Author: Cynthia Low

Effective Requirements Gathering and Management Need the Skills of Both the BA and the PM

Written by Cynthia Low on May 15, 2008. Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on Effective Requirements Gathering and Management Need the Skills of Both the BA and the PM

In my previous article, Is it Time for the BA and the PM to Get Hitched? I set the stage for additional comments on the inevitability of the morphing of the business analyst (BA) and project manager (PM) into a single professional that I labeled the BA/PM for lack of an appropriate title. Along with that I promoted the idea of a World Class Business Project, Program, Portfolio and Process Office or BP⁴O, for short, to support this new professional.

In this article I would like to discuss requirements gathering and management. I believe it is the area of greatest overlap between the BA and the PM. Both the PM and the BA face the same challenges here. Even under the best of circumstances, it is very difficult if not impossible to identify and document complete requirements during the Initiation Phase of the project. The reasons are many and well known to both professional groups. There are at least a dozen approaches you might use for requirements gathering and it is not my intention here to present a tutorial on their use. Rather my focus will be on the need for a more collaborative effort between the BA and the PM in the process of effectively managing those requirements throughout the entire project life cycle. I have defined the Requirements Breakdown Structure (RBS) as an artifact in the Initiation Phase of the project. It is the infrastructure that supports requirements management throughout the project life cycle, the choice of a life cycle model and the choice of best fit project management tools, templates and processes.

Requirements Breakdown Structure

The RBS is a hierarchical description of the client’s needs. There are at most four levels of decomposition in the RBS:

Level 1: Client statement of a requirement
Level 2: Major functions needed to meet the requirement
Level 3: Sub-functions (for larger more complex functions)
Level 4: Feature(s) of the functions or sub-functions

The RBS defines what is to be done and can be thought of as a deliverables-based WBS which defines what will be done. Further decomposition of the RBS produces a deliverables-based Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), which defines not only what must be done but how it will be done. There is, however, a fundamental difference between the two. The RBS may not be a complete decomposition of what will be done whereas the WBS must be complete in order for the traditional linear approaches to project management to be appropriate. There is an obvious disconnect here. The temptation is to speculate on the future to fill in the gaps in the RBS. If you take this approach, you are planting the seeds for failure.

It is this lack of completeness that drives the choice of Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and the supporting Project Management Life Cycle (PMLC) tools, templates and processes. The two life cycles are inextricably linked. Any project that produces an incomplete RBS at the outset must use some type of agile approach to managing the project. In these situations the obvious conclusion is that the professional who manages requirements gathering and management over the life of the project must be expert at both business analysis and project management. The learning and discovery of heretofore unidentified requirements occurs in the iterations that make up an agile approach. In other words, requirements discovery takes place throughout the entire project life cycle and is fully integrated into management of the project. This is not a situation where a hand-off from a BA to a PM will work. The complexity and uncertainty of the solution and the processes for its discovery negates that approach. A BA/PM is needed for maximum impact.

Project Landscape

At the risk of over-simplifying a complex and uncertain project environment, consider Figure 1. It is one way to envision the project landscape. Two variables define this landscape: the goal and the solution requirements.

Figure 1: The Project Landscape

Each can take on one of two values: Clear or Unclear. Traditional Project Management (TPM) approaches are used in situations where both the goal and solution are clear. These projects should use life cycles that are Linear or Incremental. TPM Projects, because of the clarity of goal and solution identification, can effectively use a BA and a PM with the requirements hand-off fairly straightforward. Agile Project Management (APM) approaches are used in situations where the goal is clear but the solution is not. These projects should use life cycles that are Iterative or Adaptive. And finally, Extreme Project Management (xPM) approaches are used in situations where the goal and solution are unclear and should use life cycles that are Extreme.

As I travel around the planet speaking to BAs and PMs at conferences and workshops, I always ask my audience what percentage of their projects fall in each of the TPM, APM and xPM quadrants. I’ve asked that question to over 5,000 BAs and PMs in the US, Canada, England, Germany, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, China and India. The results are remarkably consistent:

Linear or Incremental 20%
Iterative or Adaptive 70%
Extreme 10%

I suspect that a major contributor to project failure is the force fitting of a Linear or Incremental approach when an Iterative, Adaptive or Extreme approach should have been used. The fourth quadrant where the goal is unclear but the solution is clear is not a viable choice. That is not unlike a solution out looking for a problem. Maybe you know of some consulting firms that act like that. I sure do.

