IIBA CBAP - Certified Business Analysis Professional

 A test plan is a document that describes the scope, objectives, strategy, and activities of testing a software product or system. A test plan is mandatory in most software development projects because it ensures that the software meets the quality standards and requirements of the stakeholders. A test plan also helps to identify and mitigate the risks, defects, and issues that may affect the software functionality, performance, usability, and security. A test plan is different from a communication management plan, which is a document that describes how the project information will be communicated to the stakeholders. A test plan is also different from a disaster recovery plan, which is a document that describes how the project will resume its operations in the event of a disaster or emergency. A test plan is not a procurement plan, which is a document that describes how the project will acquire the goods and services needed from external sources. References:

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 9: Solution Assessment and Validation, page 329-330.

How to write a software requirement document (with template), paragraph 6

These testing methods should be mandatory for any software, paragraph 1

Software Testing Plan - Tutorialspoint, paragraph 1

Categorizing and ranking requirements is a technique of prioritizing requirements based on multiple criteria and dimensions. Categorizing requirements by type of work can help to group the requirements that have similar characteristics, such as functional, non-functional, technical, or business requirements. Ranking requirements within each category by ease of implementation to difficulty of implementation can help to determine the effort, time, and resources needed to implement the requirements, as well as the potential risks and dependencies. This approach can help Zoe to plan the solution delivery and to balance the scope, quality, cost, and schedule of the project. References: BABOK Guide v3, page 52; CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, page 160.

 Surveys are a conduct stakeholder analysis technique that is useful for identifying shared characteristics of a stakeholder group. Surveys are structured questionnaires that are distributed to a large number of stakeholders to collect quantitative and qualitative data about their needs, expectations, preferences, and opinions. Surveys can help to identify common patterns, trends, and themes among the stakeholder group, as well as to measure the level of agreement, satisfaction, or importance of the requirements. Surveys can also be used to segment the stakeholder group based on their characteristics, such as roles, responsibilities, interests, or influence.

Scope modeling, brainstorming, and interviews are other conduct stakeholder analysis techniques, but they are not as effective as surveys for identifying shared characteristics of a stakeholder group. Scope modeling is a technique that defines the boundaries and context of the business domain and the solution. Brainstorming is a technique that generates a large number of ideas or solutions in a creative and collaborative way. Interviews are a technique that involves one-on-one or group discussions with the stakeholders to elicit detailed information about their needs, expectations, preferences, and opinions. These techniques are more suitable for exploring the specific and individual characteristics of the stakeholders, rather than the general and collective ones. References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 104-105, 377-378

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, p. 49-50, 52

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 1, Week 3, Video: “Stakeholder Analysis”

Enterprise analysis is a knowledge area that covers the activities of identifying and defining business needs and opportunities, and determining feasible solutions to meet the organizational goals and objectives. Enterprise analysis includes the following tasks: define business need, assess capability gaps, determine solution approach, define solution scope, and define business case. Solution performance assessment is not a task of enterprise analysis, but rather a task of solution evaluation, which is another knowledge area that covers the activities of measuring and validating the value delivered by a solution. References: BABOK Guide v3, page 25; CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, page 69.

 A requirements package is a document that contains a set of requirements that have been analyzed, refined, and formatted to meet the needs of various stakeholders. The primary goal of developing a requirements package is to communicate the requirements effectively and efficiently to the intended audience. A requirements package may include different levels of detail, different types of requirements, different formats and structures, and different supporting information depending on the stakeholder’s needs and preferences. A requirements package should be clear, concise, consistent, complete, correct, and testable. References:

Certified Business Analysis Professional Handbook, page 24

BABOK Guide, page 121

The plan business analysis activities process involves defining the tasks and resources needed to perform the business analysis work. The inputs to this process are the business analysis approach, the organizational process assets, the stakeholder list, roles, and responsibilities, and the business analysis performance assessment. The list of identified risks is not an input to this process, but rather an output of the identify risks process, which is part of the business analysis planning and monitoring knowledge area. References: BABOK Guide v3, page 37; CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, page 75.

 The communications management plan is a document that defines the approach, methods, frequency, and responsibilities for communicating with the stakeholders throughout the business analysis process. The communications management plan also specifies how the business analysis communications will be stored, distributed, updated, and disposed of at the end of the project. Therefore, the business analyst must follow the communications management plan to determine what to do with all of the communication documents created as part of the project.

The other options are incorrect because they do not reflect the best practice for managing the business analysis communications. All formal communication must not be destroyed once the project is completed, as they may contain valuable information and lessons learned that can be used for future reference or audit purposes. All communications must not be documented and passed onto the solution’s project manager for analysis and to serve as supporting detail, as this may create unnecessary duplication, confusion, and overhead. The project manager may not be the best person to analyze and use the business analysis communications, as they may have different objectives and perspectives than the business analyst. All communications must not be archived and will become part of the organizational process assets, as this may not be appropriate or feasible for all types of communication. Some communication may be confidential, sensitive, or irrelevant for the organization, and may not need to be archived or shared with others. References:

BABOK® Guide, p. 29, 32

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, p. 45, 48

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 1, Week 2, Video: “Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring”

 A parametric estimate is an estimate that uses a mathematical formula or model to calculate the time, cost, or resources required for a project or activity based on historical data and known variables. In this scenario, the 25 workstations per hour represents a parametric estimate of the productivity of the project team, which can be used to determine the total duration and cost of the installation. A parametric estimate is usually more accurate and reliable than other estimation techniques, such as expert judgment or analogy, as it is based on objective and quantifiable data. References:

CBAP Certification Study Guide v3.0, page 33

BABOK Guide v3, page 16

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) | Coursera, Course 3, Week 3, Video: “Project Management Concepts”

 A business case is a document that provides justification for undertaking a project, programme or portfolio. It evaluates the benefit, cost and risk of alternative options and provides a rationale for the preferred solution. The purpose of the business case is to communicate the value of the solution to the organization and help the decision-makers decide whether to approve the project or not. The business case should include the following elements:

Executive summary: A brief overview of the problem, opportunity, solution, benefits, costs, risks and recommendations.

Introduction: A description of the background, context, scope and objectives of the project.

Analysis: A detailed analysis of the current state, future state, gap, options, criteria, assumptions and constraints.

Evaluation: A comparison of the options based on the criteria, such as financial, strategic, operational, technical, social and environmental factors.

Recommendation: A clear statement of the preferred option and the reasons for choosing it over the others.

Implementation: A description of the implementation plan, including the schedule, resources, roles, responsibilities, governance, change management and risk management.

Appendices: Any supporting information, such as data, calculations, charts, diagrams, references, etc.

References:

Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) Guide, Version 3, Chapter 3: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring, Section 3.4: Plan Business Analysis Approach, Task 3.4.3: Define Business Analysis Process, Technique 3.4.3.1: Decision Analysis, p. 66-67.

What is business case? | APM

How to Write a Business Case: Template & Examples | Adobe Workfront

According to the BABOK® Guide, eliciting requirements is not a compartmentalized activity that can be completed in a single phase of the project. Rather, it is an ongoing process that occurs throughout the project life cycle, as new information is discovered, new stakeholders are identified, and changes are requested. Therefore, the duration of the requirements elicitation process is not determined by the schedule, the size, or the stakeholder involvement of the project, but by the evolving nature of the requirements themselves. References: BABOK® Guide v3, section 4.1, page 50; CBAP® Handbook, page 6.