There are two new items that IIBA^® has launched and which are now out in the community. On May 25^th, we launched the Competency Model, which aligns to BABOK^® Guide v3. The portion of the full offering that has launched is the culmination of over two years' worth of work, but it is just the beginning. We will be adding assessment tools and providing a full printable version over the summer. Members can access the new competency model online. We also hope to expand the Competency Model to include a broader scope than just the BABOK^® Guide. For example, the Agile Extension to the BABOK^® Guide of which a new release is almost ready and we are preparing for its full release later this summer. This is an effort that has been undertaken with the Agile Alliance and is a new kind of look at the role of analysis in an agile environment which we hope you will find groundbreaking.  

 

The other new offering from IIBA, which is now operational, is our new Thought Leadership Program. IIBA is establishing 5 initiatives within this year’s program: Digital Business Analysis, Design Thinking, Agile, Enterprise Strategic Business Analysis and Analytics. Each will take a slightly different approach to how we work with global experts and practitioners to share the latest thinking in our corporate program and out to our Membership. This year’s programs are all at various stages of launch. Each has a leader heading up the programs and they will be delivering regular works (papers, webinars, research updates) to the community.

Last year we did some preliminary discussion groups and conducted sessions around the world asking about thought leadership. Later in the year, we completed the study with KPMG and our 5 topics for 2017 are largely based on the input we received and the research we conducted. We hope and believe that this will set out a clear message that IIBA is not only the “gold standard” of business analysis, but it is the best path forward to evolving the profession as it advances with changes in technology, changes in market forces, and changes in practices and methods driving that marketplace.

 

At the core of all we do is ANALYSIS. Good analysis and the linking of people, process and technology is the centre part of business analysis, the profession. We say we are about change. In BABOK^® Guidev3 the very definition of business analysis is – “Business analysis is the practice of enabling change in an enterprise by defining needs, and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders”. The profession is evolving, clearly at different rates in different organizations but our underlying competencies, knowledge areas and our techniques remain very valid, and will grow with the leverage of our Members.  
 

It is our intention to retain our current position and support all that is part of the BABOK^® Guide which is widely used practice, but at the same time, to not rest on that. We are moving forward with more products and focusing on expanding the profession, and the organization. We are focusing on the continued creation of value, but at the same time, we recognize that the greatest value that IIBA has is our membership. It is the value of “community” itself that is the greatest value proposition of all. IIBA is focused on Business Analysis and creating better business outcomes. What we learn from each other and share with each other globally remains the value.

There are many more changes at IIBA, which we will be talking about in future issues of BA Connection. Keep an eye out, and by all means, please reach out, and help us build a better version of ourselves going forward.