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GAP analysis is a technique that involves determining and documenting the variance between business requirements and current capabilities. GAP analysis helps to identify the gaps or discrepancies between the current state and the desired state of a system or a process. GAP analysis can also help to prioritize the requirements, define the scope, and plan the actions needed to close the gaps. GAP analysis is different from risk analysis, which is a technique that involves identifying, assessing, and managing the uncertainties and threats that may affect the project objectives. GAP analysis is also different from schedule analysis, which is a technique that involves estimating, monitoring, and controlling the time and resources needed to complete the project activities. GAP analysis is not a cost benefit analysis, which is a technique that involves comparing the costs and benefits of alternative solutions or courses of action. References:

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 6: Enterprise Analysis, page 215-216.

Business Capability Analysis: How to analyze capabilities, paragraph 3

ProjectManagement.com - Variance Analysis, paragraph 1

Which of the following techniques involves determining and documenting …, paragraph 1

 A requirements package is a document that contains a set of requirements that have been analyzed, refined, and formatted to meet the needs of various stakeholders. The primary goal of developing a requirements package is to communicate the requirements effectively and efficiently to the intended audience. A requirements package may include different levels of detail, different types of requirements, different formats and structures, and different supporting information depending on the stakeholder’s needs and preferences. A requirements package should be clear, concise, consistent, complete, correct, and testable. References:

Certified Business Analysis Professional Handbook, page 24

BABOK Guide, page 121

An independent task is a task that does not rely on other activities, and no other activities rely on this task completing. An independent task can be performed at any time during the project, as long as it meets the project objectives and requirements. An independent task has no dependencies or constraints with other tasks. An analysis task is a task that involves examining, evaluating, and interpreting information to identify and understand the problem, need, or opportunity. An analysis task may rely on other activities, such as elicitation, documentation, or validation, and other activities may rely on this task completing, such as design, development, or testing. An analysis task may have dependencies or constraints with other tasks. A predecessor task is a task that must be completed before another task can start or finish. A predecessor task has a logical or sequential relationship with another task, which is called a successor task. A predecessor task may affect the start or end date, duration, or resources of the successor task. A dependent task is a task that relies on another task to start or finish. A dependent task has a logical or sequential relationship with another task, which is called a predecessor task. A dependent task may be affected by the start or end date, duration, or resources of the predecessor task. References: CBAP® Handbook, CBAP® Exam Prep Study Guide, Project Management Institute

According to the BABOK Guide, the business analyst must ensure that any information captured on a whiteboard or other temporary medium is transferred to a more permanent medium before it is lost or erased. This is part of the documentation and communication of the elicitation results. The other options are not required by the BABOK Guide, though they may be useful in some situations. References: BABOK Guide, Version 3, Section 4.4.6, p. 121; Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) Handbook, p. 6.

Surveys are a type of requirements elicitation technique that involves sending a set of questions or statements to a large group of stakeholders and collecting their responses. Surveys can be conducted using various modes, such as online, email, phone, or paper. Surveys are useful for capturing the feelings and thoughts of a large and diverse population of stakeholders, identifying the common needs and wants of the majority, and analyzing the trends and patterns of the responses. Surveys can also help to gather quantitative and qualitative data, measure the level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and obtain feedback on the existing or proposed solution. Surveys are different from interviews, which are a type of requirements elicitation technique that involves asking questions and documenting the responses from a single person or a small group of people. Interviews are useful for exploring the in-depth and detailed information from the key stakeholders, probing deeper into their needs and expectations, and clarifying any ambiguities or inconsistencies. Interviews can also help to establish rapport and trust with the stakeholders, observe their non-verbal cues, and tailor the questions according to the context and situation. Surveys are also different from trend analysis, which is a type of requirements elicitation technique that involves examining the historical or current data and information to identify the changes and developments over time. Trend analysis can help to understand the past and present performance and behavior of the system or the process, predict the future outcomes and scenarios, and anticipate the opportunities and threats. Trend analysis can also help to validate and verify the requirements, evaluate the feasibility and viability of the solution, and support the decision making and planning. Surveys are not focus groups, which are a type of requirements elicitation technique that involves inviting a group of stakeholders to a moderated discussion on a specific topic or issue. Focus groups can help to generate a large number of ideas and opinions, find solutions for a specific problem, and stimulate the interaction and debate among the participants. Focus groups can also help to gain insights and perspectives from different stakeholders, identify the areas of agreement or disagreement, and foster a sense of involvement and ownership. References:

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 4: Elicitation and Collaboration, page 180-181.

