Learning and Knowledge Management

IIBA Online Boot Camp Series

BABOK 3.0
Elicitation and Collaboration

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Module Objectives
At the end of this module, you will understand:

• The tasks that business analysts perform to obtain information from stakeholders and confirm the results

• The communication with stakeholders once the business analysis information is assembled

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Agenda

• Introduction to Elicitation and Collaboration

• BACCM in Elicitation and Collaboration

• Prepare for Elicitation

• Conduct Elicitation

• Confirm Elicitation Results

• Communicate BA Information

• Manage Stakeholder Collaboration

• Summary

• Glossary

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 Introduction to
Elicitation and Collaboration

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Introduction to Elicitation and Collaboration
• Elicitation
• Elicitation is the drawing forth or receiving of information from stakeholders or other sources.
• Collaboration
• Collaboration is the act of two or more people working together towards a common goal.
• Elicitation and collaboration work is ongoing as long as business analysis work is occurring.
• Elicitation and collaboration can be planned, unplanned, or both. Planned activities such as
workshops, experiments, and/or surveys can be structured and organized in advance.

Business Analysis
Planning and
Monitoring

Requirements
Strategy Analysis Analysis and Design
Definition

Elicitation and Requirements Life

Collaboration Cycle Management
Solution Evaluation

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 The Business Analysis Core
Concept Model

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The Core Concept Model in EC

• The Business Analysis Core Concept Model (BACCM) describes the relationships among the six core
concepts.
Core Concept During Elicitation and Collaboration, business analysts...

Change: The act of transformation in response Use a variety of elicitation techniques to fully identify the
to a need. characteristics of the change including concerns that stakeholders
have about the change. The change itself may determine the
appropriate types and extent of elicitation and collaboration.

Need: A problem or opportunity to be Elicit, confirm, and communicate needs and supporting business
addressed. analysis information. As elicitation is iterative and incremental, the
understanding of needs may evolve over time.

Solution: A specific way of satisfying one or Elicit, confirm, and communicate necessary or desired
more needs in a context. characteristics of proposed solutions.

Stakeholder: A group or individual with a Manage the collaboration with the stakeholders who participate in
relationship to the change, the need, or the the business analysis work. All stakeholders may participate in
solution. different roles and at different times during a change.

Value: The worth, importance, or usefulness of Collaborate with stakeholders to assess the relative value of
something to a stakeholder within a context. information provided through elicitation, and apply a variety of
techniques to confirm and communicate that value.

Context: The circumstances that influence, are Apply a variety of elicitation techniques to identify business analysis
influenced by, and provide understanding of the information about the context that may affect the change.
change.
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 Prepare for Elicitation

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Prepare for Elicitation (1/7)
Purpose/Description
• To understand the scope of the elicitation activity, select appropriate techniques, and plan for appropriate
supporting materials and resources

• Business Analysts prepare for elicitation by:

• Defining the desired outcomes of the activity, considering the stakeholders involved and the goals of
the initiative.

• Determining which work products will be produced using the elicitation results

• Deciding which techniques are best suited to produce those results

• Establishing the elicitation logistics

• Identifying any supporting materials needed

• Understanding circumstances to foster collaboration during an elicitation activity

Input:

• Needs

• Stakeholder Engagement Approach

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Prepare for Elicitation (2/7)
Input - Task – Guidelines and Tools - Output Diagram

Guidelines and Tools Input

3.2
Business Needs Stakeholder
Analysis Engagement Approach
Approach

Business
Objectives
4.1 Prepare for Elicitation

Output
Existing Business
Analysis
Information
4.1
Elicitation
Potential Value Activity Plan

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Prepare for Elicitation (3/7)
Elements
• Understand the Scope of Elicitation: To determine type of information to be discovered and techniques
that may be used BA needs to consider:

• Business domain

• Overall corporate culture and environment

• Stakeholder locations

• Stakeholders who are involved and their group dynamics

• Expected outputs elicitation activities will feed

• Skills of the business analyst

• Other elicitation activities planned to complement this one

• Strategy or Solution approach

• Scope of future solution

• Possible sources of information that might feed into the specific elicitation activity

