® ) industry certification ECBA™.

Using real-life scenarios will develop your skills, enabling you to put into practice tasks and techniques that allows you to gain general knowledge and practical experience.

Undertaking a set of review questions at the end of each session will ensure full understanding of the material covered. It will also serve as a study aid for those who wish to undertake the ECBA™ certificate.

Note: whilst this course helps prepare you for the ECBA™ certification, additional self-study is required prior to taking the exam. Please speak to your course Trainer if you are planning to sit the ECBA™ exam for direction and study advice.

Course Summary

Session 1: Setting the Scene

Course objectives. IIBA certification.

Session 2: Introduction to Business Analysis – Core Concepts

What is Business Analysis? Core competencies of a successful Business Analyst. Working with the BABOK^® Guide.

Session 3: Planning Business Analysis activities

Planning and the BABOK^® Guide. Writing a problem / opportunity statement. Scope modelling.

Session 4: Eliciting and Communication Information

Elicitation and the BABOK^® Guide. Conducting elicitation using collaborative games. Confirming elicitation results and communicating information.

Session 5: Stakeholder collaboration

Identifying and analysing stakeholders. Categorising stakeholders. Engaging stakeholders through collaboration.

Session 6: Strategy analysis

Strategy analysis and the BABOK^® Guide. Analysing the current state. Defining the future state.

Session 7: Defining requirements

Requirements and the BABOK^® Guide. Writing effective requirements (taking into account attributes, constraints, business rules and assumptions).

Session 8: Requirements Lifecycle Management

Requirements lifecycle management and the BABOK^® Guide. Overview of tracing and maintaining requirements. Prioritising requirements. Assessing and approving requirements changes.

Session 9: Modelling requirements

The Requirements Analysis and Design Definition knowledge area. Specifying and modelling requirements. Understanding the difference between: requirements and designs, and matrices and diagrams. Using models to drive requirements.

Session 10: Evaluating Requirements, Designs and the Solution

Evaluating requirements through verification and validation. Recommending a solution using acceptance and evaluation criteria. Evaluating the implemented solution.

This course follows a practical path with participants working on a case study to fully define, scope, model, validate and verify a solution based on elicited, prioritised requirements from identified stakeholders.

Professional Certification

IIBA is a non-profit organisation whose vision is to be the leading world-wide professional association that develops and maintains standards for the practice of Business Analysis, and for the certification of practitioners. PM-Partners is an Endorsed Education Provider of IIBA.

IIBA offers formal certifications for professional Business Analysts including ECBA, Certification of Competency in Business Analysis™ (CCBA^®) and Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP^®).

Successful completion of this course will enable participants to:

• Define the roles and responsibilities of a business analyst
• Articulate underlying competencies to guide them in Business Analysis best practices
• Define core business analysis concepts using the Business Analysis Core Concept Model (BACCM™)
• Identify key techniques as appropriate for business analysis activities
• Identify core business analysis activities as they relate to each knowledge area in the BABOK^®  Guide
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding in how to approach business analysis planning, information management and stakeholder engagement
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding in how to collaborate, communicate and conduct elicitation efforts with stakeholders
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding in how to manage requirements including prioritising, tracing, managing, changing and approving requirements activities
• Demonstrate an awareness of understanding how to capture current and desired state in a manner that proves alignment to organisational strategy.
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of how to ensure that requirements and design meet the desired business need
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of how to ensure that value is sought when designing, delivering, implementing and maintaining a solution

BACCM™ is a trademark owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. These trademarks and certification marks are used with the express permission of International Institute of Business Analysis.

To gain the greatest benefit from participation in this course, participants should be working in a Business Analysis environment or planning to do so within the near future.