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

A non-negotiable demand by a stakeholder during the requirements prioritization session is one that does not allow for any trade-offs, compromises, or alternatives. It is a demand that must be met regardless of the impact on other requirements, the feasibility of the solution, or the value to the organization. A stakeholder who insists that all requirements are ranked as high is making a non-negotiable demand, as this would prevent any meaningful prioritization and allocation of resources. Communication, cost-benefits ratio, and cost are not non-negotiable demands, as they can be negotiated, adjusted, or balanced with other factors during the requirements prioritization session. References: BABOK Guide v3, section 10.25 Requirements Prioritization; 1

A business case is a document that clearly identifies the reasoning for initiating a project to justify the resources required. It is written to justify the resources required for the project (money or effort) and align the project objectives to the business needs. It also includes the costs, benefits, and risks of the proposed solution, and compares it with alternative options1. A business case is an important input for the project initiation and approval process, as it helps the decision makers to assess the value and feasibility of the project2.

To write a business case, you need four main inputs: feasibility study, assumptions and constraints, business need, and solution options3. A feasibility study is an analysis that evaluates the technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects of the project, and determines whether it is viable and worth pursuing4. Assumptions and constraints are factors that affect the project scope, cost, schedule, and quality, and that need to be identified and documented in the business case. Assumptions are things that are believed to be true or certain, while constraints are things that limit or restrict the project5. Business need is the problem or opportunity that the project aims to address, and that aligns with the strategic goals and vision of the organization. Solution options are the different ways of solving the business need, and their respective costs, benefits, and risks.

Stakeholder concerns are not an input for writing a business case, but rather an output of stakeholder analysis. Stakeholder analysis is a process of identifying and prioritizing the people or groups who have an interest or influence in the project, and understanding their needs, expectations, and perspectives. Stakeholder concerns are the issues or challenges that the stakeholders face or anticipate in relation to the project, and that need to be addressed or resolved. Stakeholder concerns are important for defining the requirements, managing the communication, and ensuring the stakeholder satisfaction, but they are not directly used for writing the business case. References:

How to Write a Business Case (Template Included) - ProjectManager

How to Write a Business Case | Smartsheet

Business Case Examples, explained in simple language - Chase Consulting

Feasibility Study: Definition, Methods, and Examples

Project Assumptions and Constraints: Examples and Differences

[Business Need - IIBA®]

[Solution Options - IIBA®]

[Stakeholder Analysis: Overview, Tools and Techniques - KnowledgeHut]

[Stakeholder Concerns - IIBA®]

A plan-driven approach to business analysis follows a sequential and linear process, where each phase must be completed before moving on to the next. This approach requires thorough planning upfront, reducing uncertainties later on. Therefore, communication in a plan-driven approach is likely to be formal, structured, and documented. Formal communication ensures that information is relayed in a clear, consistent, and accurate manner, and that stakeholders are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Formal communication also helps to manage changes, risks, and issues that may arise during the project lifecycle. Formal communication may include written reports, presentations, meetings, emails, and memos. References:

How to create a business analysis communication plan

How to Choose the Right Business Analysis Approach

Plan Business Analysis Approach - iiba.org

Defining the Business Analysis Approach in 2023 | Free Template

The business analysis process that ensures that requirements specifications and models meet the necessary standard of quality to allow them to be used effectively to guide further work is verify requirements. According to the BABOK® Guide1, this process involves checking that the requirements are well-defined, clear, consistent, complete, correct, feasible, modifiable, testable, and traceable. It also involves resolving any defects or issues that may affect the quality of the requirements. The purpose of this process is to confirm that the requirements specifications and models accurately reflect the stakeholder needs and expectations, and that they are ready for validation and approval.

The other options are not correct, but rather:

A. Identify constraints and assumptions is a task within the assess capability gaps process, which involves comparing the current and future states of the organization to identify the gaps that must be addressed by a solution.

B. Validate requirements is a process that ensures that the requirements support the delivery of value to the stakeholders and achieve the goals and objectives of the project or initiative. It involves evaluating the alignment, acceptability, and approval of the requirements by the stakeholders.

D. Specify and model requirements is a process that involves defining and representing the requirements in various formats, such as textual, graphical, or tabular. It helps to communicate, analyze, and refine the requirements more effectively.

References:

CBAP® Handbook, page 6, section 4. Review the Exam Blueprint, under Requirements Analysis and Design Definition, task 5.3: Verify Requirements

BABOK® Guide, page 33, section 4.2.3: Verify Requirements

How Do Business Analysts Verify Requirements? (BABOK 6.5)

What Is Requirements Analysis? Process and Techniques

Mitigation is not a category of risk tolerance, but rather a strategy for reducing the probability or impact of a risk. Risk tolerance refers to the degree of uncertainty that a stakeholder is willing to accept in relation to the achievement of the project or solution objectives. According to the BABOK® Guide1, there are three categories of risk tolerance associated with the stakeholders: risk-averse, risk-neutral, and risk-seeking. These categories are based on how much risk the stakeholders can tolerate and how they perceive the potential rewards of taking risks.

