Once the body of knowledge was established, IIBA created the Certified Business Analysis Professional designation to recognise senior business analysts who could demonstrate in-depth long-term experience in these knowledge areas. IIBA also offers the Certification of Competency on Business Analysis designation that recognizes Business Analysts with 3750 hours business analysis experience, including 900 hours experience in two knowledge areas or 500 hours experience in four knowledge areas, and 21 professional development hours. For both certifications above the applicant must have a minimum high school education, two references from a career manager, client or Certified Business Analyst Professionaland sign the IIBA Code of Conduct. IIBA also offers the Entry Certificate in Business Analysis that does not require a reference.
Structure and content
BABOK Guide includes chapters on:
Business Analysis Key Concepts: define important terms that are the foundation of the practice of business analysis.
Knowledge Areas: represents the core content of BABOK Guide and contain the business analysis tasks that are used to perform business analysis.
Underlying Competencies: describes the behaviours, characteristics, knowledge, and personal qualities that help business analysts be effective in their job.
Techniques: describes 50 of the most common techniques used by business analysts.
Perspectives: describes 5 different views of business analysis. New to BABOK Guide version 3, Perspectives demonstrate the continued evolution of the practice of business analysis.
Knowledge areas
BABOK Guide organizes business analysis tasks within 6 knowledge areas. Each task describes the typical knowledge, skills, deliverables, and techniques that the business analyst requires to be able to perform those tasks competently. The knowledge areas logically organize tasks but do not specify a sequence, process, or methodology. The knowledge areas of BABOK Guide are:
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring: describes the tasks used to organize and coordinate business analysis efforts.
Elicitation and Collaboration: describes the tasks used to prepare for and conduct elicitation activities and confirm the results.
Requirements Life Cycle Management: the tasks used to manage and maintain requirements and design information from inception to retirement.
Strategy Analysis: describes the tasks used to identify the business need, address that need, and align the change strategy within the enterprise.
Requirements Analysis and Design Definition: describes the tasks used to organize requirements, specify and model requirements and designs, validate and verify information, identify solution options, and estimate the potential value that could be realized.
Solution Evaluation: describes the tasks used to assess the performance of and value delivered by a solution and to recommend improvements on increasing values.
