What is BABOK?

Learn it's history, content and relevance.

 

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BABoK is the acronym for Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. BABoK contains a description of generally accepted practices in the field of business analysis. It gives guidance on the skills and knowledge that business analysts must possess. It is published by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), Canada.

The contents of the BABoK guide have been verified thoroughly by practitioners. BABoK has undergone multiple revisions over its history. The current version of BABoK is V3. BABoK does not mandate that the practices described in it should be followed under all circumstances. Business Analysis practices MUST be tailored to specific conditions. All IIBA core business analysis certifications, CBAP, CCBA, and ECBA, are based on BABoK.

The core content of the BABOK Guide comprises 6 knowledge areas (KA) and 30 business analysis tasks. Knowledge areas comprise logically (but not sequentially) related tasks. The tasks under each KA help in accomplishing the purpose of the associated knowledge area.

BABoK 6 Knowledge Areas & 30 Tasks

BA Planning and Monitoring Plan BA approach
  Plan stakeholder engagement
  Plan BA governance
  Plan BA information management.
  Identify BA performance improvements.
Elicitation and Collaboration Prepare for elicitation
  Conduct elicitation
  Confirm elicitation results
  Communicate BA information
  Manage stakeholder collaboration
Requirements Life Cycle Management Trace requirements
  Maintain requirements
  Prioritize requirements
  Assess requirements changes
  Approve requirements
Strategy Analysis Analyze current state
  Define future state
  Assess risks
  Define change strategy
Requirements Analysis and Design Definition Specify and model requirements
  Verify requirements
  Validate requirements
  Define requirements architecture
  Define design options
  Analyze potential value and recommend solution
Solution Evaluation Measure solution performance
  Analyze performance  measures
  Assess solution limitations
  Assess enterprise limitations
  Recommend actions to increase solution value

 

50 Techniques of BABoK

Acceptance and evaluation criteria Document analysis Process modeling
Backlog management Estimation Prototyping
Balanced scorecard Financial analysis Reviews
Benchmarking and market analysis Focus groups Risk analysis and management
Brainstorming Functional decomposition Roles and permissions matrix
Business capability analysis Glossary Root cause analysis
Business cases Interface analysis Scope modeling
Business model canvas Interviews Sequence diagrams
Business rules analysis Item tracking Stakeholder list, map, or personas
Collaborative games Lessons learned State modeling
Concept modeling Metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) Survey or questionnaire
Data dictionary Mind mapping SWOT analysis
Data flow diagrams Non-functional requirements analysis Use cases and scenarios
Data mining Observation User stories
Data modeling Organizational modeling Vendor assessment
Decision analysis Prioritization Workshops
Decision modeling Process analysis  

 

A sound understanding of the BABOK can prove beneficial to you as a Business Analyst, as you may find the methodologies, techniques, or activities useful in performing your day-to-day job. This knowledge could ultimately help you to look at things from a different perspective and improve the way things are functioning at your workplace. Although the BABoK may appear overwhelming and voluminous with 500+ pages, a strategic approach to grasping the essence of BABoK will not only help you ace the IIBA certification examinations but will also make you a better and more efficient BA over time.

Adaptive’s BABoK-Based Study Guide has been vouched by thousands of certified Business Analysts as the best in the market.

Some of its key features are:

  • Most compact BABoK Study guide (95% content in 20% volume)
  • Contains 30 study tables
  • Contains 2 key mind-maps
  • All content as per BABoK V3
  • Compatible on all devices
  • Available as part of Adaptive's CBAP, CCBA, and ECBA training programs

Cover page - BABoK Tasks and Techniques Summary