Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring

Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring 
focuses on laying the groundwork for successfully defining, planning, and completing the business analysis work for a project.

The Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring knowledge area also addresses monitoring and reporting on the business analysis work being performed on a project once the planning is complete and the work efforts are underway. This ensures the project’s business analysis effort produces the desired outcome and that the business analysis work is done right.

The tasks in this planning-focused knowledge area generate several key business analysis deliverables:
  1. Business analysis approach 
  2. Stakeholder engagement approach 
  3. Governance approach 
  4. Information management approach 
  5. Business analysis performance assessment
The controlled start to a project includes the pre-project activities where teams determine whether this is a viable and worthwhile project for the business.

The business analysis deliverables created at the beginning of a project are used to define, govern, and monitor the performance of all other business analysis tasks across the project life cycle. The plans and approaches developed for the overall project may require updates and additional details as each subsequent phase of the project life cycle is planned.

Plan the Business Analysis Approach
There are many ways to approach business analysis work on a project. To get the business analysis work started on a project, you must first decide how to go about doing it. The overall business analysis process for performing work consists of the following:
  • Deciding how and when business analysis tasks will be performed 
  • Agreeing on the techniques to be used 
  • Defining the deliverables to be produced
Predictive vs. Adaptive Approaches
Predictive planning approaches focus on ensuring that the solution is fully defined before its implementation begins. 
The biggest issue with predictive approaches is whether or not the solution requirements can actually be well defined prior to commencing the overall solution delivery efforts. In effect, predictive approaches use structure to control project risk.

Adaptive planning approaches are used on projects where many small iterations are defined and developed en route to the final result. 
Target rapid delivery of business value. To achieve that goal, they accept greater uncertainty (risk) relative to the overall solution delivery. This is an exploratory approach to finding the best solution, using short iterations to incrementally develop components of the solution.

Hybrid approaches combine aspects of both types and may require additional tailoring and scaling of the business analysis approach to combine them well.

Another way to think of predictive versus adaptive business analysis approaches is to call them traditional versus agile development methodologies.


Guidelines and tools that are applied when planning a business analysis approach:

Business Analysis Performance Assessment contains results from business analysis activities on previous projects for you to review and incorporate into your current approach to getting things done.

Business Policies define the limits within which business decisions must be made and how work will be completed. These policies also frame and constrain the business analysis approach that you select.

Expert Judgment is used to evaluate and build the optimal business analysis approach for your project. Your team will rely on individuals or groups with specialized knowledge or skills in business analysis and other aspects of the domain to assist in defining the approach.

Methodologies and Frameworks
The business analysis approach may be defined by a particular methodology, an organizational framework, or a combination of the two.
Methodologies and frameworks define and govern business analysis work on a project.

Stakeholder Engagement Approach Effective business analysts make sure that they understand their stakeholders. Stakeholder concerns and interests can impact the pieces and parts of your business analysis approach.

The detailed elements necessary to plan the business analysis approach include the following:
Select Planning Approach
ranging from predictive to adaptive.

Decide Formality and Level of Detail
All expected business analysis deliverables across the project life cycle should be defined in the business analysis approach.
Predictive approaches are usually quite formal and produce very detailed document sets requiring formal approval. Adaptive approaches can be quite informal, often limiting the documentation to a bare minimum.

Plan and Integrate Business Analysis Activities
If there are planning standards to follow for the project, the business analyst should use those standards when planning the business analysis work. These standards could include guidelines for estimating or specific planning and scheduling tools to be used. If the business analysis work plan is not consistent with the project plan, it will be difficult to integrate into the overall effort.

Determine Timing of Business Analysis Work
You need to know whether these efforts will align with specific project phases early in the project (predictive) or whether the work will be done iteratively throughout the project (adaptive).
Note:
The effectiveness of a business analyst depends on corporate culture. Working in a large organization seems to require more formal written communications.
On the flip side, many business analysts working in smaller organizations find that formal written communications almost never occur. In this situation, stakeholder communications are almost always verbal and informal in nature.

Consider Project Complexity and Risk
Complex projects may result in a greater number of formal deliverables and stakeholder review points. Complex projects can also be riskier for everyone— the business, the project team, as well as the business analysis team and it's business analysts. Situations with a complex solution should be addressed with more up-front modeling and planning work. Examples of complex projects include building an airline reservation system or creating a telecommunications circuit ordering and provisioning application.
Be sure you remember the five factors that increase the complexity of business analysis work. The rule of thumb is that as these factors increase, so does the project complexity.

  • The size of the change 
  • The number of business areas or systems affected 
  • The amount and nature of risk 
  • The technological complexity 
  • The number of geographic and cultural considerations

Gain Stakeholder Acceptance of the Approach
In general, the more your key stakeholders are involved with creating and thinking through the business analysis approach, the easier acceptance will be.

Be sure to plan for handling stakeholder acceptance of changes to the business analysis approach over time as work progresses and conditions change.

There are many ways for the business analysis team to estimate the range of cost and effort associated with the business analysis work on a project. These estimates are typically developed in conjunction with the project manager and other team members using the project-level estimating tools and techniques.

Analogous estimation Uses similar projects as the basis for top-down estimates 
Parametric estimation Uses parameters and historical data
Bottom-up estimation Estimates smaller items first and aggregates upward.
Rolling wave Refines detailed estimates for increments of work over time.
Three-point estimation (PERT) Estimates optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely cases.
Historic analysis Uses history as the basis for bottom-up and top-down estimates.
Expert judgment Relies on those who performed similar work in the past.
Delphi estimation Combines expert judgment and history.
Rough order of magnitude (ROM) Makes a high-level estimate based on limited information with a wide confidence interval.

Additional Techniques to Consider

Brainstorming business analysis team
Business Cases for time-sensitive, high-value aspects of the problem that is being addressed.
Document Analysis review existing organizational assets
Financial Analysis allows you to assess how different approaches and delivery options affect the value being delivered to the enterprise.
Functional Decomposition breaking down complex business analysis activities into smaller and easily understood pieces (enables effective estimating).
Interviews interviewing key stakeholders
Item Tracking used to track issues or risk-related items encountered while planning the business analysis approach.
Lessons Learned Be sure to use your previous experiences (both good and bad) when building your business analysis approach.
Process Modelling Think of graphically depicting a series of business analysis process steps on a whiteboard with arrows between them to show the sequence of events.
Reviews use reviews to validate the business analysis approach with key stakeholders and team members.
Risk Analysis and Management 
Scope Modelling helps you determine the boundaries of the solution and its scope as an input to the planning and estimating activities.
Survey or Questionnaire
Workshops

 Once you have chosen one or more techniques to apply, you are ready to create your business analysis approach.

Create the Business Analysis Approach

Essentially, this approach is the business analysis methodology for the project.
The recommended contents of the business analysis approach include the following:
  • Business analysis roles and responsibilities
  • Business analysis activities
  • Business analysis deliverables
  • Business analysis techniques
  • Timing and sequencing of business analysis work

Weese, Susan. CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide (p. 48). Wiley. Kindle Edition. 


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