Question 11. The following are Inputs into the tasks of the Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring knowledge area except?
A. Analysis performance metrics
B. Business Needs
C. Enterprise Architecture
D. Business Case
The correct answer is D. Business Case.
Explanation:
The Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring knowledge area involves tasks to organize and coordinate business analysis efforts. It focuses on defining the approach, identifying stakeholders, and monitoring the analysis performance.
Let’s break down the options:
1. Analysis performance metrics (A): These are relevant because they help in monitoring and evaluating the performance of business analysis activities, ensuring they meet defined objectives. This directly ties into the monitoring part of the knowledge area.
2. Business Needs (B): These are essential inputs as they guide the planning by helping the business analyst understand what the organization requires and prioritizing efforts. Business needs are fundamental in planning how to approach business analysis.
3. Enterprise Architecture (C): This is also an input because understanding the existing structure of the organization (in terms of processes, technology, and infrastructure) helps in planning how to align business analysis with the broader enterprise strategy.
4. Business Case (D): While the business case provides justification for undertaking a project or initiative, it is typically considered an input for the solution evaluation or requirements gathering areas, not directly for planning and monitoring business analysis activities. Therefore, it is not a primary input for this knowledge area.
Thus, Business Case is the exception.
Question 12. What must the Business Analyst know in order to plan the Business Analysis approach?
A. Organizational Process Needs
B. Business Need
C. Business Case
D. Enterprise Analysis
To plan the Business Analysis approach effectively, the Business Analyst must know the Business Need (Option B). Here’s an explanation for each option:
A. Organizational Process Needs
While understanding organizational process needs is helpful for aligning analysis activities with company procedures, it’s not the primary focus when initially planning the approach. This relates more to optimizing processes later in the project lifecycle.
B. Business Need (Correct Answer)
The Business Need outlines the problem or opportunity the organization is addressing. Knowing this is crucial for the Business Analyst to plan an appropriate approach. The Business Need helps define the scope, objectives, and strategy for conducting the analysis. It acts as a foundation for all further analysis work and guides the methodology and tools the Business Analyst will use.
C. Business Case
A Business Case provides a justification for the project or initiative, including financial and strategic benefits. While important, it’s secondary to understanding the Business Need when planning the analysis approach.
D. Enterprise Analysis
Enterprise Analysis is a broad set of tasks that involves identifying opportunities and determining business needs at a strategic level. It’s important but serves more as a high-level process that might inform the Business Need, rather than something directly tied to planning the specific analysis approach.
Conclusion:
The Business Need is central to planning the Business Analysis approach, as it shapes how the analysis is conducted and ensures that efforts are focused on addressing the core issue. Therefore, the correct answer is B. Business Need.
Question 13. You are the business analyst for your organization and are coaching Kathy on how business analysis works. Kathy is confused about what a business analysis methodology is during the business analysis planning and monitoring phase of the business analysis duties. What is a methodology?
A. A methodology is a formalized and repeatable business analysis approach.
B. A methodology is a short term endeavor to create a unique product or service.
C. A methodology is an approach that the business analyst believes will work but has not been proven to work yet in the business analysis domain.
D. A methodology is a formalized plan that describes how the business analyst will complete the elicitation of requirements.
The correct answer is A. A methodology is a formalized and repeatable business analysis approach.
Explanation:
– A. A methodology is a formalized and repeatable business analysis approach.
This is the best definition of a business analysis methodology. A methodology provides a structured framework or approach that is repeatable and consistent. It defines processes, techniques, tools, and best practices that guide how business analysis activities should be conducted. This ensures that the business analyst can approach different projects or problems in a consistent and efficient way.
– B. A methodology is a short-term endeavor to create a unique product or service.
This describes a project rather than a methodology. A project is a temporary effort to produce a specific output, such as a product or service, while a methodology outlines how to conduct the work within such projects.
– C. A methodology is an approach that the business analyst believes will work but has not been proven to work yet in the business analysis domain.
This is incorrect because a methodology should be based on proven practices that have been formalized over time, not just a hypothesis or unproven approach.
– D. A methodology is a formalized plan that describes how the business analyst will complete the elicitation of requirements.
This is incorrect because a methodology covers more than just the elicitation of requirements. It encompasses all aspects of business analysis, from planning to monitoring, through various stages such as elicitation, analysis, and validation of requirements.
Question 14. The following are factors that Impact project complexity except
A. Number of Sponsors
B. Number of stakeholders
C. Uniqueness of requirements
D. Amount and type of risk
The correct answer is A. Number of Sponsors.
Explanation:
– A. Number of Sponsors: While sponsors are important for project oversight and support, the number of sponsors alone doesn’t directly increase the complexity of a project. The presence of a sponsor or multiple sponsors can affect decision-making, but it isn’t a major factor in the inherent complexity of project management compared to the other options.
