Preface

IIBA.org KnowledgeHub A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® Preface

IIBA® was founded in Toronto, Canada in October of 2003 to support the business analysis community by:

creating and developing awareness and recognition of the value and contribution of the business analyst,
defining the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® ),
providing a forum for knowledge sharing and contribution to the business analysis profession, and
publicly recognizing and certifying qualified practitioners through an internationally acknowledged certification program.

The Body of Knowledge Committee was formed in October of 2004 to define and draft a global standard for the practice of business analysis. In January of 2005, IIBA released version 1.0 of A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide ) for feedback and comment. That version included an outline of the proposed content and some key definitions. Version 1.4 was released in October of 2005, with draft content in some knowledge areas. Version 1.6, which included detailed information regarding most of the knowledge areas, was published in draft form in June of 2006 and updated to incorporate errata in October of 2008.

The Body of Knowledge Committee developed version 2.0 of A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide ) with the guidance of expert writing teams, and feedback garnered from expert, practitioner, and public reviews. Version 2.0 introduced such concepts as the Requirements Classification Schema and the Input/Output models. Version 2.0 was published in 2009 and became the globally recognized standard for the practice of business analysis.

Following the publication of version 2.0, IIBA sought out a number of recognized experts in business analysis and related fields and solicited their feedback on the content of that edition. The Body of Knowledge Committee used these comments to plan the vision and scope of this revision. The Body of Knowledge Committee worked with teams of expert writers to revise and update the content. The revised draft of A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide ) was reviewed by teams of both expert and practitioner reviewers. The Body of Knowledge Committee used the feedback provided to further enhance and refine the text and then made the content available to the business analysis community for review in 2014. The thousands of items of feedback from this public review were used to further revise the text to form A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide ) version 3.0.

The goal of this revision was to:

incorporate new concepts and practices in use since the last revision,
address the broadening and evolving scope of the profession,
incorporate lessons learned from practitioners who have worked with the current version,
improve the readability and usability of the guide,
improve the consistency and quality of text and illustrations, and
improve consistency with other generally accepted standards relating to the practice of business analysis.

The major changes in this release include:

the inclusion of the Business Analysis Core Concept Model™ (BACCM™ ),
the expanded scope of the role of business analysis in creating better business outcomes,
the inclusion of Perspectives which describe specialized ways in which business analysis professionals provide unique value to the enterprise,
new and expanded Underlying Competencies to better reflect the diverse skill sets of the business analyst, and
new techniques that have emerged in the practice of business analysis.

This publication supersedes A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide) version 2.0.

The BABOK® Guide contains a description of generally accepted practices in the field of business analysis. The content included in this release has been verified through reviews by practitioners, surveys of the business analysis community, and consultations with recognized experts in the field. The data available to IIBA demonstrates that the tasks and techniques described in this publication are in use by a majority of business analysis practitioners. As a result, we can have confidence that the tasks and techniques described in the BABOK® Guide should be applicable in most contexts where business analysis is performed, most of the time.

The BABOK® Guide should not be construed to mandate that the practices described in this publication should be followed under all circumstances. Any set of practices must be tailored to the specific conditions under which business analysis is being performed. In addition, practices which are not generally accepted by the business analysis community at the time of publication may be equally effective, or more effective, than the practices described in the BABOK® Guide . As such practices become generally accepted, and as data is collected to verify their effectiveness, they will be incorporated into future editions of this publication. IIBA encourages all practitioners of business analysis to be open to new approaches and new ideas, and wishes to encourage innovation in the practice of business analysis.

IIBA would like to extend its thanks and the thanks of the business analysis community to all those who volunteered their time and effort to the development of this revision, as well as those who provided informal feedback to us in other ways.

Contributors

Content for this release was primarily developed by the Body of Knowledge Committee:

Angela M. Wick, CBAP, PMP, PBA
Emily Iem, CBAP, PMP: Chairperson
John M. A. Burns, MSc, BSc, CEng
Joy Beatty, CBAP, PMI-PBA
Masahiko Soh
Matthew W. Leach, CBAP
Peter Lefterov, CBAP
Phil Vincent, CBAP, M. Comp. Sci., PMP
Shane Hastie, CBAP, MIM, ICE-VM
Julian Sammy
Laura Paton, CBAP, MBA, PMP: Past Chairperson
Tom Burke, CBAP, MS, CSPO

The following individuals partnered with and supported all stakeholders to provide the framework for content development and delivery:

Kevin Brennan, CBAP, OCEB, PMP, Executive Vice President, Product Management and Development, IIBA: Sponsor
Paul Stapleton, Standards and Publications Manager, IIBA: Editor
Sandi Campbell, Project Manager, IIBA: Project Manager

