Pass the IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional CBAP Questions and answers with CertsForce

 Business goals and objectives are the desired outcomes that the organization wants to achieve through the project. They are not the same as the solution requirements, which describe the features and functions of the solution. Business goals and objectives are also not the same as the project scope, which describes the work that needs to be done to deliver the solution. Business goals and objectives are the ends, not the means, of the project. References:

IIBA BABOK Guide, section 5.1.1, page 97

CBAP/CCBA Study Guide, chapter 5, page 217

 Passive observation is a technique of observing the behavior and activities of stakeholders without asking questions or influencing them in any way. Passive observation can help to capture the actual work processes and environment of the stakeholders, as well as any issues or challenges they face. Passive observation can also reduce the bias or distortion that may arise from direct interaction with the stakeholders. References: BABOK Guide v3, page 97; CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, page 163.

 Data flow diagramming is a technique that shows how data moves through a system, from external entities, through processes, to data stores. Data flow diagrams can be used to model the current state or the desired state of a system, and to identify gaps or redundancies in data processing. Data flow diagrams can also be decomposed to lower levels of detail to show the sub-processes and data elements involved in each function. Functional decomposition, work decomposition, and organization modeling are different techniques that can be used to break down a system, a project, or an organization into smaller components, but they do not focus on the data movement. References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 10, 98-99

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, p. 240-241

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 2, Week 2, Video: “Data Flow Diagrams”

Quality is the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements, according to the BABOK® Guide (p. 7). Quality is also defined as the extent to which a product or service meets the customer’s expectations and needs. Quality can be measured by various criteria, such as functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability, and portability. Regulation, project phase, and scope are not related to the definition of quality. References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 7

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, p. 14

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 1, Week 1, Video: “Introduction to Business Analysis”

A regulator is a stakeholder who may be responsible to dictate that a specific process or technique be followed during the requirements elicitation activities. A regulator is an external stakeholder who has the authority to enforce laws, rules, standards, or policies that affect the project or the solution. A regulator may impose certain requirements or constraints on the project or the solution, such as compliance, security, privacy, or quality. A regulator may also require the use of specific methods, tools, or documentation for eliciting, analyzing, or validating the requirements. The other options are not necessarily responsible for dictating the process or technique for requirements elicitation, although they may have some influence or preference. A project manager is a stakeholder who is responsible for planning, executing, monitoring, and controlling the project activities and resources. A project manager may collaborate with the business analyst to select the appropriate process or technique for requirements elicitation, but does not have the authority to dictate it. A functional management is a stakeholder who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a specific function or department within the organization, such as finance, marketing, or human resources. A functional management may provide input or feedback on the requirements elicitation process or technique, but does not have the authority to dictate it. A project sponsor is a stakeholder who is responsible for initiating, funding, and supporting the project or the solution. A project sponsor may approve or endorse the requirements elicitation process or technique, but does not have the authority to dictate it. References:

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 4: Elicitation and Collaboration, page 175-176.

Engaging Stakeholders in Elicitation and Collaboration, paragraph 4

Top 10 Most Common Requirements Elicitation Techniques, paragraph 2

A Review of Fundamental Tasks in Requirements Elicitation, paragraph 1

Benchmarking is the process of comparing the performance or quality of a product, service, or process against a standard or best practice. Bob and Susan are benchmarking the materials by testing them and measuring the results to see how they compare to each other. This will help them select the best material for their project.

References:

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 6: Enterprise Analysis, page 217.

BABOK® Guide, Version 3, Section 3.4: Strategy Analysis, page 50.

 Surveys are a conduct stakeholder analysis technique that is useful for identifying shared characteristics of a stakeholder group. Surveys are structured questionnaires that are distributed to a large number of stakeholders to collect quantitative and qualitative data about their needs, expectations, preferences, and opinions. Surveys can help to identify common patterns, trends, and themes among the stakeholder group, as well as to measure the level of agreement, satisfaction, or importance of the requirements. Surveys can also be used to segment the stakeholder group based on their characteristics, such as roles, responsibilities, interests, or influence.

Scope modeling, brainstorming, and interviews are other conduct stakeholder analysis techniques, but they are not as effective as surveys for identifying shared characteristics of a stakeholder group. Scope modeling is a technique that defines the boundaries and context of the business domain and the solution. Brainstorming is a technique that generates a large number of ideas or solutions in a creative and collaborative way. Interviews are a technique that involves one-on-one or group discussions with the stakeholders to elicit detailed information about their needs, expectations, preferences, and opinions. These techniques are more suitable for exploring the specific and individual characteristics of the stakeholders, rather than the general and collective ones. References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 104-105, 377-378

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, p. 49-50, 52

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 1, Week 3, Video: “Stakeholder Analysis”

Decision analysis is not an input, but a technique that can be used to assess proposed solutions. Decision analysis involves evaluating the feasibility, benefits, risks, and impacts of various solution options and selecting the best one based on predefined criteria and stakeholder preferences. The inputs for the assess proposed solution process are requirements, assumptions and constraints, and solution options. Requirements are the desired capabilities and conditions of the solution. Assumptions and constraints are the factors that affect the solution design and implementation. Solution options are the alternative ways to meet the requirements within the assumptions and constraints. References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 121-122

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, p. 295-296

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 2, Week 4, Video: “Assess Proposed Solution”

Dependencies between requirements are an important consideration to include in the assessment of the solution, as they may affect the delivery options and the value realization of the solution. Dependencies between requirements are the relationships or interconnections among the requirements that indicate that one requirement is contingent on another requirement. Dependencies may be logical, temporal, or resource-based. Dependencies may influence the order, timing, and feasibility of the solution delivery, as well as the benefits and risks associated with the solution. Therefore, the business analyst should identify, analyze, and manage the dependencies between requirements as part of the solution assessment.

Historical information, experience of the implementation team, and enterprise environmental factors are also relevant factors to consider in the solution assessment, but they are not as specific as dependencies between requirements. Historical information may provide insights into the past performance, lessons learned, and best practices of similar projects or solutions. Experience of the implementation team may affect the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the solution delivery. Enterprise environmental factors may include the organizational culture, structure, policies, processes, and systems that may influence the solution design and implementation. However, these factors are more general and may not directly relate to the tradeoffs between delivery options or the value realization of the solution. References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 123-124, 128-129

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, p. 299-300, 304-305

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 2, Week 4, Video: “Assess Proposed Solution”

Active observation is a technique of observing the behavior and activities of stakeholders while asking questions or participating in the work. Active observation can help to gain a deeper understanding of the work processes and environment of the stakeholders, as well as any issues or challenges they face. Active observation can also help to build rapport and trust with the stakeholders, and to elicit tacit or implicit knowledge that may not be easily expressed. In this case, Martha is using active observation by working alongside Sarah and helping her complete the work, so that Martha can understand all of the steps Sarah must complete. References: BABOK Guide v3, page 97; CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, page 163.