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Prepare for Elicitation (4/7)
Elements Contd.
• Select Elicitation Techniques: Choosing right technique and performing it correctly is very important for
success of elicitation activity. Multiple techniques are be used in most cases. Points to be considered while
choosing technique:

• Techniques used commonly for similar initiatives

• Techniques specifically suited to the situation

• Tasks needed to prepare, execute and complete each technique

• Needs of stakeholders, their availability and their location

Technique chosen depends on:

• Cost and Time constraints

• Type of information sources and their access

• Culture of organization

• Desired outcomes

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Prepare for Elicitation (5/7)
Elements Contd.
• Set Up Logistics: The logistics for each elicitation activity include identifying:

• Goal of activity

• Participants and their roles

• Scheduled resources (people, rooms, tools etc.)

• Location

• Communication channels

• Techniques

• Languages used by stakeholders (written/oral)

• Secure Supporting Material: Business analyst identify sources of information that are needed to conduct
the elicitation activity. Business analysts procure or develop the materials and tools needed.

• Prepare Stakeholders: Business analysts may need to educate stakeholders on how an elicitation
technique works or what information is needed. Business analysts may also request stakeholders to review
supporting material prior to the elicitation activity.

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Prepare for Elicitation (6/7)
Guidelines and Tools
• Business Analysis Approach: Sets the general strategy to be used which includes methodology, types of
stakeholders and how they should be involved, list of stakeholders, timing of work, expected format and level
of details of elicitation results, identified challenges and uncertainties.

• Business Objectives: Describe the desired direction needed to achieve the future state. Can be used to
prepare elicitation events and develop supporting material.

• Existing Business Analysis Information: May provided better understanding of goals of elicitation activity
and aid in preparing for elicitation.

• Potential Value: Describes the value to be realized by implementation & can be used to shape elicitation
events.

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Prepare for Elicitation (7/7)
Techniques
• Brainstorming • Interviews
• Data Mining • Mind Mapping
• Document Analysis • Risk Analysis and Management
• Estimation • Stakeholder List, Map, or Personas

Stakeholders
• Domain SME
• Project Manager
• Sponsor

Output:

• Elicitation Activity Plan

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 Conduct Elicitation

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Conduct Elicitation (1/6)
Purpose/Description
• To draw out, explore and identify information relevant to the change.

• Stakeholders collaboration:

• Participating and interacting during the elicitation activity

• Researching, studying and providing feedback on documents, systems and models and interfaces.

• Three common types of elicitation

• Collaborative
• Direct interaction with stakeholders and relies on their experiences , expertise and judgment.
• Research
• Systematically discovering and studying information from materials or sources that are not
directly known by stakeholders involved in the change.
• Experiments
• Identifying information that could not be known without some sort of controlled test.

Inputs

• Elicitation Activity Plan

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Conduct Elicitation (2/6)
Input - Task – Guidelines and Tools - Output Diagram

Guidelines and Tools Input

4.1
Business
Elicitation Activity Plan
Analysis
Approach

Existing Business
Analysis
4.2
Information
Conduct Elicitation
Output
Stakeholder
Engagement
Approach
4.2
Elicitation
Supporting Results
Materials (unconfirmed

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Conduct Elicitation (3/6)
Elements
• Guide Elicitation Activity: In order to help guide and facilitate towards the expected outcomes of
elicitation activities, BAs consider:

• The elicitation activity goals and agenda

• Scope of change

• What forms of output the activity will generate

• What other representations the activity results will support

• How the output integrates into what is already known

• Who provides the information

• Who will use the information

• How the information will be used.

• Capture Elicitation Outcomes: Conducting elicitation is frequently iterative and takes place in a series of
sessions – in parallel or in sequence. Capturing elicitation outcomes helps to ensure that information
produced is recorded for later reference and use.

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Conduct Elicitation (4/6)
Guidelines and Tools
• Business Analysis Approach: Influences how each elicitation activity is performed as it identifies the types
of outputs that will be needed based on the approach.

• Existing Business Analysis Information: May guide the questions posed during elicitation and approach
used to draw out information from stakeholders.

