Courses and Outlines

| Print | E-mail

The Masters Certificate in Business Analysis consists of two kinds of courses:

• Core workshops - 7 training sessions, totalling 15 days, which can be attended in any order
• Closing module - A 3 day program that includes the final exam and an applied case study.  You must complete all core courses before attending the Closing Module.

Scroll down the page for all course descriptions, or click on the link in the following list to short-cut to the training session of your choice.

• Creativity and Critical Thinking
• Planning, Managing and Validating User Requirements
• Communications Input: Questioning, Listening, Facilitating and Managing Conflict
• Eliciting User Requirements
• Modeling the Business Problem and Solution
• Communications Output: Planning, Writing and Presenting
• Enterprise Analysis
• Final Exam and Applied Case Study

Creativity and Critical Thinking (2 Days - Core Course)
14 PDUs

The key competency of an effective Business Analyst is the ability to think creatively and critically. This workshop gives participants a step-by-step process for problem solving, exploring business systems alternatives, and generating highly creative business solutions. You will learn to think "outside-of-the-box" and put creativity and innovation into your everyday business analysis practices.

You will engage in discussions that help you learn how to apply the problem-solving and brainstorming process individually or within groups. Through active learning techniques you will be prepared to apply these skills in the workplace.

What you will learn:

• How to develop an opportunity seeking mindset
• Critical thinking and problem solving approaches
• Determine root causes
• Proven techniques to enhance your personal creativity and strategic thinking skills
• How to draft a problem statement that clearly defines your challenge
• Apply innovative thinking techniques to generate business systems solutions
• The creative process that helps you explore all possible solutions
• How to identify the best solutions and create successful action plans

Course Outline

Explore the Problem/Opportunity

• Move from Problem-As-Given (PAG) to Problem-As-Understood (PAU)
• Develop an Affinity Diagram to perform Issue Analysis

Determine Possible Causes/Drivers

• Identify the real causes or drivers
• Complete Root Cause Analysis

Generate Possible Options/Solutions

• Brainstorm options/solutions
• Common Brainstorming Technique
• Introduction to Idea Mapping technique

Discover the Best Options/Solution

• Choose selection criteria
• Apply Criteria Evaluation

Create The Implementation Plan

• What is needed to implement the recommendation
• Create your Action Plan

Measure The Results

• Link results to the Problem or Opportunity identified

Wrap-Up

• Quiz

Planning, Validating and Managing User Requirements (2 Days - Core Course)
14 PDUs

In this module, you will learn how to develop a plan that includes determining the requirements activities a BA will perform on a particular project and how you manage those requirements throughout the project. You will also learn how to develop a high level test plan to verify and validate user requirements and achieve quality performance.

What you will learn:

• Identify and analyze all relevant stakeholders
• Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that is requirements driven, focusing on planning, testing and managing responsibilities
• Develop a risk plan and a high-level test plan
• Learn strategies for managing change in the requirements

Course Outline:

Overview of Concepts & Environment

• What is a Project?
• Examples of Projects / BA involvement in project selection
• Why Projects Fail
• The Project Triple Constraint and the BA
• Project relationships between the Project Manager and the Business Analyst

Planning and the BA

• Understand the importance of the planning and managing aspect in the role of the BA
• Understand Team Roles
• Identify and Analyze stakeholders
• Determine product scope
• Determine planning considerations
• Determine appropriate methodology
• Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that is Requirements driven, focusing on planning, testing and managing responsibilities
• Select and estimate requirements activities in all phases of the project
• Understand how project progress is monitored and controlled

Risk and the BA

• Risk Management Planning
• Risk Identification
• Qualitative Risk Analysis
• Quantitative Risk Analysis

Validating and the BA

• Examine the importance of testing and testing strategies
• Develop a high level test plan

Managing Requirements

• Identify, analyze, and manage requirements change
• Identify the means to perform Requirements traceability throughout the project

Wrap-Up

• Quiz

Communications Input: Questioning, Listening, Facilitating and Managing Conflict (2 Days - Core Course)
14 PDUs

The Business Analyst (BA) plays a key role in communication throughout the project life cycle. The question is do Business Analysts know how to communicate in a way that is meaningful and effective for project stakeholders and that supports the success of the project? Your success as a Business Analyst is dependent, in a large part, on how effectively you communicate with the various stakeholders on a project.