The following individuals contributed additional content used in this revision:

Alberto Vasquez
Ales Stempihar
Ali Mazer, CBAP, MBA
Andrew Guitarte, CBAP, DBA, PMP
Angie Perris, CBAP, MBA, PMP
Anne Fomim, CBAP
Beth Faris, CBAP
Brian T. Hunt, CBAP, I.Eng., FInstLM
Cari J. Faanes-Blakey, CBAP, PMI-PBA
Charles Bozonier, CBAP
Christina D. Harris, ITIL, BA
Colleen S. Berish, AIT
Dean J. Larson, CBAP
Dena Loadwick, CBAP
Edwina Simons, CBAP, MBA, SSGB
Ellan Kay Young
Gagan Saxena
Georgy Saveliev, CBAP
Greg Geracie
Heather Mylan-Mains, CBAP
Inger Dickson, CBAP
James (Jim) Baird, CMC
James Taylor
Janet Wood, CBAP
Jason Andrew Oliver, CBAP, MBA, CISSP
Jason Frink, CBAP
Jason Questor
Jennifer Battan, CBAP
Jennifer Swearingen
Josh Jones, CBAP
Joyce Statz
Judith A. Haughton, CBAP, MBA
Jules Prevost, CBAP
Kelly Morrison Smith, MBA, MS
Manish S. Nachnani, CBAP, PMP, CSM
Marcelo Neves, CBAP
Maria Amuchastegui, CBAP, CTFL, CSM
Marsha B. Hughes, CBAP, PMP, CSM
Martin Schedlbauer, CBAP, Ph.D.
Maureen McVey, CBAP
McNaughton Lebohang, CBAP, BSc (Hons) CS, PMP
Mike Crawford
Mike Rosen
Milena Komitska, Ph.D.
Muhammad Saad Rahman, CBAP, M.Sc., PMP
Neale Croutear-Foy, BA (Hons.), FBCS, FInstLM
Norman A. Thuswaldner, CBAP
Paul Mulvey, CBAP
Poonam Dhanwani
Ricardo Pereira, CBAP
Richard Larson, CBAP, PMP, PMI-PBA
Ronald G. Ross
Sean P. Boylan, CBAP, MAppLing
Sergio Conte
Sherri L. Nowak, CBAP, MSM
Silke Goodwin, CBAP
Steven Blais, PMP, PBA
Suneet K. Garg, CBAP, TOGAF 9, CBPP
Suzanne R. Burgess, CBAP
Tharshan Sreetharan, CBAP, PMP, MBA
Thea Rasins
Thomas (Tom) Barker, CBAP, Ph.D., PMP
Tina M. Underhill
Victoria Cupet, CBAP, PMP, PMI-PBA

The following industry experts generously provided IIBA^® with advice and guidance on the scope and content of version 3.0 of the BABOK^® Guide during its planning and development, and helped to shape the content and direction of this release.

Barbara A. Carkenord, CBAP, PMI-PBA, PMP
Bill Bigler, Ph.D.
Brian Cameron
Chuck Walrad
Elizabeth Larson, CBAP, PMP, CSM
Ellen Gottesdiener, SM, CPS
Gladys S. W. Lam
Greg Geracie
James Robertson
James Taylor
Jason Questor
Jeff Scott
Kent J. McDonald
Kitty Hass
Linda R. Finley
Mary Gorman, CBAP, CSM, PMI-PBA
Mike Rosen
Peter H.M. Brooks, B.Sc., FSM
Roger T. Burlton, P. Eng, CMC
Ronald G. Ross
Suzanne Robertson
Whynde Kuehn

The following individuals participated in the practitioner review of version 3.0, and provided feedback used to help shape the content and direction of the Public Review Draft.

Aljaž Prusnik, CBAP
Angela Musa, CBAP
Annette Brice, CBAP
Ashok Kaushal
Barbara J Monaco, CBAP
Beth Gomolka, CBAP, PMP, CSP
Carol R. Drew, CBAP
Cei Sanderson, CSPO
Charles Raj, CBAP, B. Com., FCA
Chen-Kuang Yu
Cherie Wagner
Devendra Shrikant Upadhye, CBAP
Diana Cagle, CBAP, MBA
Fabrício Laguna, CBAP, PMP, MBA
Geoffrey Griffin, CBAP
Iavi Rotberg
Jayesh Jain, CBAP, B.Sc., CSPO
Joe Goss
Joseph F. Ruffolo
Karen Gras, CBAP
Kathleen C. McGoey
laith Obeidat, CBAP
Laura R. Walker, LSS
Lenche Pandovska, CBAP
Lily V. Dang, CBAP
Lynn Parkin, CCBA
Michael D. Western, CBAP
Nicolae Crudu, CCBA
Partha Pratim Das, PMP, CSM
Richard Freeley, CBAP
Robert Dyason
Steven J. Gara, CBAP, MS
Teri A. McIntyre, CBAP, CAPM, MA
Theodora Tonkovska
Tolani J Hassan, ISEB
Tricia K. Dreixler, CBAP
Wayne Li
Yoshinori Tanaka, CBAP
Zoya Roytblat, CBAP