I’ve made my point. We say that every project is unique: That it has never happened before and will never happen again under the same set of circumstances. It would be naïve to think that one project management approach would work for every project. We have already noted how goal and solution clarity and completeness of requirements drive the choice of development model and project management approach, but there are several other project characteristics that should be considered. I have had occasion to consider risk, cost, duration, complexity, market stability, business value, technology used, business climate, degree to which you expect to have meaningful customer involvement, number of departments affected, the organization’s environment and team skills/competencies.

Putting It All Together

I believe in and have always presented a one-stop-shopping experience to my clients. It is critical to project success that a strong sense of teamwork be created between the client and their team and the project manager and her team. The BA/PM professional is better equipped to do that than if a BA and PM were separately involved. The BA, PM and client structure requires three communication links, all working in harmony, while the BA/PM requires only one. With people-to-people communication being the major reason for project failure, we need to give serious thought to creating the BA/PM professional for those APM and xPM Projects. There is much to discuss about the preparation and development of the BA/PM and I hope to present that information in subsequent articles.

The first article in this series drew a large response, and I would certainly like to hear your further thoughts on the BA/PM professional. I’m sure we could have a lively discussion. I promise to respond personally to every email and to incorporate your thoughts in succeeding articles.

Robert K. Wysocki, Ph.D., has over 40 years experience as a project management consultant and trainer, information systems manager, systems and management consultant, author, training developer and provider. He has written fourteen books on project management and information systems management. One of his books, Effective Project Management: Traditional, Adaptive, Extreme,3^rd Edition, has been a best seller and is recommended by the Project Management Institute for the library of every project manager. He has over 30 publications in professional and trade journals and has made more than 100 presentations at professional and trade conferences and meetings. He has developed more than 20 project management courses and trained over 10,000 project managers.

Is it Time for the BA and the PM to Get Hitched?

Written by Cynthia Low on April 30, 2008. Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on Is it Time for the BA and the PM to Get Hitched?

My life as a project manager (PM) began in 1963 at Texas Instruments at about the time IBM announced System 360. It was a landmark event in the history of computing and little did I know at the time but it was also the wakeup call that a revolution was about to take place. It was a revolution that we weren’t ready for. If I remember correctly I ran projects but was called a systems consultant. I don’t recall anyone in my industry carrying the title project manager. There was very little in the way of tools, templates and processes to support me. The only software that I knew about was an old IBM1130 program that I think was called Process Control System. One of my friends in the building construction trade introduced me to it and I thought I was now king of the hill. PMI wouldn’t arrive on the scene until 1969.

As for the business analyst (BA) they weren’t around, at least not by that name. What we did have were computer professionals that were called systems analysts. They were the mystics from the IT Department who could talk to a businessperson about what they wanted, retreat into their space to concoct a solution, emerge to tell the programmers what to build and then hope for the best. Few clients were satisfied with the results but they weren’t involved enough to know what to do about it. Life was tough in those early days of project management and systems development. Clients were kept at arm’s length and only got involved when it was time to sign a document under the threat of a project delay if they didn’t sign. Every one of my colleagues, including myself, was looking for silver bullets.

Fast forward to 2008. The systems development landscape is more mature as are the life cycles employed. We have linear, incremental, iterative, adaptive and extreme projects. In less than 40 years PMI has grown to over 250,000 members worldwide. It is the de facto professional society for PMs. IIBA, launched in 2003, is just getting started and has a membership of over 4,000 worldwide. Size differences aside the two organizations have a lot in common and a lot to gain through collaboration and joint ventures.

The major area of overlap is requirements gathering and management. Both the PM and the BA face the same challenges here. Even under the best of circumstances it is very difficult, if not impossible, to identify and document complete requirements. The reasons are many and well known to both professional groups. Underlying it all is the need for more collaborative efforts.

The next area of overlap is process improvement. In the world of the PM and their management this means applying some variation of the Capability Maturity Model and continuous project management process and practice improvement. For the BA this means business process improvement projects and that means having effective project management methodologies.

The next area of overlap is the skill and competency profile of the effective PM and the effective BA. The two profiles are virtually identical. Some have posited that we really don’t need both types assigned to the same project. We could certainly debate that point of view but, if present trends continue, I would argue that a single person, whatever label you choose to use, will soon be sufficient. In other words the BA should have the requisite skills and competencies to be an effective PM and the PM should have the requisite skills and competencies to be an effective BA. They will have morphed into one professional. Lacking an appropriate name right now, I’ll refer to this single professional as a BA/PM. We are not too far away from that day.