This module is designed to give participants an opportunity to use the knowledge and skills they are learning. Through the use of a case study, students will:

• Develop a stakeholder analysis;
• Plan and execute an interview(s) with stakeholders using effective questioning and clarifying techniques; and
• Plan and execute the facilitation of a large group of stakeholders.

Time will be spent gathering lessons learned after each exercise.

What you will learn:

• How your own and other stakeholders' communication styles and communication filters affect communication at all times
• Communication processes and strategies for one-on-one communication, team communication and formal communication needs of the project
• How to ask the right questions from the start
• Effective listening and clarifying skills
• Effective questioning techniques for stakeholders
• Tools and knowledge in the skills of building consensus and managing conflict
• How to plan for and facilitate a group meeting of stakeholders

Course Outline:

Interpersonal communications skills

• Styles
• Filters
• Effective mediums
• Generational diversity
• Change as challenging communication environments

Stakeholder Analysis

• The value of doing
• What, how and when to do one

Listening , Questioning and Clarifying skills

• Types of listeners
• Listening skills
• Types of questions
• Questioning mindset
• How to ask effective questions
• Clarifying and questioning skills
• Building consensus
• The power of language and trigger words

Building Consensus

• Seeking a compromise
• Finding common ground

Managing Conflict

• Defining conflict
• Causes of conflict
• Impact of conflict
• Positions versus interests
• Positive conflict

Facilitating a group requirements session

• The role of the facilitator
• Do's and don'ts of facilitating
• Skills and techniques for effective facilitating

Wrap-up

• Quiz

Eliciting User Requirements (2 Days - Core Course)
14 PDUs

This module teaches you how to gather, document and identify clear and accurate user requirements. Material presented is reinforced through class discussion, case studies and in-class quizzes.

A case study will be used to apply concepts presented in class.

What you will learn:

• The roles and responsibilities of the BA in the requirements gathering process
• The techniques to capture, clarify and confirm requirements
• How to create excellent requirements
• How to write clear, complete and unambiguous requirements
• How to prioritize requirements
• Identify high risk requirements and response strategies
• Requirements testability and traceability
• Manage the change control process and requirements sign-off

Course Outline

• Requirements analysis in the context of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
• Role and responsibilities of the Business Analyst in requirements gathering
• Methodology considerations
• Project Management Considerations
• Managing requirements scope
• Types of requirements
• Characteristics of excellent requirements
• Requirements gathering techniques
• Requirements analysis and documentation
• Requirements communications
• Prioritizing requirements
• Identifying high risk requirements and response strategies
• Requirements testability and traceability
• Requirements signoff
• Wrap-Up and Quiz

Modeling the Business Problem and Solution (3 Days - Core Course)
21 PDUs

In this module, you will learn the key analysis models BAs use to analyze, formalize and validate business and system requirements. You will also learn the purposes and strengths of the models and when to apply them.

What you will learn:

• Techniques to document, analyze and redesign processes
• How to build a logical data model to represent an organization's information requirements and business rules
• How to develop a Use Case Model, considered to be industry best practice in representing functional requirements

Course Outline:

Introduction

• Introduction to modeling in Business Analysis
• Relationship with other program modules
• Relationship with the BABOK
• Review of basic concepts

Process Modeling and Analysis

• Discuss the importance of AS-IS analysis
• Understand what is a business process
• Learn the formal definition of a process
• Understand how modeling can be used to identify:
• The root causes of a problem
• Solution ideas for a problem
• Business problems (the 3 "Cs")
• The 6 enablers of a process

Process Modeling with the BPMN Standard

• Understand the purpose of process models
• Describe the basic elements of a workflow diagram
• Learn the symbols used within the BPMN standard
• Learn to manage the levels of detail of process modeling
• Basic workflow modeling concepts
• BPMN standard essential components
• BPMN standard advanced components
• Process modeling general

Use Case Modeling

• Fundamental elements and concepts
• Use Cases
• Business Use Cases vs. System Use Cases
• Functional requirements and observable behaviours
• Actors
• Use Case diagrams
• Simple diagrams
• Common pitfalls to avoid
• Use Case Descriptions
• The main scenario
• Extension scenarios