• Stakeholder Engagement Approach: Provides collaboration and communication approaches that might be
effective during elicitation.

• Supporting Material: Includes any material, information tools or equipment to be used during elicitation.

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Conduct Elicitation (5/6)
Techniques
• Benchmarking and Market Analysis • Interface Analysis
• Brainstorming • Interviews
• Business Rules Analysis • Mind Mapping
• Collaborative Games • Observation
• Concept Modelling • Process Analysis
• Data Mining • Process Modelling
• Data Modelling • Prototyping
• Document Analysis • Survey or Questionnaire
• Focus Groups • Workshops

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Conduct Elicitation (6/6)
Stakeholders
• Customer

• Domain Subject Matter Expert

• End User

• Implementation Subject Matter Expert

• Sponsor

• Any stakeholders

Output:

• Elicitation Results (Unconfirmed)

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 Confirm Elicitation Results

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Confirm Elicitation Results (1/4)
Purpose/Description
• To check the information gathered during an elicitation session for accuracy and consistency with other
information.

• To identify any problems and resolve them before resources are committed to using the information

• Compared against their source and other elicitation results to ensure consistency

• Review may discover errors, omissions, conflicts and ambiguity

• Much less rigorous and formal review than occurs during analysis

Input
• Elicitation Results (unconfirmed)

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Confirm Elicitation Results (2/4)
Input - Task – Guidelines and Tools - Output Diagram

Input

4.2
Guidelines and Tools Elicitation Results (unconfirmed)

Elicitation
Activity Plan

4.3
Confirm Elicitation Results
Existing Business
Output
Analysis
Information

4.3
Elicitation
Results
(confirmed)

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Confirm Elicitation Results (3/4)
Elements
• Compare Elicitation Results against Source Information: Includes validating against documents which
were referred during elicitation and stakeholder knowledge. BAs may lead follow meetings for validation and
correction.

• Compare Elicitation Results against other Elicitation Results: Involves comparison of results from
multiple elicitation activities and checking that information is consistent.

Guidelines and Tools

• Elicitation Activity Plan: Used to guide which alternative sources and which elicitation results are to be
compared.

• Existing Business Analysis Information: Used to confirm results of elicitation activities or to develop
additional questions to draw out more detailed information.

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Confirm Elicitation Results (4/4)
Techniques
• Document Analysis

• Interviews

• Reviews

• Workshops

Stakeholders

• Domain Subject Matter Experts

• Any stakeholder

Output

• Elicitation Results (confirmed)

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 Communicate Business Analysis
Information

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Communicate Business Analysis Information (1/7)
Purpose/Description
• To ensure stakeholders have a shared understanding of business analysis information.

• Communicate appropriate information to stakeholders at the right time and in formats that meet their needs

• Communication of business analysis information is bi-directional and iterative

• Communicating information does not simply involve pushing information out and assuming it was received
and understood

Input

• BA Information

• Stakeholder Engagement Approach

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Communicate Business Analysis Information (2/7)
Input - Task – Guidelines and Tools - Output Diagram

Guidelines and Tools Input

Business Analysis 3.2

Information Stakeholder
Engagement Approach
Business
Analysis
Approach

4.4
Communicate Business Analysis Information
Output
Information
Management
Approach
4.4
Communicate
Business Analysis
Information

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Communicate Business Analysis Information (3/7)
Elements
• Determine Objectives and Format of Communication: Business analysis information package may be
prepared for a number of reasons including – but not limited to – following:

• Communication of requirements and designs to stakeholders

• Early assessment of quality and planning

• Evaluation of possible alternative

• Formal reviews and approvals

• Input to solution design

• Conformance to contractual and regulatory obligations

• Maintenance for re-use

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Communicate Business Analysis Information (4/7)
Elements Contd.
• Communicate Business Analysis Package: The purpose of business analysis package communication to
make stakeholders understand the information contained in package, review the package, ask questions and
raise concerns that they may have.