The next area of overlap is the processes, tools and templates that both professionals follow. Again they are virtually identical at the concept level.

I could go on but I think you get the picture. I am led to the conclusion that the support of both the PM and the BA should lie in a single organizational entity that I am going to call the Business Project, Program, Portfolio and Process Office or BP⁴O for short. Please excuse my taking liberties with the multiple use of “P”. I do that for good reason. PMs have had the Project Management Office (PMO) under various names for a number of years. The BA has not had a similar support organization. Recently I have seen Communities of Practice (COP) and Centers of Excellence (COE) emerging for the BA, but these are more voluntary forums for the BA to network and exchange ideas with their peers than an organized business unit. There is no valid argument that can be given for not expanding the PMO to embrace the BA. That is what I am calling the BP⁴O and that is the focus of the remainder of this article.

The World Class BP⁴O

On the surface the world class BP⁴O won’t seem much different than the traditional PMO. The world class BP⁴O offers an expanded portfolio of support functions as compared to the typical PMO but if you look under the hood, you will see that I am proposing that there be a significant difference. In organizations that see the handwriting they see that project management, program management, portfolio management and business process management are all converging on a single strategic role with enterprise-wide scope. The world class BP⁴O that I envision is a central participant in that role. It helps define strategy and through its infrastructure provides for the enablement of that strategy too. And so here is my first shot at a definition of the world class BP⁴O.

Definition of the World Class BP⁴O

The world class BP⁴O is an enterprise-wide organizational unit that helps formulate and fully supports the strategic, tactical and operational initiatives of the enterprise. The world class BP⁴O is characterized by:

Led by the VP BP⁴O who has a voting seat at the strategy table
Fully participates in the formation and approval of the business plan at all levels
Establishes the processes for and monitors the performance of the project portfolio
Has authority and responsibility to set priorities and allocate resources to projects
Establishes standards for the tools, templates and processes used by BAs and PMs
Monitors compliance in the tools, templates and processes used by BAs and PMs
Establishes an integrated BA/PM position family with defined career paths
Provides a complete program (training and human resource management) for the professional development of all BA/PMs
Assures that the skill and competency profile of the BA/PM staff is sufficient for the realization of the project portfolio
Allocates BA/PMs to the approved portfolio of projects
Offers a full range of support services to executives, sponsors and project teams
All BA/PMs have an approved professional development program.
Performance metrics:
- The project management and business process methodologies are assessed at CMMI Maturity Level 5
- On average the practice maturity level is at least CMMI Maturity Level 3
- The project failure rate is less than 10%

As you can see the VP BP⁴O is an integral part of the enterprise from the strategy formation level to tactical planning to execution at the operational level. It is that unit’s responsibility to make the most effective use of the enterprise’s human resources towards the realization of the business plan.

Mission of the World Class BP⁴O

To provide a comprehensive portfolio of strategic, tactical and operational support services to all project teams, sponsors and executives in order to assure the delivery of maximum business value from the project portfolio.

Objectives of the World Class BP⁴O

Define a project life cycle with stage gate approvals.
Design, develop, deploy and support a comprehensive portfolio of tools, templates and processes to effectively support all projects.
Design and deploy a project review process to support project teams and monitor compliance to established standards and practices.
Establish a project portfolio management process to maximize the business value of project investments.
Establish a decision support system and dashboard to support executive management’s project decisions and provide for the timely monitoring of the project portfolio status.
Design, develop, deploy and support a comprehensive HR Project Management System.
Design, develop, deploy and support a continuous process improvement program for the BP⁴O.

Organizational Structure of the World Class BP⁴O

The only structure that makes sense to me is one where the BA/PMs are close to their client groups. That structure is what I call the “Hub & Spoke. At the Hub we have the enterprise level unit that is responsible for policy, process and staff development. At the Spokes are the various divisions and departments with their own staff of BA/PMs. They might establish tools, templates and processes specific to their needs but in compliance with the enterprise policies and processes.

Staffing of the World Class BP⁴O

There are five staffing models that come to mind:

Virtual BP⁴O

The Virtual BP⁴O does not have any BA/PMs assigned to it. Instead they are deployed throughout the enterprise where they are assigned on an as needed basis by their organizational unit. These are not fulltime project managers but are professionals in other disciplines who have project management skills and competencies as part of their toolkit.

The BP⁴O staff consists of a manager and one or more assistants who support BA/PMs as required. They may be BA/PMs but that is not necessary. The important thing is that this staff has the necessary expertise to provide the support needed. The support services may span the full list but are often quite restricted because of staff limitations.

