4 | Create a Business Analysis Center of Excellence
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analysis artifacts. Practices include, for example,
industry standards for use cases, data models,
process models, and other types of visual and
textual documentation.
Learning and Professional Development
The BACoE is responsible for the management
of a standard competency model and associated
training curricula, certifications, competency
assessments, formalized role definitions, and
practices for knowledge sharing. This also
includes the creation and maintenance of shared
knowledge repositories, discussion forums, and
collaborative websites such as "wikis."
Tool Standards
A standard set of tools is essential for the
preparation of high-quality, standardized business
analysis artifacts. Information on useful and
approved tools for the preparation of business
analysis artifacts and the management of those
artifacts is a central responsibility of the BACoE.
Examples of such tools include requirements
management tools and visual modeling tools.
In addition to tools, there must be a repository of
deliverable standards; i.e., a repository containing
templates, checklists, and other guides for the
preparation of business analysis artifacts.
Forming a Business Analysis Center of Excellence
The creation of a BACoE involves several steps
and requires significant investment by the
organization in terms of human resources and
financial support, although a BACoE can often
be started with only minimal initial effort. The
ongoing maintenance and full organizational
dissemination generally requires more substantial
resources.
The formation of a BACoE consists of seven main
steps:
1. Assessment of the current state
2. Determination of desired future state
3. Analysis of gaps
4. Specification of desired level of maturity
5. Development of competency model
6. Dissemination of improvements
7. Maintenance and continuous enhancement
of new competencies
Start by assessing the current state of business
analysis maturity by testing the existing skills of
the business analysts and conducting focus
groups with project managers to understand their
needs as well as perceived gaps. Evaluate the skill
assessments by comparing the results against
industry benchmarks such as the IIBA® Business
Analysis Competency Model. Once the gaps have
Figure 1. Process for Formation of a BACoE