– B. Number of stakeholders: More stakeholders often means managing more diverse interests and expectations, which can significantly increase project complexity, particularly in terms of communication and alignment.
– C. Uniqueness of requirements: When a project has unique or highly customized requirements, it becomes more complex because there are fewer precedents, less standardization, and potentially greater risks of misunderstanding or error.
– D. Amount and type of risk: Risk is a critical factor that directly impacts complexity. Projects with higher levels of uncertainty, unknowns, or potential negative impacts are much more complex to manage. Different types of risks (financial, technical, operational) add layers of difficulty to project planning and execution.
Thus, the number of sponsors is less of a complexity driver compared to the other factors.
Question 15. The following are recommended techniques to assist in planning the business analysis approach except:
A. Decision Analysis
B. Process Modeling
C. Structured Walkthroughs
D. Focus group
The correct answer is B. Process Modeling.
Explanation:
The question asks which of the listed techniques is not typically recommended for planning the business analysis approach. Let’s briefly explain each option:
1. A. Decision Analysis: This is a technique used to evaluate and select options based on a set of criteria. It’s useful for choosing the most appropriate approach in planning business analysis activities, as it helps stakeholders weigh different strategies.
2. B. Process Modeling: While process modeling is a valuable technique for documenting and analyzing workflows, it is typically used during the analysis phase to understand current processes and define future processes. It is not directly used for planning the approach to business analysis.
3. C. Structured Walkthroughs: A structured walkthrough is a review technique where stakeholders assess a plan or work product in a structured manner. It is often used to review and gain consensus on the business analysis approach, ensuring that stakeholders agree on how the analysis will be conducted.
4. D. Focus Group: A focus group is a technique to gather feedback and opinions from a group of stakeholders. It can be used during planning to understand stakeholder expectations and refine the approach based on their inputs.
Thus, Process Modeling is the only technique not primarily associated with planning the business analysis approach, making it the correct answer.
Question 16. Which of the following is an output of Business Analysis Planning & Monitoring?
A. BA performance metrics plan.
B. Organization process assets
C. Requirements communication plan
D. Requirements management plan
The correct answer is D. Requirements management plan.
Explanation:
Business Analysis Planning & Monitoring is one of the knowledge areas in business analysis that focuses on organizing and coordinating the efforts of the business analyst and stakeholders. It involves defining the approach, stakeholder engagement, and determining how the business analysis work will be carried out.
Let’s examine each option in relation to this knowledge area:
1. A. BA performance metrics plan:
– While performance metrics may be a part of business analysis activities to measure success, there isn’t a formal output called the “BA performance metrics plan” under Business Analysis Planning & Monitoring. Metrics could be part of overall performance tracking but not a key deliverable in this context.
2. B. Organization process assets:
– Organizational process assets are inputs, not outputs. They refer to the guidelines, templates, and processes within an organization that influence business analysis work, but they are not created as part of this knowledge area.
3. C. Requirements communication plan:
– This is not a standard term in the BABOK (Business Analysis Body of Knowledge). While communication is important, the formal output is captured as part of broader planning for stakeholder engagement and requirements management, but not a standalone “Requirements communication plan.”
4. D. Requirements management plan:
– Correct. The Requirements Management Plan is a key output of Business Analysis Planning & Monitoring. It defines how requirements will be managed throughout the project lifecycle, including how they will be documented, communicated, and traced. It ensures that all requirements are well-organized and accessible to the right stakeholders.
Thus, the correct answer is D. Requirements management plan.
Question 17. Which statement about performance reports is not true
A. To be effectively used, reports should be in written format to provide for archival and tracking
B. Reports are based on the needs of the project
C. Reports can be made formally and orally as presentations, to meet the needs of the stakeholders.
D. Reports are sent to a variety of stakeholders
The correct answer is A. To be effectively used, reports should be in written format to provide for archival and tracking.
Explanation:
– A. To be effectively used, reports should be in written format to provide for archival and tracking: This statement is not true. While written reports are commonly used to archive information and track progress, not all performance reports must be written to be effective. Oral reports, dashboards, or informal updates can also be valuable and serve the needs of the project and stakeholders, depending on the context.
– B. Reports are based on the needs of the project: This statement is true because performance reports are designed to reflect the specific needs of a project, providing relevant data such as progress, risks, and results to help in decision-making.
– C. Reports can be made formally and orally as presentations, to meet the needs of the stakeholders: This is true, as reports can be tailored to the format preferred by the stakeholders. Oral presentations, formal reports, and even visual dashboards may be used depending on what best suits the audience.
– D. Reports are sent to a variety of stakeholders: This is also true. Reports are often distributed to different stakeholders, such as the project team, sponsors, and external partners, to keep everyone informed of the project’s status.
