CCBA Exam Results

 According to the web search results, external drivers are “factors outside the organization that influence its performance, direction, and strategy” 1. External drivers can include market trends, customer demands, competitor actions, technological changes, regulatory requirements, and social issues. When there is recognized competition in the marketplace, an organization may use external drivers as a method to generate a business need, as it needs to respond to the competitive threats and opportunities, and to differentiate itself from other players in the industry. The other options are not correct because:

A. From the bottom up is a method to generate a business need from the employees or operational level of the organization, who identify problems or opportunities for improvement in their daily work processes 2. This method may not be suitable when there is recognized competition in the marketplace, as it may not address the strategic issues or challenges that the organization faces from external forces.

C. From middle management is a method to generate a business need from the managers or supervisors of the organization, who coordinate and oversee the work of the employees and report to the senior executives 3. This method may not be suitable when there is recognized competition in the marketplace, as it may not reflect the vision or direction of the organization’s leadership or stakeholders.

D. From the top down is a method to generate a business need from the senior executives or board of directors of the organization, who set the goals and objectives of the organization and determine its policies and strategies 4. This method may not be suitable when there is recognized competition in the marketplace, as it may not take into account the feedback or input from the customers, employees, or other external parties who are affected by the organization’s decisions and actions. References:

1: External Drivers - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics, section “Introduction”

2: Bottom-Up Approach - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics, section “Introduction”

3: Middle Management - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics, section “Introduction”

4: Top-Down Approach - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics, section “Introduction”

According to the CCBA® Handbook, one of the competencies of a business analyst is communication skills, which include “the ability to interact effectively with others, using a range of media and formats to convey information and ideas” (p. 1). When the stakeholders are not collocated, the business analyst needs to use appropriate communication tools and techniques to facilitate effective stakeholder engagement and collaboration. Videoconferences are one of the possible tools that can enable real-time, interactive, and visual communication among geographically dispersed stakeholders. Videoconferences can help to overcome the challenges of distance, time zones, and cultural differences, and to build trust and rapport among stakeholders. Videoconferences can also support various business analysis activities, such as elicitation, analysis, validation, and verification of requirements. The other options are not correct because:

A. You will need the stakeholders to periodically gather in one locale is not a feasible or efficient option, as it would incur high costs, logistical issues, and travel risks for the stakeholders. It would also limit the frequency and flexibility of communication and collaboration among stakeholders.

B. You will need to travel on a regular rotation to each of the geographical locations to complete the business analyst duties is not a practical or sustainable option, as it would impose a high workload, travel stress, and health risks for the business analyst. It would also reduce the availability and responsiveness of the business analyst for other stakeholders and tasks.

C. Add more business analysts in each of the geographical location is not a necessary or optimal option, as it would increase the complexity, coordination, and consistency of the business analysis work. It would also require more resources, training, and supervision for the additional business analysts. References:

CCBA® Handbook, p. 1

Golden Rules of Stakeholder Engagement in Business Analysis, section “High engagement model”

Dealing with Tough Stakeholders as a Business Analyst, section “Communication and Collaboration Tools”

According to the CCBA® Handbook, traceability is “the ability to track the relationships between requirements and other related items, such as stakeholders, solution components, test cases, defects, and changes” (p. 22). Traceability can help the business analyst assess the total impact of a requirement change, as it shows how the requirement is linked to other items in the development cycle, and how the change may affect them. Traceability can also help the business analyst identify the items that need to be updated, reviewed, or tested as a result of the requirement change. The other options are not correct because:

A. Implementation SME is not a tool, but a stakeholder who has specialized knowledge of the technologies, tools, or techniques that will be used to implement the solution (p. 15). Implementation SMEs can provide input and guidance on the feasibility and suitability of the requirement change, but they cannot help the business analyst assess the total impact of the change on other items.

C. Coverage matrix is not a tool, but a technique that is used to measure the extent to which the requirements cover the business need and the solution covers the requirements (p. 23). Coverage matrix can help the business analyst ensure the completeness and alignment of the requirements and the solution, but it cannot help the business analyst assess the total impact of a requirement change on other items.

D. Integrated change control is not a tool, but a process that is used to review, approve, and implement changes to the project scope, schedule, cost, or quality (p. 13). Integrated change control can help the business analyst manage the changes and ensure they are aligned with the project objectives, but it cannot help the business analyst assess the total impact of a requirement change on other items. References:

CCBA® Handbook, p. 13, 15, 22-23

Analyzing the Impact of Requirement Changes, section “Before you make changes to a requirement, you may want to know how the changes impact related items.”

According to the BABOK® Guide, transitional requirements are “the capabilities that the solution must have and the conditions the solution must meet to facilitate transition from the current state to the future state, but that will no longer be needed once the change is complete” (p. 36). Transitional requirements are defined in the Specify and Model Requirements task, which is part of the Requirements Analysis and Design Definition knowledge area. The inputs to this task are stakeholder management strategy, stated requirements, and organizational readiness assessment. The other options are not correct because:

A. Stakeholder management strategy is an input to the Specify and Model Requirements task, as it provides information on the stakeholder roles, responsibilities, communication preferences, and expectations for the requirements definition process (p. 110).

C. Stated requirements are an input to the Specify and Model Requirements task, as they are the initial set of requirements that are elicited from the stakeholders and need to be analyzed, modeled, and refined (p. 110).

D. Organizational readiness assessment is an input to the Specify and Model Requirements task, as it provides information on the current state of the organization, the readiness and resistance to change, and the potential impacts of the solution (p. 110). References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 36, 110

Transitional Requirements - Modern Analyst, section “What are Transitional Requirements?”