Business Rules

• Business rules presentation
• Linking business rules to requirements and use cases
• Classification and categories
• Documentation techniques
• Declarative statements
• Decision tables

Data Models

• Context of data models in business analysis
• Elaborating a data model
• Entities
• Attributes
• Unique ID
• Relationships
• Completing the model

Advanced Modeling Techniques

• Discover additional UML techniques
• Understand what can and cannot be done with UML
• Identify the most significant UML diagrams
• Activity Diagrams
• Class Diagrams
• State Diagrams
• Sequence Diagrams
• Demonstrate the relevance of these diagrams in business analysis

Bringing it all Together

• Review all techniques learned in this module
• WorkflowData Models
• Use Cases
• State Diagrams
• Business Rules
• Review the relevance and usage of the techniques in business analysis

Wrap-Up

• Quiz

Communications Output: Planning, Writing and Presenting (2 Days - Core Course)
14 PDUs

The primary goal of a requirements package is to convey information clearly and in an understandable fashion. This workshop addresses the planning, designing, writing and presentation skills needed to create and present the requirements package to stakeholders.

Participants learn to design a requirements package to meet the communication needs of stakeholders; hone their writing skills to improve clarity and adapt their writing style for different purposes; and design and deliver requirements presentations with confidence and impact.

The first day is dedicated to planning and developing documentation, the second day is dedicated to planning and delivering presentations.

What you will learn:

• Create a communication plan detailing stakeholders, the information needed by each, and forms of communication
• Hone your writing skills to improve clarity and adapt your writing style for different purposes
• Plan, design and develop a requirements package to meet the communication needs of stakeholders
• Design and deliver requirements presentations to different types of audiences and ensure that the contents are understood

Course Outline

Creating a Requirements Communication Plan

• Understanding Stakeholder Communication Needs
• Analyzing Your Audience
• What Goes in a Communication Plan

Documenting Requirements

• Techniques for Documenting Requirements (Diagrams and Models, Tables, Text, Prototypes)
• Adapting Your Writing Style
  • Textual Requirements
  • Scenarios and Use Case Descriptions
  • Data Dictionaries and Glossaries

Creating a Requirements Package

• What Is a Requirements Package?
• Writing the Executive Summary
• Writing for Your Decision Makers

Planning a Requirements Presentation

• The Structured Walkthrough
• Accommodating Different Learning Styles
• Organizing the Information
• Planning the Opening and Closing

Designing Presentation Aids

• Guidelines for Slides
• Effective Use of Visuals
• Before and After Examples
• Designing Handouts

Conducting a Requirements Presentation

• Vocal Technique
• Moving with Purpose
• Engaging the Audience
• Handling Questions
• Controlling the Presentation

Enterprise Analysis (2 Days - Core Course)

14 PDUs

Learn enterprise analysis skills to identify and evaluate business initiatives and support your solutions with effective analysis methods.

What you will learn:

• Learn how to see the "big picture" and help your executive stakeholders make the right decisions
• Evaluate proposed business initiatives for viability and organizational advantage
• Apply an enterprise analysis framework in a business case study
• Identify the organizational opportunities and risks within proposed initiatives
• Conduct a feasibility analysis and strategic fit assessment
• Define initial scope for a potential solution using multiple visual techniques
• Prepare a business case employing qualitative and quantitative analysis methods

Final Exam and Applied Case Study (3 Days - Closing Course)
14 PDUs

This module consists of an applied case study which will link together the various knowledge areas of the BA role.

Day 1 includes the final exam, which consists of multiple-choice questions and covers all the course materials presented in the program.

On Day 1, we also introduce the case study, identify teams, identify how to prepare for the Requirements Conference and hold the Requirements Conference.

On Days 2 and 3, teams work on assignments, prepare the case study report and present a summary of the report to a panel and to the class.

At the end of Day 3, a graduation will be held for all participants.

What you will learn:

• Complete your case study report
• Present a summary of your case study report
• Gain insight into different approaches to the case study
• Relate concepts taught in the course to the case study