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Evidence Guide: ICASAD603A - Plan and monitor business analysis activities in an IT environment

Student: __________________________________________________

Signature: _________________________________________________

Tips for gathering evidence to demonstrate your skills

The important thing to remember when gathering evidence is that the more evidence the better - that is, the more evidence you gather to demonstrate your skills, the more confident an assessor can be that you have learned the skills not just at one point in time, but are continuing to apply and develop those skills (as opposed to just learning for the test!). Furthermore, one piece of evidence that you collect will not usualy demonstrate all the required criteria for a unit of competency, whereas multiple overlapping pieces of evidence will usually do the trick!

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ICASAD603A - Plan and monitor business analysis activities in an IT environment

What evidence can you provide to prove your understanding of each of the following citeria?

Plan business analysis approach

  1. Establish organisational process needs and objectives that apply to the initiative and if necessary define the requirements that the process must meet
  2. Review existing organisational standards, including standards, guidelines and processes relating to the current initiative
  3. Tailor approach to the needs of a specific business analysis initiative, according to organisational standards if required
  4. Engage with the appropriate stakeholders to determine how the work will be completed
  5. Plan the execution of business activities
Establish organisational process needs and objectives that apply to the initiative and if necessary define the requirements that the process must meet

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review existing organisational standards, including standards, guidelines and processes relating to the current initiative

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tailor approach to the needs of a specific business analysis initiative, according to organisational standards if required

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Engage with the appropriate stakeholders to determine how the work will be completed

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan the execution of business activities

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conduct stakeholder analysis

  1. Recognise stakeholders who may be affected by the business need or a new solution
  2. Assess stakeholder attitudes toward and influence over the initiative
  3. Decide which stakeholders will have authority over business analysis activities
  4. Instigate regular reviews to identify new stakeholders or changed positions as clarity of business needs evolve
Recognise stakeholders who may be affected by the business need or a new solution

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assess stakeholder attitudes toward and influence over the initiative

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decide which stakeholders will have authority over business analysis activities

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instigate regular reviews to identify new stakeholders or changed positions as clarity of business needs evolve

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan business analysis activities

  1. Decide the type of project or initiative and the business analysis deliverables
  2. Determine the scope of work for business analysis activities
  3. Approve which activities the business analyst will perform and when
  4. Develop estimates for business analysis work
Decide the type of project or initiative and the business analysis deliverables

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Determine the scope of work for business analysis activities

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approve which activities the business analyst will perform and when

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Develop estimates for business analysis work

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan business analysis communication

  1. Determine how best to receive, distribute, access, update and escalate information from project stakeholders
  2. Decide how best to communicate with each stakeholder according to stakeholder needs and constraints to communication
Determine how best to receive, distribute, access, update and escalate information from project stakeholders

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decide how best to communicate with each stakeholder according to stakeholder needs and constraints to communication

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan requirements management process

  1. Establish a requirements repository for storing requirements, including those under development, those under review, and approved requirements
  2. Assess the need and process for requirements traceability based on relevant factors
  3. Conclude which requirements attributes will be captured
  4. Determine the process for requirements change management
Establish a requirements repository for storing requirements, including those under development, those under review, and approved requirements

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assess the need and process for requirements traceability based on relevant factors

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclude which requirements attributes will be captured

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Determine the process for requirements change management

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manage business analysis performance

  1. Determine which metrics will be used to measure the work performed by the business analyst
  2. Report performance in an appropriate format based on the needs of the project
  3. Assess performance measures to determine where problems may be occurring in executing business analysis activities
  4. Identify preventative or corrective actions as required
Determine which metrics will be used to measure the work performed by the business analyst

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report performance in an appropriate format based on the needs of the project

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assess performance measures to determine where problems may be occurring in executing business analysis activities

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Identify preventative or corrective actions as required

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessed

Teacher: ___________________________________ Date: _________

Signature: ________________________________________________

Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions to Assessors

Evidence Guide

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the ability to:

plan and monitor business analysis activities, including determining an approach and processes that are appropriate to the circumstances

determine business analysis deliverables, tasks and estimates

determine metrics that will be used for monitoring business analysis work.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to:

documentation, including appropriate policies, current business analysis practices, tools and legislation

appropriate learning and assessment support when required

modified equipment for people with special needs.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

evaluation of a simulated or workplace project in a medium to large enterprise

direct observation of the candidate carrying out business analysis work

verbal or written questioning to assess required knowledge and skills

review of reports and plans prepared for the projects

evaluation of a portfolio of the project work undertaken.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate.

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support.

In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.

Required Skills and Knowledge

Required skills

analytical skills to review organisational and technical business solutions

communication skills to:

conduct focus groups and requirements workshops

conduct research, interviews and liaise with stakeholders

planning and organisational skills to:

develop mitigation strategies

manage an analysis project

manage risk and implement contingency plans

problem-solving and analytical skills to brainstorm requirements and approaches

technical writing skills to develop requirements documents and specifications

technical skills to develop models of systems, processes and solutions.

Required knowledge

business-analysis process, procedures and techniques

project management process, procedures and techniques

risk management strategies

technology and technology solution patterns.

Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Initiative may include:

feasibility studies

new software development (in-house)

organisational change

outsourced new software development

process improvement

software maintenance or enhancement

software package selection.

Approach defines:

approach will also determine how the planning process is performed

deliverables

life cycle

templates and tasks that should be included.

Appropriate stakeholders may include:

customer, domain SME, end user or supplier

implementation SME

regulator or other stakeholder with legal or governance authority over the solution or the process used to develop it

project manager

tester

sponsor.

Business activities may include:

analysis techniques

frequency of stakeholder interactions

project deliverables

project risk

project timeframe

team roles

other elements of the business-analysis process.

Influence may include:

influence on the project

influence in the organisation

influence needed to ensure success of the particular project

influence with other stakeholders.

Authority may relate to:

approving the deliverables

approving the requirements process that will be used

inspecting and approving the requirements

requesting and approving changes

reviewing and approving the traceability structure

vetoing proposed requirements or solutions (individually or in a group).

Stakeholder needs and constraints to communication may include:

communication approach for the stakeholder

how best to communicate requirements conclusions or packages, including authority level (sign-off authority, veto authority or review only)

physical location or time zone of the stakeholders

time and resource availability constraints

what types of communications will be required, such as status, anomalies, issues and their resolution, risks, meeting results and action items

what types of requirements will be elicited, such as business, stakeholder, solution, or transition; high level versus detailed and how best to elicit them.

Requirements repository may include:

diagrams and models

requirements management tools and applications

whiteboards

word-processing documents

wikis

any other method of recording information that allows requirements to be single-sourced and available to stakeholders for as long as they are needed.

Relevant factors may include:

complexity of the domain

number of views of requirements that will be produced

potential impacts from risk

costs and benefits involved.

Requirements attributes may include:

absolute reference via a unique numeric (preferred) or textual identifier

author of the requirement

cost

complexity

ownership

priority

risks associated with meeting or not meeting the requirements

source of the requirement

stability

status

urgency

resource assignment

revision number

traced-from and traced-to.

Appropriate format may include:

verbal

presentation

writing.