Risk-averse stakeholders prefer to avoid risks or minimize their exposure. They tend to choose safer options that have lower returns but higher certainty. They may require more analysis and evidence before making decisions or approving requirements.

Risk-neutral stakeholders are indifferent to risks and rewards. They base their decisions on the expected value of the outcomes, regardless of the uncertainty involved. They may accept higher risks if they are compensated by higher returns, or lower risks if they are accompanied by lower returns.

Risk-seeking stakeholders prefer to take risks or maximize their exposure. They tend to choose riskier options that have higher returns but lower certainty. They may be willing to accept lower levels of analysis and evidence before making decisions or approving requirements.

References:

CBAP® Handbook, page 6, section 4. Review the Exam Blueprint, under Requirements Analysis and Design Definition, task 5.1: Prioritize Requirements

BABOK® Guide, page 33, section 4.2.1: Prioritize Requirements

Risk Tolerance - Overview, Factors, and Types of Tolerance

Applying stakeholder risk tolerance strategies in business

 A top-down estimate is an estimate based on past projects to predict the current cost and/or duration of the current project. It is also called an analogous estimate, as it involves using data from previous, similar projects to estimate activity durations1. Top-down estimates are usually done at the early stages of a project, when there is not enough detail or information available to perform more accurate estimates. They are useful for providing a rough order of magnitude (ROM) or a ballpark figure for the project scope, cost and schedule. Top-down estimates are typically faster and cheaper to produce than bottom-up estimates, but they are also less accurate and reliable23. References: 2: Project Cost Estimation: How to Estimate Project Cost - ProjectManager2 3: 11 Cost Estimating Methods (With Formulas and Examples) | Indeed.com3 1: Understanding the Analogous Estimating Technique | Runn1

The conduct stakeholder analysis task is one of the tasks in the business analysis planning and monitoring knowledge area. According to the BABOK® Guide1, this task involves identifying and analyzing the stakeholders of a change, assessing their attitudes, expectations, influence, and interests regarding the change, and determining the best ways to engage and communicate with them. The purpose of this task is to ensure that the business analysis activities are aligned with the needs and concerns of the stakeholders, and that the stakeholders are appropriately involved and informed throughout the change.

The other options are not accurate descriptions of the conduct stakeholder analysis task, but rather:

A. This is a partial description of the define business need task, which identifies the business problem or opportunity that requires analysis.

C. This is a partial description of the assess capability gaps task, which compares the current and future states to identify the gaps that must be addressed by a solution.

D. This is a vague and incomplete description of the conduct stakeholder analysis task, as it does not mention the analysis, assessment, and engagement aspects of the task.

References:

CBAP® Handbook, page 15, section 4.1.2.3

BABOK® Guide, page 32, section 3.2.3

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, page 96, section 3.2.3

How To Create a Stakeholder Analysis (With Example)

How to Perform a Stakeholder Analysis | Lucidchart

The type of project or initiative affects the business analysis duties that need to be performed, as different types of projects may require different approaches, techniques, deliverables, and stakeholders. For example, a software development project may have different business analysis needs than a business process improvement project. The business analyst should plan the business analysis process according to the project type and its characteristics, such as scope, complexity, risk, methodology, and lifecycle. References:

A Checklist for Business Analysis Planning

Business Analysis Process Flow: Step by Step Tutorial

What is Business Analysis? Process & Techniques

How do you plan a business analysis approach?

According to the BABOK Guide, textual requirements are one of the forms of specifying and modeling requirements. Textual requirements are written statements that describe the characteristics of the solution in a clear, concise, and consistent manner. Textual requirements typically consist of three components: the capability of the solution, the condition under which the requirement is applicable, and the constraint that may limit the solution. The capability describes what the solution must or should do, the condition describes the situation or scenario in which the requirement is relevant, and the constraint describes the restriction or limitation that may affect the solution’s ability to meet the requirement. For example, a textual requirement for a banking system could be:

The system shall allow customers to withdraw cash from any ATM machine (capability) within the network (condition) up to a maximum of $500 per day (constraint).

References:

[A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide)], version 3, page 402, section 10.31.2.11

Textual Requirement Artifacts - Blueprint Online Help - HelpDocs, paragraph 1

How to Model Textual Requirements - Formal Mind GmbH, paragraph 2

Stakeholder analysis is performed as soon as a business need is identified, as this is the first step in the business analysis process. Stakeholder analysis helps to identify who are the people or groups that have an interest or influence in the project, what are their needs and expectations, and how to engage them effectively. Stakeholder analysis is essential for defining the project scope, objectives, requirements, risks, and success criteria. Stakeholder analysis is also an ongoing process that should be revisited throughout the project lifecycle, as stakeholders may change or new ones may emerge12. References:

Stakeholder Analysis: Overview, Tools and Techniques - KnowledgeHut

How to Perform a Stakeholder Analysis | Lucidchart