IIBA CCBA Questions Answers

According to the BABOK® Guide, opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that is forgone as a result of making a decision. In this case, the opportunity cost of choosing the second project for $565,000 is the value of the first project that is not chosen, which is $375,000. This means that the organization is giving up the potential benefit of $375,000 by selecting the second project over the first one. References: BABOK® Guide, page 32; Business Analysis Expert Certification, CCBA® | IIBA®, section “What Should I know to be CCBA Certified?”

According to the BABOK Guide, the task of assessing proposed solutions involves analyzing the feasibility, risks, impacts, and benefits of various solutions that could address the business need1. This task requires input from various stakeholders who have different perspectives and expertise on the problem and the solution domains. Among the stakeholders listed in the question, the one that will provide information on technical constraints that could limit the solutions that may be implemented is suppliers. Suppliers are external entities that provide products or services that are part of the solution or that enable the delivery of the solution2. Suppliers can provide information on the technical specifications, capabilities, limitations, costs, and availability of their products or services, which can affect the feasibility and suitability of the proposed solutions3.

The other options are not correct stakeholders for providing information on technical constraints that could limit the solutions that may be implemented:

• Project manager: The project manager is responsible for planning, executing, monitoring, and controlling the project activities, resources, budget, and schedule2. The project manager can provide information on the project constraints, such as scope, time, cost, quality, and risk, but not on the technical constraints of the solutions3.
• Sponsor: The sponsor is the person or group who authorizes, funds, and supports the project and the solution2. The sponsor can provide information on the business objectives, priorities, expectations, and benefits of the solutions, but not on the technical constraints of the solutions3.
• Operational support: The operational support is the person or group who provides ongoing maintenance and support for the solution after it is deployed2. The operational support can provide information on the operational requirements, issues, and performance of the solutions, but not on the technical constraints of the solutions before they are implemented3. References:
• 1: BABOK Guide, section 6.1 Assess Proposed Solution, page 112
• 2: BABOK Guide, section 2.2 Stakeholder Roles, page 23-25
• 3: CBAP/CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, by Susan Weese and Terri Wagner, Wiley, 2011, page 296-297

According to the BABOK Guide, high quality requirements have the following characteristics1:

• Atomic: Each requirement addresses only one thing and can be verified independently.
• Complete: Each requirement provides all the information necessary for the intended audience to understand it.
• Consistent: Each requirement does not conflict with any other requirement or source of authority.
• Correct: Each requirement accurately describes the needs of the stakeholders and the solution.
• Feasible: Each requirement can be implemented within the constraints of the project and the environment.
• Modifiable: Each requirement can be changed when necessary and the impact of the change can be assessed.
• Prioritized: Each requirement has an agreed-upon level of importance or urgency relative to other requirements.
• Testable: Each requirement can be verified using a defined process or method to determine whether it meets the acceptance criteria.
• Unambiguous: Each requirement has only one possible interpretation and is clear and concise.
• Understandable: Each requirement can be comprehended by the intended audience without any difficulty or confusion.

Among these characteristics, the one that demands that all requirements in a set or model support its overall purpose and scope is cohesive. Cohesion is the degree to which the elements of a set or model are logically related and focused on providing a specific and consistent outcome2. A cohesive set or model of requirements is easier to understand, maintain, and verify, as it avoids unnecessary complexity, redundancy, and inconsistency. A cohesive set or model of requirements also ensures that the requirements are aligned with the business objectives and stakeholder needs, and that they do not introduce any out-of-scope or irrelevant features or functions3. References:

• 1: BABOK Guide, section 4.1 Prepare for Elicitation, page 62
• 2: CBAP/CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, by Susan Weese and Terri Wagner, Wiley, 2011, page 153
• 3: The Four Attributes of High-Quality Requirements4, section Cohesion, page 1

The requirements management and communication knowledge area consists of four tasks: manage solution scope and requirements, manage requirements traceability, maintain requirements for reuse, and prepare requirements package. The outputs of these tasks are:

• Traced requirements: These are requirements that are linked to other requirements, design elements, test cases, or other artifacts to ensure alignment and consistency.
• Maintained requirements: These are requirements that are updated and stored in a repository for future reference and reuse.
• Requirements package: This is a document or a set of documents that contains the requirements and related information for a specific audience, purpose, or point in time.
• Communicated requirements: These are requirements that are shared with the relevant stakeholders in an appropriate format and level of detail.

The requirement management plan, on the other hand, is not an output of the requirements management and communication tasks, but an input. The requirement management plan is a document that describes how the requirements will be elicited, analyzed, documented, validated, and managed throughout the project. The requirement management plan is created as part of the business analysis planning and monitoring knowledge area.

References: While I cannot reference specific documents, the principles mentioned are in line with the general practices of business analysis as outlined in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) and other business analysis resources. You can find some relevant web search results for CCBA requirements management and communication outputs below:

• Overarching Tasks: Requirements Management and Communication
• CERTIFICATION OF CAPABILITY IN BUSINESS ANALYSIS
• CCBA Certification | Complete Guide on CCBA Certification - HKR Trainings
• CCBA® and CBAP® Certifications Study Guide - Packt Subscription
• CCBA Step-by-Step Application Process Guide - IIBA®