Business Analyst Competencies

To build a business analyst job description, you should position where you fit into the different competency levels. The job description should include the mandatory competencies from that level and any previous levels, plus the relevant optional competencies that apply within your organisation.

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BACA – Level 1 (Trainee Business Analyst)

BACA Level 1 requires no previous experience but is based on attendance of a minimum 5 days of competency based training covering the following skills and knowledge:

• The Business Analyst role and responsibilities
• The project lifecycle and project approaches
• Project definition and scoping principles
• Agile principles
• The roles of different stakeholders in the project lifecycle
• Basic interviewing skills
• Techniques for documenting requirements
• Techniques for eliciting requirements
• Business, Functional and Non-Functional requirements
• High-level and detailed requirements
• Requirements prioritisation techniques
• Quality criteria for requirements
• Process Modelling techniques
• Data Modelling techniques
• Transition from requirements to solutions
• Prototyping principles
• Business implementation principles

BACA – Level 2 (Junior Business Analyst) – Mandatory competencies

• Can write basic requirements documents under supervision of a BA or Senior BA
• Can write Agile user stories, epics and features
• Understands the distinction between business, functional and non-functional requirements
• Can elicit, document and prioritise high level and detailed requirements
• Can construct basic process models
• Can perform stakeholder interviewing to understand current process and gather new requirements
• Has knowledge of other elicitation techniques such as scenarios (use cases), prototyping and workshops
• Understands the project lifecycle and can explain the importance of the BA role in each stage
• Understands role of BA in supporting delivery of requirements from a technical and business perspective
• Understands alternative techniques for documenting requirements
• Has a basic understanding of one or more project approaches such as Waterfall, Agile and Incremental
• Demonstrates basic commercial awareness in relation to the environment that they work in
• Can identify costs and support identification of benefits for input into business case documents

BACA – Level 2 (Junior Business Analyst) – Optional competencies

• Can interpret and construct basic data models
• Understands the principles of system and user acceptance testing and the link to requirements documentation
• Understands legal aspects of information systems (e.g. Data Protection)
• Can execute a user acceptance or system test script
• Understands business implementation issues
• Understands principles of project risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies

BACA – Level 3 (Business Analyst) – Mandatory competencies

In addition to Level 2:

• Understands legal aspects of information systems (e.g. Data Protection Act) and can advise on implications on IT systems, websites, etc.
• Can produce a project definition/project initiation document clearly defining scope and project objectives
• Can define an agile project vision
• Can run a requirements gathering/definition workshop
• Understands relevant quality criteria and can perform quality assurance of business analysis deliverables
• Can construct complex process models
• Can run a Delivery Transition Workshop involving business stakeholders and delivery teams
• Can resolve complex requirements conflicts through effective stakeholder engagement
• Can confidently present options and recommendations to stakeholders
• Has awareness of change control processes especially in relation to requirements documentation
• Can identify and manage/support business implementation tasks
• Demonstrates strong commercial awareness in relation to the environment that they work in
• Can identify, document and support the management of project risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies

BACA – Level 3 (Business Analyst) – Optional competencies

• Can construct a simple data model
• Can perform process improvement work
• Can produce a complex business case
• Can offer guidance and support to Junior BAs
• Can produce a user acceptance or system test script
• Can use requirements analysis tools (e.g. CASE, Requirements Databases)
• Possesses basic awareness of business and IT strategy within their organisation

BACA – Level 4 (Senior Business Analyst) – Mandatory competencies

In addition to Level 3:

• Can run a project definition workshop and resolve complex scoping issues and stakeholder conflicts
• Can perform project estimation for BA related tasks
• Can make recommendations for requirements approach for a specific project
• Can produce a basic business case and seek approval from senior stakeholders
• Can present findings to senior (director level) stakeholders
• Can conduct tendering with third party software suppliers
• Can manage relationships with third party suppliers
• Understands principles of Business and IT strategy within their own organisation and to business in general
• Can work proactively to resolve project issues and mitigate project risks
• Can direct a process improvement programme

BACA – Level 4 (Senior BA) – Optional competencies

• Can construct a complex data model
• Can manage and coordinate the work and priorities of a team of Junior BAs and BAs
• Can advise on the use of requirements analysis tools (e.g. CASE, Requirements Databases)
• Has experience of strategic analysis techniques and principles of business and enterprise architecture
• Can work with senior business stakeholders to drive and validate business change initiatives
• Can make recommendations on business analysis approach and deliverables