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Business Analysis Certification
Business Analysis Certification & Qualifications - August 2010 update
Now that the Australian Business Analysis Association has merged with International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®), the IIBA® is the largest membership-based association offering qualifications in Australia.
For a summary of IIBA® qualifications, how IRM courses fit and an update on other activities, see below:
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®)
Founded in 2003, the IIBA® is a not-for-profit association and has its international headquarters in Toronto, Canada. Worldwide the IIBA® has over 13,000 members organised as 95 chapters. The Australian chapter held its inaugural meeting in July 2006. The main focus of the IIBA® has been:
- Publication of the Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®)
The latest version (V2.0) was released in March 2009. It describes business analysis areas of knowledge, their associated activities, tasks and the skills necessary to be effective in their execution. It is not a methodology – it doesn’t specify how business analysis for a particular project should be performed – but it is a compendium of best practices that business analysts can refer to. The guide is free to IIBA® members. Non-members can purchase it via the IIBA® website or Amazon.
- Release of the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) qualification
CBAP® was first released in 2006 and as of July 2010, the IIBA® reports that 968 people hold the qualification, 44 of these in Australia. To become a CBAP® the IIBA® requires proof of working as a business analyst (minimum 5 years) plus you have to pass a knowledge-based exam. The exam is structured around the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®). As part of the CBAP® application process, you need to have undertake 21 hours of professional development training in the past 3 years (see section below on endorsed courses).
- Release of a Business Analysis Competency Model
Version 2 was released in June 2010. Fifty three performance competencies are defined which are based on the BABOK® knowledge areas. A self-assessment guide is available and future plans include defining standards for how each competency will be assessed.
- Release of the Certification of Competency in Business AnalysisTM (CCBATM) qualification
The CCBATM qualification was announced in June 2010 as a mid-level qualification for business analysts with a minimum of 3,750 hours (approximately 2 ˝ years) experience. Obtaining the qualification will be by passing the CCBATM exam which is scheduled to be available from early 2011. The exam (like the one for the higher CBAP® qualification) will also be based on the BABOK® guide. As part of the CCBATM application process, you need to have undertaken 21 hours of professional development training (see section below on endorsed courses).
For the latest on competencies, certification, the application process and fees, visit the IIBA® website.
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IRM endorsed courses and IIBA qualifications
The IIBA® runs a formal program called the Endorsed Education Provider (EEPTM) program and IRM has been a charter EEPTM member since the program started in 2006.
To be included in the EEPTM program, a training provider's course must map to one or more knowledge areas of the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®) and one or more areas of the BABOK® Underlying Fundamentals.
The IIBA® reviews all course content and if approved, the course becomes an Endorsed Course. It is not a requirement for the course to map to all areas of the BABOK® to be endorsed.
Current IRM endorsed courses are:
Before sitting the CBAP® exam, applicants must provide proof of professional development training. All IRM endorsed courses automatically qualify as professional development training.
To see how IRM courses map to the BABOK® click here.
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Australian academic qualifications
Many universities cover business analysis topics as part of an IT or business degree. The degree course is usually 3 years full-time and will include modules on other business and management topics. The Vocational Education & Training Sector (VET) did offer a Diploma of Business Analysis through TAFE colleges but this was replaced in 2005 by the Diploma of Information Technology (Systems Analysis & Design). This is a more general diploma with only a small business analysis component.
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Australian Computer Society
The ACS was founded in 1966 and its focus is to raise the profile of ICT professionals and to represent their views to government, the industry and the community. Their certification program is designed for all ICT professionals so there is no specific business analyst qualification or certification. For more information go to www.acs.org.au
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Australian Institute of Business Analysis
The AIBA has taken the approach of defining business analysis as a task which is performed at multiple levels of an organisation. They've announced a 9 level competency framework - from entry level and technical requirements analysis through to business analysis being performed at the executive and strategic level.
A National Competency Framework has been developed by the AIBA together with a certification process (cost $1,485). Note that the AIBA is a commercial organisation rather than a not-for-profit one. More information can be found at the AIBA website.
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Future Directions
The IIBA® has announced provisional plans to introduce a junior level qualification and also to extend the scope of the Competency Model and supporting tools.
None of the other organisations listed above have published details of specific business analyst qualifications but as they do we'll be updating this page and announcing changes through our newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
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CBAP® is a registered certification mark owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. This certification mark is used with the express permission of International Institute of Business Analysis.
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