Top 10 Most Common Requirements Elicitation Techniques, paragraph 9

Software Engineering | Requirements Elicitation - GeeksforGeeks, paragraph 6

Elicitation Technique Guide | Info-Tech Research Group, paragraph 1

Requirements Elicitation Technique (RET) : 10+ Effective RET - Skillcubator, paragraph 4

Creative thinking is a type of analytical thinking that involves generating new ideas and innovative concepts to approach problems, solve problems, and generate alternative solutions. Creative thinking helps the business analyst to find novel and original ways to address the needs and expectations of the stakeholders, overcome the challenges and constraints of the project, and add value to the solution. Creative thinking also helps the business analyst to explore different perspectives, challenge assumptions, and experiment with different possibilities. The other options are not types of analytical thinking, but rather techniques or skills that can be used to enhance creative thinking. Lateral thinking is a technique that involves using logic and reasoning to find unconventional or unexpected solutions. Brainstorming is a technique that involves generating a large number of ideas in a group setting. Decision making is a skill that involves choosing the best option among several alternatives based on criteria and evidence. References:

9.1 Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving, paragraph 1

Top 11 Most Effective Business Analysis Techniques | 2024, paragraph 2

6 business analysis techniques to use in your strategic plans, paragraph 2

What is analytical thinking ? – The Functional BA, paragraph 2

Business Analysis Blog | Systems Thinking – An Analyst’s Essential …, paragraph 2

Enterprise analysis is the business analysis knowledge area that involves defining the business need, assessing the capability gaps, determining the solution approach, defining the solution scope, and building the business case. In this scenario, the activity of examining the workflow and internal processes for order fulfillment and identifying the business problems and opportunities is part of the enterprise analysis. The purpose of this activity is to understand the current state of the organization and its environment, and to propose a solution that can address the business need and deliver value to the stakeholders. References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 16-17

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, p. 83-84

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 1, Week 4, Video: “Enterprise Analysis”

 A procurement document is a document that is used to solicit proposals or quotations from potential suppliers or vendors of products or services for a project. A procurement document describes the problem or need, the desired solution, the evaluation criteria, and the contractual terms and conditions. A procurement document can be a request for proposal (RFP), a request for quote (RFQ), a request for information (RFI), or an invitation for bid (IFB). An invitation for bid (IFB) is a type of procurement document that is used to request bids from prospective sellers of products or services. An IFB describes the specifications, quantity, quality, and delivery schedule of the products or services. An IFB invites sellers to submit a sealed bid that indicates the cost of providing the products or services. An IFB is used when the buyer has a well-defined or standard problem or need, and wants to select the lowest bidder among the qualified sellers123. A project work breakdown structure (WBS) is not a procurement document, but a project management document. A WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into smaller and manageable components. A WBS defines the deliverables, activities, and tasks that are required to complete the project4. A project charter is not a procurement document, but a project management document. A project charter is a document that formally authorizes the initiation of a project. A project charter defines the purpose, objectives, scope, assumptions, constraints, risks, stakeholders, roles, responsibilities, and authority of the project. A vision document is not a procurement document, but a business analysis document. A vision document is a document that describes the desired future state of a solution. A vision document defines the goals, benefits, features, and scope of the solution. References: CBAP® Handbook, CBAP® Exam Prep Study Guide, Project Management Institute, Project Work Breakdown Structure, [Project Charter], [Vision Document]

 Requirements prioritization is the process of assigning relative importance and urgency to the requirements based on various factors, such as business value, stakeholder needs, risk, dependency, and feasibility. Requirements prioritization helps to define the solution scope by determining which requirements are essential, which are desirable, and which are optional for the solution. Requirements prioritization can be used with both plan-driven and change-driven approaches to business analysis, depending on the level of certainty and stability of the requirements. Requirements prioritization does not depend on the stakeholder importance, but rather on the stakeholder agreement and alignment on the requirements. References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 54-55

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, p. 164-165

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 2, Week 1, Video: “Requirements Prioritization”