In summary, not all performance reports need to be in written format for archival purposes, making option A the statement that is not true.
Question 18. Manage business analysis performance describes:
A. How business analysis work will be tracked and assessed
B. Managing performance of non-functional requirements.
C. Managing changes to the requirements baseline.
D. How requirements will be communicated and changed.
The correct answer is A. How business analysis work will be tracked and assessed.
Explanation:
“Manage business analysis performance” refers to the activities and processes involved in monitoring, assessing, and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of business analysis work. This involves tracking how well the business analysis activities are progressing and evaluating their performance against defined objectives or criteria.
Here’s why the other options are incorrect:
– B. Managing performance of non-functional requirements: This option refers to managing aspects like system performance, reliability, and usability, but it is not specific to business analysis performance as a whole.
– C. Managing changes to the requirements baseline: This is related to managing changes to the documented and agreed-upon set of requirements, which is part of change management, not performance management.
– D. How requirements will be communicated and changed: This option refers to how requirements are communicated to stakeholders and managed when changes occur, but it does not focus on managing the performance of business analysis work itself.
In summary, A is correct because it directly addresses tracking and assessing the performance of business analysis tasks.
Question 19. Which of the following statements best explains how an approach can impact the business analysis effort:
A. Business process improvement methodologies, proprietary methodologies, customs, and organizational assets are best followed when approaching business analyst work.
B. The use of the plan-driven and change-driven approaches can be mixed, but only a subset of these approaches is viable for the organization in which the project is being performed.
C. Lean Sigma, Six Sigma, Agile, Rational, and Waterfall are all approaches to business analysis work.
D. Elements from all methodologies should be used to ensure the most in-depth analysis of the requirements.
The best answer to explain how an approach can impact the business analysis effort is B. Here’s why:
B. The use of the plan-driven and change-driven approaches can be mixed, but only a subset of these approaches is viable for the organization in which the project is being performed.
Explanation:
Plan-driven and change-driven approaches are two main methodologies for conducting business analysis, each with its strengths depending on the organizational context. The plan-driven approach is more structured and suited to stable environments with clear requirements from the start (e.g., Waterfall). The change-driven approach is more adaptive and flexible, suitable for environments where requirements may evolve throughout the project (e.g., Agile).
The idea that a subset of these approaches is viable in a given organization underscores the importance of tailoring the methodology to the specific needs, culture, and assets of the organization. Business analysis efforts are impacted significantly by the chosen approach because it determines how requirements are gathered, validated, and managed, and how the business analyst interacts with stakeholders.
A refers to following existing methodologies or assets, but doesn’t account for the necessity of choosing or adapting the approach to suit the project or organization.
C merely lists various methodologies but does not explain their impact or relevance to business analysis specifically.
D suggests using all methodologies indiscriminately, which can lead to confusion or inefficiency, as different methodologies are suited to different types of projects and organizations.
Thus, B explains the need for flexibility in methodology choice based on the organizational context, making it the best answer.
Question 20. Jessica performed the stakeholder analysis task, the output was rejected by her supervisor because one of the following concepts was not used:
A. Determining how to communicate requirements to stakeholders
B. Analyzing Flexibility of the project plan
C. Analysis of stakeholder authority levels over Business Analysis work
D. Aligning the Business Analysis Plan to the Business Analysis Approach
The correct answer is C. Analysis of stakeholder authority levels over Business Analysis work.
Explanation:
Stakeholder analysis involves identifying stakeholders, understanding their interests, influence, and authority over the project or business analysis work, and determining the best way to manage their engagement.
Let’s go over each option to understand why C is the best answer:
– A. Determining how to communicate requirements to stakeholders:
While this is an important aspect of stakeholder engagement, it is typically part of the communication plan, which comes after stakeholder analysis. It focuses on how to relay information effectively but is not a core element of stakeholder analysis itself.
– B. Analyzing Flexibility of the project plan:
This is related to project management and involves assessing how adaptable the project plan is to changes. It doesn’t directly relate to stakeholder analysis, which focuses on stakeholders’ roles, influence, and requirements.
– C. Analysis of stakeholder authority levels over Business Analysis work:
This concept is directly relevant to stakeholder analysis. Part of the analysis involves identifying who holds decision-making power and influence over business analysis activities, which is critical for understanding how to engage and manage stakeholders.
– D. Aligning the Business Analysis Plan to the Business Analysis Approach:
This focuses on ensuring that the business analysis tasks and activities align with the overall approach, but it is not a stakeholder analysis task. This happens during the planning phase of business analysis, not the stakeholder analysis phase.
Thus, Jessica likely missed C, as stakeholder authority is a key element of a thorough stakeholder analysis.