• Common communication platforms include:

• Group collaboration

• Individual collaboration

• Email or other non-verbal methods

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Communicate Business Analysis Information (5/7)
Guidelines and Tools
• Business Analysis Approach: Describes how the various types of information will be disseminated. It also
describes level of detail and formality required, communication frequency and how communication could be
effected by number and geographic dispersion of stakeholders.

• Information Management Approach: Helps determine how business analysis information will be packaged
and communicated.

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Communicate Business Analysis Information (6/7)
Techniques
• Interviews

• Reviews

• Workshops

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Communicate Business Analysis Information (7/7)
Stakeholders
• End User

• Customer

• Domain Subject Matter Expert

• Implementation Subject Matter Expert

• Tester

• Any stakeholder

Outputs

• Business Analysis Information (Communicated)

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 Manage Stakeholder
Collaboration

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Manage Stakeholder Collaboration (1/5)
Purpose/Description
• To encourage stakeholders to work towards a common goal
• Business Analysis work lends itself to many collaboration opportunities between groups of stakeholders
on the business analysis work products.
• Managing stakeholder collaboration is an ongoing activity
• The more significant the impact of the change or its visibility within the organization, the more attention is
directed to managing stakeholder collaboration
• Poor relationships causes detrimental effects
• Failure to provide quality information
• Strong negative reactions to setbacks and obstacles
• Resistance to change
• Lack of support for, and participation in, business analysis work
• Business Analysis information being ignored.

Input

• Stakeholder Engagement Approach

• Business Analysis Performance Assessment

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Manage Stakeholder Collaboration (2/5)
Input - Task – Guidelines and Tools - Output Diagram

Guidelines and Tools Input

3.2 3.5 Business
Business Stakeholder Analysis Performance
Analysis Engagement Approach Assessment
Approach

Business
4.5
Objectives
Manage Stakeholder Collaboration

Output
Future State
Description

4.5
Recommended Stakeholder
Actions Engagement

Risk Analysis
Results

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Manage Stakeholder Collaboration (3/5)
Elements
• Gain Agreements on Commitments: There may be dialogue and negotiation regarding the terms and
conditions of the commitments. Effective negotiation, communication and conflict resolution skills are
important.

• Monitor Stakeholder Engagement: BAs monitor the participation and performance of stakeholders to
ensure:

• The right SMEs and other stakeholders are participating effectively

• Stakeholders attitudes and interest are staying constant and improving

• Elicitation results are confirmed in a timely manner

• Agreements and commitments are maintained

• BAs continually monitor for risks such as:

• Stakeholders being diverted to other work

• Elicitation activity not providing the quality of information required

• Delayed approvals

• Collaboration: Involves regular, frequent and bi-directional communication.

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Manage Stakeholder Collaboration (4/5)
Guidelines and Tools
• Business Analysis Approach: Describes the nature and level of collaboration required from each
stakeholder.

• Business Objective: Describes the desired direction needed to achieve the future state.

• Future State Description: Defines the desired future state and expected value it delivers.

• Recommended Actions: Describes what should be done to improve the value of a solution.

• Risk Analysis Results: Risks needs to be addressed to ensure that collaboration activities are successful.

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Manage Stakeholder Collaboration (5/5)
Techniques
• Collaborative Games

• Lessons Learned

• Risk Analysis and Management

• Stakeholder List, Map, or Personas

Stakeholders

• All stakeholders

Output

• Stakeholder Engagement

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 Summary

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Summary
Techniques
• The Elicitation and Collaboration knowledge area describes the tasks that business analysts perform to
obtain information from stakeholders and confirm the results. It also describes the communication with
stakeholders once the business analysis information is assembled.
• Elicitation is the drawing forth or receiving of information from stakeholders or other sources. It is the main
path to discovering requirements and design information, and might involve talking with stakeholders directly,
researching topics, experimenting, or simply being handed information.
• Describes how business analysts identify and reach agreement on the mutual understanding of all types of
business analysis information. Elicitation and collaboration work is never a 'phase' in business analysis;
rather, it is ongoing as long as business analysis work is occurring.
• Elicitation and collaboration can be planned, unplanned, or both. Planned activities such as workshops,
experiments, and/or surveys can be structured and organized in advance.
• The Elicitation and Collaboration knowledge area is composed of the following tasks:
• Prepare for Elicitation
• Conduct Elicitation
• Confirm Elicitation Results
• Communicate Business Analysis Information
• Manage Stakeholder Collaboration

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 Glossary

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Glossary (1/4)
Assumption An influencing factor that is believed to be true but has not been confirmed to be accurate,
or that could be true now but may not be in the future.