BA/PMs are assigned to the BP⁴O on a rotating basis

This is an excellent model for deploying the BA/PM methodology, skills and competencies throughout the organization. In this model BA/PMs from the business units are temporarily assigned to the BP⁴O as a sabbatical from being on the firing line too long. A sabbatical might last from 3-6 months during which time they might conduct a specific process improvement project or simply act as mentor and coach to other BA/PMs.

BA/PMs assigned to the BP⁴O

In this structure the BP⁴O BA/PMs manage critical mission or enterprise-wide projects. Usually not all BA/PMs report to the BP⁴O. There will be several who are assigned to business units to work on less comprehensive projects for their unit.

BA/PMs assigned at the division level

BA/PMs assigned at the division level work on division-wide projects. These may be projects that span two or more departments.

BA/PMs assigned at the department level

Same as the division level except they are assigned within a department and only work on projects contained within their department.

Summary

This article is an opening gambit for me. My hope is to expand on some of the ideas expressed above in future articles. I hope that this article has provided food for thought and that you will take the time to let us have your comments.

Robert K. Wysocki, Ph.D., has over 40 years experience as a project management consultant and trainer, information systems manager, systems and management consultant, author, training developer and provider. He has written fourteen books on project management and information systems management. One of his books, Effective Project Management: Traditional, Adaptive, Extreme,3nd Edition, has been a best seller and is recommended by the Project Management Institute for the library of every project manager. He has over 30 publications in professional and trade journals and has made more than 100 presentations at professional and trade conferences and meetings. He has developed more than 20 project management courses and trained over 10,000 project managers.

Getting Back To Basics

Written by Cynthia Low on April 30, 2008. Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on Getting Back To Basics

Second Fundamental: Creating a Common Vocabulary

Right now, there is more information available than ever before about business analysis.

As someone who has dedicated his career to this essential discipline, I find this fact both exciting and a little frightening. On one hand, it demonstrates that business leaders have embraced business analysis as a key element to success. However, on the other hand, I worry that such a mountain of information, opinions and tools may simply be too overwhelming for those looking to bring business analysis to their organization.

That’s why in April I began what will be a series of five articles covering how to cut through the vastness of information and get back to the very basics of effective business analysis. In my first article in the series, I discussed the importance of understanding overall business goals. The next step is developing a common vocabulary to be shared by your entire team.

A Glossary of Terms

At the very beginning of a project, it is absolutely essential that you and your team develop a glossary of terms, which is a type of requirement model that lists in alphabetical order the terms, definitions and aliases that may be required to support the development of your solution. The document will ultimately be the foundation from which all of your requirements are developed.

As obvious a suggestion as this might seem to be, I would estimate – and it’s a generous estimation, mind you – that only about 10 percent of organizations today actually take the time up front to create a glossary of terms.

What is the difference between a client, a user and a customer? What is an executive sponsor? Are sponsors and stakeholders the same? What is the difference between business requirements, user requirements and specifications? And, what about all of those acronyms that we only vaguely understand? What do those mean? These questions and many others should be discussed and agreed upon and then documented in your glossary of terms.

The easiest way to do this is through brainstorming sessions with key personnel. Once everyone is in the same room – either real or virtual – the group should work together to hammer out as many essential terms as possible. In order to build consensus on definitions, the facilitators of these brainstorming sessions should use voting techniques in lieu of all-out dictatorship.

Avoid Confusion Today . . . And Tomorrow

With tight deadlines and demanding stakeholders always a concern, it’s tempting to bypass the busy work of developing a glossary and assume everyone is on the same page. I can tell you from firsthand experience this type of shortsightedness will do nothing but hurt you – both today and tomorrow.

It’s a simple fact: words and phrases mean different things to different people -especially when we enter the always-dicey realm of corporate jargon. If terms aren’t understood from the get go, misunderstandings of expectations, wants and deliverables are inevitable, and they could lead to conflicts throughout the life of a project. A comprehensive, well-put-together glossary will save you valuable time and energy, allowing you to focus your efforts not on simply communicating but on developing the most effective solution.

Create a Living Document and Share It

Technology has been wonderful for businesspeople – and not just because it allows us to secretly watch hockey highlights from our desks. Technology today has made it easier than ever to create, share and store information. A glossary of terms is no longer a bunch of pages that you bind together and then stick somewhere on your bookshelf. You should always think of a glossary of terms as a living document that has the power to evolve and grow along with projects, programs and organizations.

