MCBA Program

Module 1

Program Introduction and Business Analysis Fundamentals

On the opening day, we build the foundation of the certificate program. We discuss the competency requirements, responsibilities, and the relationship between the Business Analyst role, the stakeholders and the project team. We introduce a real world case study and establish teams for homework assignments.

What You Will Learn:

• The project/product life cycle and the role of the Business Analyst
• The competencies of the Business Analyst
• The project team and team members’ roles
• The knowledge areas of the IIBA Body of Knowledge

Module 2

Planning, Validating and Managing User Requirements

Develop a plan that includes determining the requirements activities a BA will perform on a particular project and how you will control and manage changes to the deliverables. Develop a high level test plan to verify and validate your user requirements and achieve quality performance.

What You Will Learn:

• Understand the importance of the planning and managing aspect in the role of the Business Analyst
• Identify and Analyze stakeholders
• Determine product scope
• Determine planning considerations
• Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that is Requirements driven, focusing on planning, testing and managing responsibilities
• Select and estimate requirements activities in all phases of the project
• Develop a Risk plan that is based on the WBS and the stakeholders
• Discuss the importance of testing and testing strategies
• Develop a high level test plan
• Identify, analyze, and manage requirements change Requirements traceability

Module 3

Creativity and Critical Thinking

Think “outside of the box” and put creativity and innovation into your everyday business analysis practices.

What You Will Learn:

• Critical thinking and problem solving approaches
• Determine root causes
• Proven techniques to enhance your personal creativity and strategic thinking skills
• Draft a problem statement that clearly defines your challenge
• Apply innovative thinking techniques to generate business systems solutions
• Identify the best solutions and create successful action plans

Module 4

Communications Input: Questioning. Listening. Facilitating. Managing Conflict.

Elicit user requirements and recommend the business solution by effectively communicating with stakeholders

What You Will Learn:

• Working effectively with all communication styles
• Questioning techniques for stakeholders
• Effective listening and clarifying skills
• Facilitating a group think
• Managing  conflict and building consensus

Module 5

Eliciting User Requirements

Equip yourself with these competencies: gather, document and identify correct user requirements.

What You Will Learn:

• The roles and responsibilities of the Business Analyst in the requirements gathering process
• Manage requirements scope
• Identify key stakeholders
• Types of requirements
• Requirements gathering techniques
• Capture, clarify and confirm requirements
• How to create excellent requirements
• How to write clear, complete and unambiguous requirements
• How to prioritize requirements
• Requirements testability and traceability

Module 6

Modeling the Business Problem and Solution

Learn and apply modeling techniques that will help you analyze, formalize and validate business and system requirements.

What You Will Learn:

• The key analysis models every BA should have in his/her toolkit, their purpose and strengths, and when to use each of them
• Techniques to document, analyze and redesign business processes
• How to build a logical data model to represent an organization’s information requirements and business rules
• How to develop a Use Case Model, considered to be ‘industry best practice’ in representing functional requirements
• Fundamental business rules concepts and the inter-relationships between Business Rules, Business Processes, Logical Data Models and Use Case Models

Module 7

Communications Output: Planning, Writing, Presenting

Write readable documents and present clear requirements and solutions to stakeholders. Develop a communications plan to get buy-in for your solution from stakeholders

What You Will Learn:

• Write clear and concise requirements
• Assemble a requirements package, complete with executive summary and a plan for how requirements will be communicated
• Present requirements to different types of audiences and ensure that the contents are understood
• Create a communication plan detailing stakeholders, the information needed by each, forms of communication

Module 8

Filling in the Gaps

This module is a full review of the material presented in the program mapped to the current edition of the IIBA body of knowledge. It provides a detailed look at the area referred to in the IIBA Body of Knowledge as Enterprise Analysis. At the end of this module, potential candiates for the IIBA CBAP exam will be equipped to sit for the exam.

What You Will Learn:

• Review of course material and IIBA Body of Knowledge
• Enterprise analysis activities and the BA role in Enterprise analysis
• A review of the CBAP exam process

Module 9

Final Exam and Simulation Execution

The final exam will be multiple choice questions and cover all the course material presented in the program.

In the project simulation, all participants in their assigned teams will present their completed real-world case study applying the knowledge and skills learned throughout the modules. Each team will follow the case study through the project life cylce, using critical thinking and creativity and resolving issues of communication and negotiation.

What You Will Learn:

• Gain insight into different approaches to the case study
• Handle communications across the entire project
• Relate concpets taught in the course to actual projects
• Produce the deliverables needed to complete the project successfully