Many companies are looking to mature their business analysis competency by establishing a Business Analysis Centre of Excellence (BA CoE). Why form a BA CoE? Where do we start? What’s the right model? Who owns it? How does it evolve? Building BA competency is not easy, and Joe explores real world examples and insights to shape a good -practice framework. If you are a customer, a manager or an implementer of Business Analysis, this presentation is a must see to help you on your journey towards Business Analysis enlightenment.

1. A Good Practice Framework
Presented by Joe Newbert
IIBA Chapter Meeting in Cape Town
28 July, 2011
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2. Cut the preamble
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3. Learning outcomes
Path to
Enlightenment
Pragmatic
Delivery
Onwards,
Upwards
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4. Try this at home
• No industry standard
• Pockets of thinking
• No “one size fits all”
• Art not science
• Basic plan, not premium
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5. Learning Outcome 1.
PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT
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6. Mix of (In)Competence
• Spectrum of Areas of
Centre of Excellence
Competency (AoC)
Competency Centre • CoP vs CoE, semantics
Service Centre or critical distinction?
Community of Practice • Underlying steps to
maturity
Area of Practice
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7. Area of Practice
Independent and/or isolated practice area. Immature in its journey by
learning on the job. Roles and deliverables are undocumented with no
focus on training and development.
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8. Community of Practice
A grass roots collective to bring together practitioners from across the
organisation to provide support; guidance; shared learning, mentorship
and access to external informal and formal professional groups.
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9. Service Centre
Grass roots or top-down initiative with a defined level of maturity.
Provide reactive support at a project level across the organisation.
Resource utilisation and performance development is active.
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10. Competency Centre
Top-down or mature grass roots with best practice at its core. Offering a
wide range of services to support the enterprise with high-priority
portfolios. Metrics and continuous improvement in place.
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11. Centre of Excellence
High-performance enabler that’s tightly integrated within the business at
a strategic level. Wide-ranging roles and skills across disciplines to drive
business change. Proactive optimisation of self. Trusted.
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12. Out there, for real
Myth
• Grass-roots elbow grease
• Blanket approach
• Single method of attack
• “Cook Book” Analysis
• Silver bullet
Reality
• Different forces
• Focused targets
• Methodology agnostic
• Tailored solutions
• Continue to struggle
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13. Learning Outcome 2.
PRAGMATIC DELIVERY
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14. Business Analysis Maturity Model
Optimised
•Evolution strategy
•Continuous improvement
Managed
•Objective measurements
•Strategic plans, goals •Maturity assessments
•Measurements collected •Project Audits
Defined
•Process control •Skill Assessments
•Standardised •Benefits management
•Documented
Documented
•Standardised
•Basic cost & schedule •Integrated
procedures •Change Management
Informal •Guided approach
•Wild west lawlessness. •Basic planning and
•Undisciplined process management
•Individual reign
•Schedule/Budget over
runs
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15. Area of Competency Offering
Practices and Professional
Consulting Services Life-Cycle Governance
methodologies Development
• Competitive Analysis • Tools and Techniques • Skill assessments • Business Program
• Strategic Analysis • Performance metrics • Education and analysis
• Business Process • Knowledge training • Strategic Project BA
Engineering management • Mentoring and Resources
• Business Architecture • Performance coaching • Portfolio
• Feasibility Studies reporting • Team building Management team
• Continuous • Role descriptions process support and
• Business case
improvements facilitation
• Project Investment • Career progression
• Benefits
Package • Competencies
Management
• Staff augmentation • Skill requirements
• Delivery Standards
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16. Project Implementation
Visioning and concept Definition
Organisational and Individual Assessments
BA CoE vision and
mission Implementation Planning
Organisational
Executive sponsor
readiness assessment Form BACoE Team
Steering Committee Kick-off workshop
BA Practices Maturity
Business Case assessment Project Definition
BA Standards,
Stakeholder Individual business Project Planning practices, tools and
Management Strategy analysts knowledge Change Management metrics
and skills assessments
Benefits Management BA Education &
Training
Budget/Resource
approval BA Consulting Services
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17. Organisational design
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18. Nine packed tips
Treat the Adopt best
Identify SMART Ensure executive
improvement practices from
goals and buy-in and enforce
initiative as a within the
objectives new practices
project organization
Incentivise
Embed a learning
outcomes (drivers Live the change Seek criticism
culture
and adopters)
Over communicate
to everyone
meaningfully
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19. Learning Outcome 2.
ONWARDS, UPWARDS
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20. Tomorrows world?
Greater
emphasis on
upfront
requirements
Convergence
of disciplines
Variety of
analysis
approaches
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21. I’ve talked enough
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22. http://www.slideshare.net/newbert
joe.newbert@bcmg.co.za
joe.newbert
http://za.linkedin.com/in/newbert
http://www.twitter.com/newbert
Done. Here’s how we can connect.
“You have not failed no one Grasshopper, only your own ambition.”
Poe, Kung Fu Panda.
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