BABOK

Project Managers have the PMBOK, or Project Management Body of Knowledge. This book helps to understand the processes of the overall project, but does not shed light on the processes of actually understanding what the Sponsor and stakeholders want. Essentially it covers the "How" and not the "What". Answering the "What" question is the job of the Business Analyst (BA), and to help him or her, we have the BABOK or Business Analyst Body of Knowledge. For $60 you too can have a copy, or you could be like me and have the draft version from the last few years while the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysts) were achieving consensus. Now that they have consensus they have their BOK, and, following the PMI model also have their certification, the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP). While it doesn't roll off the tounge like PMP, it probably won't get confused with... well you know.

The question is, is it worth it? I don't know. I do know that most project fail, and that most failures are in the early requirements phase. I also know that following PMI practices can't guarantee success. You can have a project with perfect processess, but if you can't communicate the transactions, or the path, does any of that process stuff matter? PMI would say, 'Try again, and keep trying until you get it right.' Well that would be great, if there was a reason to think this next try would be more right than the last one. Having a good BA on your team solves many problems. I am lucky to have a great one on my current project. She probably isn't certified and she doesn't need it. But for someone who is trying to learn the craft, and to Project Managers who can't understand why having perfect processes doesn't guarantee success, I would recommend looking into this one. I will likely make getting certified a priority in 2010.