Acceptance criteria Criteria associated with requirements, products, or the delivery cycle that must be met in
order to achieve stakeholder acceptance

Business problem An issue of strategic or tactical importance preventing an enterprise or organization from
achieving its goals.

Business need A problem or opportunity of strategic or tactical importance to be addressed

Business analyst Any person who performs business analysis, no matter their job title or organizational role.
For more information, see Who is a Business Analyst?

Business analysis information Any kind of information at any level of detail that is used as an input to business analysis
work, or as an output of business analysis work

Brainstorming A team activity that seeks to produce a broad or diverse set of options through the rapid
and uncritical generation of ideas
Collaboration The act of two or more people working together towards a common goal

Customer A stakeholder who uses or may use products or services produced by the enterprise and
may have contractual or moral rights that the enterprise is obliged to meet

Core concept (business analysis) One of six ideas that are fundamental to the practice of business analysis: Change, Need,
Solution, Context, Stakeholder, and Value

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Glossary (2/4)
Document analysis (business An examination of the documentation of an existing system in order to elicit requirements.
analysis)
Elicitation Iterative derivation and extraction of information from stakeholders or other sources

Estimate A quantitative assessment of a planned outcome, resource requirements, and schedule

where uncertainties and unknowns are systematically factored into the assessment

Facilitation The art of leading and encouraging people through systematic efforts toward agreed-upon
objectives in a manner that enhances involvement, collaboration, productivity, and synergy

Guideline (business analysis) An instruction or description on why or how to undertake a task.

Input (business analysis) Information consumed or transformed to produce an output. An input is the information
necessary for a task to begin

Interview Eliciting information from a person or group of people in an informal or formal setting by
asking relevant questions and recording the responses

Knowledge area (business analysis) An area of expertise that includes several specific business analysis tasks

Lessons learned process A process improvement technique used to learn about and improve on a process or
project. A lessons learned session involves a special meeting in which the team explores
what worked, what didn't work, what could be learned from the just-completed iteration,
and how to adapt processes and techniques before continuing or starting anew
Life cycle A series of changes an item or object undergoes from inception to retirement

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Glossary (3/4)
Need A problem or opportunity to be addressed

Prototype A partial or simulated approximation of the solution for the purpose of eliciting or verifying
requirements with stakeholders

Project manager A stakeholder who is responsible for managing the work required to deliver a solution that
meets a business need, and for ensuring that the project's objectives are met while
balancing the project constraints,
Process A set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective by taking one or more
defined inputs and turning them into defined outputs

Questionnaire A set of defined questions, with a choice of answers, used to collect information from
respondents.

Quality The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills needs.

Requirement A usable representation of a need

Requirements attribute A characteristic or property of a requirement used to assist with requirements

management.

Stakeholder A group or individual with a relationship to the change, the need, or the solution

Stakeholder list A catalogue of the stakeholders affected by a change, business need, or proposed
solution, and a description of their attributes and characteristics related to their involvement
in the initiative

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Glossary (4/4)
Stated requirement A requirement articulated by a stakeholder that has not been analyzed, verified, or
validated. Stated requirements frequently reflect the desires of a stakeholder rather than
the actual need

Solution A specific way of satisfying one or more needs in a context

SME See subject matter expert

Tester An individual responsible for determining how to verify that the solution meets the
requirements defined by the business analyst, and conducting the verification process

Walkthrough A review in which participants step through an artifact or set of artifacts with the intention of
validating the requirements or designs, and to identify requirements or design errors,
inconsistencies, omissions, inaccuracies, or conflicts
Workshop A facilitated and focused event attended by key stakeholders for the purpose of achieving
a defined goal

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Questions

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 Thank You

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