Even after a project has been long completed and celebrated, its glossary of terms is still valuable and should still be maintained because it can be used as a baseline for future projects. Aside from some unique particulars, the terms and acronyms will be applicable to teams throughout your organization.

And, this brings me to the sharing of information. If your organization has an Intranet site or one shared location for information, glossaries of terms should be housed there and made available to everyone. Glossaries are excellent tools for educating new employees and saving them from having to smile and nod at all of your confusing acronyms for their first six months on the job. Knowledge sharing is an easy, efficient way to help increase another kind of sharing – profit sharing.

Next Time: Requirements Sources

Next time, for my third article in this five-part series, I’ll cover how to determine the sources from which you will extract your requirements. In the meantime, I’ll allow you to document your own definitions for extract and requirements.

This is the second in a five part series of articles by Glenn Brûlé.

Glenn R. Brûlé

has more than 18 years experience in many facets of business, including project management, business analysis, software design and facilitation. At ESI (www.esi-intl.com), he is responsible for supporting a global team of business consultants working with Fortune 1000 organizations. As the Director at Large for the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), Brûlé’s primary responsibility is to form local chapters of the IIBA around the world by working with volunteers from organizations across various industries, including financial services, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, insurance and automotive, as well as government agencies.

Ten Tips for Writing Effective E-mail Messages

Written by Cynthia Low on April 30, 2008. Posted in Articles.

Plan the message before you write it. Before writing, ask yourself, “Why am I writing this – what do I want my reader to know and/or do?” When you have the answer, state it at the beginning of your message – this is your main point.

Organize the information in your message to support the main point. Delete any unnecessary information. Use short paragraphs and bullet points for lists – these make the message easier to read on a screen.
Identify the right recipients. Don’t send the message to people who don’t need the information.
Check the content of the message. Make sure there is nothing confidential, personal, inappropriate, or offensive.
Check the tone of the message. Make sure it doesn’t sound angry, rude, or abrupt.
Choose the appropriate salutation and closing. Depending on the audience, salutations and closings can be formal, informal, or casual.
Proofread the message. Fix any grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Craft a compelling subject line that will tell the reader exactly what the message is about and allow the reader to file and find the message easily later on.
Make sure attachments are attached. It’s usually best to include attachments as PDFs.
Include a signature with your contact information. Be sure to include your name, company name, and phone number.

Natasha Terk,

President of Write It Well (www.writeitwell.com), works with a team of skilled instructional designers and trainers to develop and deliver customized on-site and online training solutions about written communications.

Staying Power

Written by Cynthia Low on April 30, 2008. Posted in Articles.

CIO Survey Reveals Most Effective Retention Methods

In the information technology (IT) industry, money talks, but it’s not the only employee-loyalty tool, a new survey shows. When chief information officers (CIOs) were asked to identify the most effective ways to keep IT staff, compensation (27 per cent) topped the list. Providing flexible schedules was close behind, cited by 21 per cent of respondents; another 17 per cent said opportunities for professional development helped to improve retention rates.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with 270 CIOs across Canada.

CIOs were asked, “Which of the following elements have you found most effective at improving IT staff retention?”

Increased compensation…………………………. 27%
Offering flexible schedules………………………. 21%
Professional development or training……… 17%
Telecommuting………………………………………….. 7%
Extra vacation days or time off……………………. 4%
Granting company stock or options…………… 3%
None………………………………………………………….. 1%
Don’t know/other……………………………………… 20%
TOTAL……………………………………………………. 100%

Attractive compensation is a key component of an effective retention program as it shows employees their contributions are valued. A corporate culture that includes work/life balance and training options is also highly valued by IT professionals and is crucial for retaining top performers in a competitive hiring environment.

Effective Retention Programs would include the following components to improve staff retention rates:

Pay competitively. Periodically benchmark employee compensation against industry-standard ranges to ensure your salaries are keeping pace. Robert Half Technology produces an annual Salary Guide with salary ranges for more than 60 IT positions.

Support work/life balance. To prevent teams from burning out, ensure that workloads are realistic. Encourage employees to ask for help when they need it, and consider bringing in project professionals to help during peak periods.

Offer and promote training. Provide IT staff access to the courses and certification programs they need to grow their careers. Make sure employees are aware of professional development opportunities.

Sandra Lavoy

is a vice-president with Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis. Robert Half Technology has more than 100 locations in North America, South America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and offers online job search services at www.rht.com. For more information, please call 1-800-793-5533.