The following individuals also served as review team leads:

Billie Johnson, CBAP, PBA, CSM
Camille L. Spruill, CBAP, PMP, CSM
Chaithanya Atthanti, CBAP
Jeanette Moore-Loggins, CBAP, BA, MBA,
Kimberley Byron, CBAP
Peter Johnson, CBAP
Tom Karasmanis

Content for this version includes content from the Agile Extension to the BABOK^® Guide. IIBA^® would like to thank the following contributors to the Agile Extension to the BABOK^® Guide.

Ali Mazer
Brian Hemker
Carol Scalice
Chris Matts
David C. Cook
David Morris
Dennis Stevens
Ellen Gottesdiener
Kevin Brennan
Luiz Claudio Parzianello
Marsha Hughes
Pascal Van Cauwenberghe
Paul Stapleton, Editor
Peter Gordon
Shane Hastie
Steve Erlank
Susan Block

Content for this version includes content from the Enterprise Business Analysis Extension to the BABOK^® Guide Draft. IIBA^® would like to thank the following contributors to the Enterprise Business Analysis Extension to the BABOK^® Guide Draft.

Charlie Huai-Ling Ch'ng
Dean Larson
Jason Questor
Joanne Dong
Kevin Brennan
Matt Northrup
Neil Burton
NitzaDovenspike
Phillip Quinn
Ron Babin

Version 3.0 also includes content developed for previous versions of the BABOK^® Guide.

Aminah Nailor, CBAP
Annie Thomas, CPAP
Rose Ha, CBAP
Bernard Aschwanden, Publishing Smarter: Layout and Design
Irena Duniskvaric, Publishing Smarter: Illustrations
Lynda Sydney, Ignite Writing Services: Copy Editing
Vic Bhai, Technical Writer/Editor, IIBA: Technical Writing

IIBA^® and the Body of Knowledge Committee would like to thank all those practitioners of business analysis who have provided us with comments and feedback over the years, as well as those who provided us with feedback on the Public Review Draft.

Version 2.0

Body of Knowledge Committee

Content for this release was primarily developed by the Body of Knowledge Committee:

Kevin Brennan, CBAP, OCEB, PMP, Vice President, Professional Development
Barbara A. Carkenord, MBA, CBAP
Mary Gorman, CBAP
Kathleen B. Hass, PMP
Brenda Kerton, MA
Elizabeth Larson, CBAP, PMP
Richard Larson, CBAP, PMP
Jason Questor
Laura Paton, MBA, CBAP, PMP (Project Manager)

Content Contributors

The following individuals contributed additional content used in this revision:

Tony Alderson
James Baird
Jake Calabrese, CBAP
Bruce C. Chadbourne, PgMP, PMP
Karen Chandler
Carrolynn Chang
Richard Fox, CBAP
Rosemary Hossenlopp
Peter Gordon, CBAP
Ellen Gottesdiener
Monica Jain
Cherifa Mansoura Liamani, Ph.D.
Karen Little
Laura Markey
Richard Martin
Gillian McCleary
William B. Murray
Angie Perris, CBAP
David Wright

The Graphics Team developed graphics and graphics standards:

Carl Gosselin
Perry McLeod, CBAP, PMP
Alexandre Romanov
Patricia Sandino
Maggie Yang

Version 2.0 also includes content developed for previous versions of the BABOK^® Guide.

Expert Advisory and Review Group

The following industry experts generously provided IIBA® with advice and guidance on the scope and content of version 2.0 of the BABOK® Guide during its planning and development, and helped to shape the content and direction of this release.

Scott Ambler
James Baird
Kurt Bittner
Rafael Dorantes
Robin F. Goldsmith, JD
Ellen Gottesdiener
Paul Harmon
Dean Leffingwell
Gladys S.W. Lam
Kent J. McDonald
Mark McGregor
Meilir Page-Jones
James Robertson
Suzanne Robertson
Ronald G. Ross
David Ruble
Steve Tockey

Practitioner Reviewers

The following individuals participated in the practitioner review of version 2.0, and provided feedback used in the revision of the Public Review Draft: