Techniques in Scope for ECBA Examination

The new ECBA exam scheme has simplified number of techniques for new business analysts. The exam now focuses ONLY on 20 techniques from BABOK. In the previous scheme, all 50 techniques from BABOK were covered as part of the exam. That is a welcome change from the learner’s perspective.

Here is the brief summary of the 20 techniques, their purposes, strengths and weaknesses.

#01 Organizational Modelling

Purpose

Describes roles, responsibilities, and reporting structures within an organization and aligns these structures with organizational goals.

Strengths

Visual representation of organizational units is common and enables future projects to know participants and their roles.

Limitations

Can become outdated and does not always reflect real influencers within the organization.

#02 Stakeholder List, Map, or Personas

Purpose

Identifies stakeholders affected by an initiative, assesses their authority, and maps interest and attitude towards business analysis work.

Strengths

Useful for requirements elicitation and stakeholder engagement across groups.

Limitations

Complex and risky to assess influence and interest of stakeholders; can be less used by teams with stable stakeholders.

Scope Modelling

Purpose

Defines and limits the scope of analysis or solution, serving as a basis for project effort estimation and contractual obligations.

Strengths

Provides justification for in-scope/out-of-scope decisions and helps assess completeness and solution impact.

Limitations

Political and contractual constraints can make scope change challenging; wrong assumptions may affect scope as needs change.

Brainstorming

Purpose

Generates new ideas through group deliberation in a non-judgmental environment, fostering creative thinking.

Strengths

Fun, productive, and can generate many ideas quickly while reducing tension between participants.

Limitations

Dependent on participants' creativity and willingness, and requires agreement to avoid criticism during sessions.

Workshop

Purpose

Intensive event involving key stakeholders to quickly gather requirements or resolve issues.

Strengths

Efficient for collecting detailed requirements and validating inputs, direct stakeholder collaboration, and cost efficiency compared to multiple interviews.

Limitations

Process can slow down with too many participants; facilitation and complete input collection are required to prevent overlooked requirements.

Collaborative Games

Purpose

Uses gamification and tactile activities to create common understanding of problems or solutions.

Strengths

Encourages creative thinking and helps surface hidden assumptions; promotes active participation.

Limitations

Some may find it unproductive or uncomfortable, especially reserved participants.

Interview

Purpose

Structured stakeholder discussions to elicit needs, probe deeper, and ensure completeness of understanding.

Strengths

Builds rapport, allows probing and clarification, and supports in-depth examination of stakeholder perspectives.

Limitations

Time-consuming, requires skilled facilitators, and can be influenced by interviewer’s bias.

Document Analysis

Purpose

Examines existing documentation to elicit business analysis information, validate processes, and understand current state.

Strengths

Useful when subject matter experts are unavailable; provides AS-IS perspective without creating new content.

Limitations

Dependent on accuracy and currency of documents; results may be time-consuming to analyze and validate.

Backlog Management

Purpose

Records, tracks, and prioritizes project work items based on business value and changing requirements.

Strengths

Keeps team focused on high-priority items, supports iterative detail elaboration, and enables flexible response to changing needs.

Limitations

Large backlogs can be unwieldy and difficult to manage; risk of losing details if items are not updated timely.

Business Rules Analysis

Purpose

Defines and manages business rules and policies for consistent decision-making and behavioral guidance within organizations.

Strengths

Centralized repository enables rule reuse; supports quick implementation of changes without altering processes.

Limitations

Poor vocabulary or contradictory rules can produce errors; combined rules may result in inconsistent outcomes.

Lessons Learned

Purpose

Reviews project successes, failures, and recommendations for improvement in subsequent phases or projects.

Strengths

Promotes team morale, reinforces positive experiences, and reduces risks for future projects.

Limitations

Can devolve into blame discussions if not well facilitated; reluctance among team members to discuss problems openly.

Business Capability Analysis

Purpose

Maps and analyzes organizational capabilities to support strategy, performance, and goal achievement.

Strengths

Minimizes waste and creates aligned initiatives by providing shared strategic outcomes.

Limitations

Requires cross-functional collaboration; deciding the approach and level of rigor can be challenging.

Risk Analysis

Purpose

Identifies, analyzes, and manages uncertainties that could impact value at strategic, tactical, or operational levels.

Strengths

Allows management of risks at multiple levels and sharing of successful responses across initiatives.

Limitations

Full list of risks may be unmanageably large; often possible to manage only a subset at a time.

Process Analysis

Purpose

Analyzes business processes for efficiency, effectiveness, and improvement opportunities.

Strengths

Ensures solutions address the right issues and aligns initiatives organization-wide.

Limitations

Can be time-consuming with no standardized notation for capability maps.

Root Cause Analysis

Purpose

Investigates and evaluates underlying causes of problems for corrective or preventive action.

Strengths

Structured methods aid in identifying root issues and enable effective solutions.

Limitations

Requires extensive experience to facilitate and may be difficult with complex problems.
👉 [Download the Root Cause Analysis Template]

Metrics and Key Performance Indicators

Purpose

Defines quantifiable metrics to measure and track solution performance and stakeholder objectives.

Strengths

Facilitates alignment of goals and objectives; provides clear measures for performance management.

Limitations

Can be resource-intensive and may distract from core responsibilities, especially in agile environments.

Process Modelling

Purpose

Graphically describes the sequence of activities, flows, and controls in a process or system.

Strengths

Enhances understanding for most stakeholders and supports training and coordination.

Limitations

Formal models can become documentation-heavy and may be perceived as cumbersome.

Data Modelling

Purpose

Defines domain-relevant data entities, their attributes, and relationships to support business needs.

Strengths

Ensures consistent vocabulary and logical design for persistent data; facilitates transparency.

Limitations

Requires technical knowledge often beyond typical stakeholder expertise.

SWOT Analysis

Purpose

Assesses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for strategic planning and solution analysis.

Strengths

Quickly analyzes multiple aspects of state and environment; helps focus on value-adding factors.

Limitations

High-level only; requires further analysis and clear context to avoid drifting from focus.

User Stories

Purpose

Simple, brief textual descriptions of functionality users require to meet business objectives.

Strengths

Easily understood and supports prioritizing, estimating, and planning solutions.

Limitations

May lack detailed specifications and requires proper context for complete understanding.