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While I strive for accuracy, this isn’t the ultimate PMO, Portfolio, Program, or Project Management encyclopedia. My goal is to record some of my learning and share it publicly, by no means does this work replace official sources or communicate fully implemented system I developed. Much of the work I develop are maintained in-house and exclusively used for client work. I consistently reference, read, watch and attend PMI related content to maintain my PMP PDUs, so if you are looking for resources stop by the pmi.org website and use of course use Google / Youtube or any site that will enhance your learning.
Knowledge Areas (Business Analysis)
These are in no particular order, but each have a unique role. The processes in the Stakeholder Engagement Knowledge Area are used throughout all business analysis efforts and interact with all the other Business Analysis Knowledge Areas. The processes in the Elicitation, Analysis, and Traceability and Monitoring Knowledge Areas tend to be used concurrently. The results obtained by using the processes in the Needs Assessment Knowledge Area are the basis for work conducted using the processes in Elicitation, Analysis, and Traceability and Monitoring. The processes in Elicitation, Analysis, and Traceability and Monitoring produce results that are analyzed with the processes in the Solution Evaluation Knowledge Area, which in turn, may trigger additional usage of the processes in the Needs Assessment Knowledge Area.
Needs Assessment: Analyzing current business problems or opportunities to understand what is necessary to attain the desired future state.
Stakeholder Engagement: Identifying and analyzing those who have an interest in the outcomes of the solution to determine how to collaborate and communicate with them.
Elicitation: Planning and preparing for elicitation, conducting elicitation, and confirming elicitation results to obtain information from sources.
Analysis: Examining, breaking down, synthesizing, and clarifying information to further understand it, complete it, and improve it.
Traceability and Monitoring: Tracing, approving, and assessing changes to product information to manage it throughout the business analysis effort.
Solution Evaluation: Validating a full solution, or a segment of a solution, that is about to be or has already been implemented to determine how well a solution meets the business needs and delivers value to the organization.
The nature of business analysis is described through 35 processes distributed across the six Buiness Analysis Process Groups. Each Process Group is independent of the application area or industry in which it is performed. Processes are not one-time events, and processes can overlap throughout the project and product life cycles. Though the BA process groups look similar to those which are outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), these are not the same and specific to the BA role.
Defining and Aligning Process Group: The processes performed to investigate and evaluate the viability of initiating a new product or changes to or retirement of an existing product as well as defining scope and aligning products, portfolios, programs, and projects to the overall organizational strategy.
Initiating Process Group: The process performed to define the portfolio, program, or project objectives and apply resources to a portfolio component, program, project, or project phase.
Planning Process Group: The processes performed to determine an optimal approach for performing business analysis activities, including how they are adapted for the chosen project life cycle, and to analyze the internal and external stakeholders who will interact and influence the overall definition of the solution.
Executing Process Group: The processes performed to elicit, analyze, model, define, verify, validate, prioritize, and approve all types of product information, ranging from backlogs to user stories and requirements to constraints.
Monitoring and Controlling Process Group: The processes performed on an ongoing basis to assess the impact of proposed product changes with a portfolio, program, or project to assess business analysis performance and to promote ongoing communication and engagement with stakeholders.
Releasing Process Group: the process performed to determine whether all or part of a solution should be released and to obtain acceptance that all or part of a solution is ready to be transitioned to an operational team that will take ongoing responsibility for it.
Defining and Aligning Process Group consists of the processes performed to investigate and evaluate the viability of initiating a new product, making changes to an existing product, or retiring a product; it also includes defining scope and aligning products, portfolios, programs, and projects to the overall organizational strategy.
An assessment of the current internal and external environments and current capabilities of the organization is performed to identify any organizational capability gaps that might impede the business from achieving its strategic goals and objectives.
A critical part of the work performed with the Defining and Aligning Process Group is to support creating the business case. The business case provides justification to pursue a solution and some form of enterprise change to address the business need. The results of the analysis performed in the Defining and Aligning Process Group provide essential information used by the business to initiate portfolio components, program, and projects to realize strategy, satisfy business objectives, and increase the value delivered by existing or new portfolios.
The knowledge Areas and Process Groups are the framework to establish a foundation of organizing the processes. I did not include the 35 processes on this page, but I define each process in this downloadable pdf file for you to read. I do map each process to the corresponding Knowledge Area and Process Group. To get a more in-depth understanding of BA and Project Management, I suggest visiting PMI to learn more.
Created and authored by George J. Raymond, inspired by many educational resources, books, certifications earned, and project management experiences. Website designed, planned, and created by nextgenray.com.