IIBA Updated ECBA Exam Questions and Answers by ayoub

The role of a business analyst is pivotal in discovering, synthesizing, and analyzing information from various sources within an enterprise. This includes gathering data from tools, processes, documentation, and stakeholders. Business analysts are tasked with eliciting the true needs of stakeholders, which often involves investigating and clarifying their expressed desires to determine underlying issues and causes. They play a crucial role in aligning the designed and delivered solutions with the needs of stakeholders, ensuring that the outcomes meet business objectives effectively.

References: This definition and explanation of the business analyst’s responsibilities are consistent with the standards set by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) and the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) Guide123.

The inputs required to prepare for elicitation are primarily focused on understanding the business needs and the stakeholder engagement approach. This involves recognizing the business requirements to define the scope and purpose of the elicitation activities and comprehending the stakeholders’ collaboration and communication needs to plan the elicitation activity effectively.

References: The information is verified as per the Business Analysis Learning documents, specifically from the BABOK Guide and resources provided by IIBA12.

Preparing for elicitation involves understanding the scope and purpose of the elicitation activities, which are guided by the existing needs and the planned approach to stakeholder engagement. The needs provide a direction for what information must be gathered to address the business challenges or opportunities at hand. Simultaneously, the stakeholder engagement approach outlines how stakeholders will be involved in the process, ensuring that elicitation efforts are aligned with their communication and collaboration needs. This preparation ensures that elicitation activities are effectively designed and executed, fostering an environment conducive to gathering accurate and comprehensive business analysis information.

References: BABOK Guide v3, Prepare for Elicitation

Quality requirements relationships are determined by criteria that ensure the requirements are fundamentally sound. These criteria include:

• Necessary: The requirement must be essential to meet the business need or opportunity.
• Consistent: The requirement must not conflict with other requirements.
• Correct: The requirement must accurately describe the functionality that will meet the business need or opportunity.

These criteria help in ensuring that the quality requirements are aligned with the business objectives and can be effectively implemented and managed.

References: The criteria for determining quality requirements relationships are aligned with the best practices in business analysis as described in the BABOK Guide and other learning resources provided by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)12.

 Stakeholder analysis is a technique used by business analysts to understand the attitudes and influence of various stakeholders. This involves identifying stakeholders, assessing their interests, influence, and the impact they can have on the project. Understanding stakeholders’ attitudes and influence helps in managing their expectations, securing their support, and mitigating potential risks associated with stakeholder engagement.

References: The BABOK® Guide discusses stakeholder analysis as a part of the underlying competencies that a business analyst should develop. It is crucial for the success of any initiative to identify stakeholders, analyze their influence and impact levels, and maintain communication with them even when situations or people change1. Additionally, stakeholder relationship management is listed as one of the core business analyst skills in the BABOK® Guide2.