The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

#1442 Business Analysis Replaced? change request declined

What is the justification behind the loss of the term Business Analysis?

I fail to see the reasoning behind the replacement of a globally recognised term/skill, i.e. Business Analysis, with Business Situation Analysis. I can understand,  and to some extent support,  splitting out feasibility assessment but would strongly lobby for the retention of Business Analysis as a Skill title.  I have many years of practical experience deploying the SFIA framework with clients large and small,  from all sectors  in the UK and internationally. Never have I encountered the term business situation analysis. The upgrade to V8 is taking great strides to accurately define the skills relevant in our fast-moving industry. I would argue that this change goes against that objective completely. Please reconsider.    

Proposed change applies to Business situation analysis

Current status of this request: declined

What we decided

Splitting of BUAN reviewed and checked during SFIA 8 beta review. Refinement of BUAN seems a better fit to industry development and the professional discipline of business analysis.

SFIA Updates Manager
Jun 25, 2021 12:06 PM

Hi Garry

The original change request is available here https://sfia-online.org/staging/en/sfia-8/change-requests/business-analysis.

Debra Paul's proposals are, in part, based on the BCS publications Delivering Business Analysis: the BA Service Handbook and Business Analysis, 4th Edition

The change request describes the benefits of having more granularity in the skills associated with a Business Analyst job/role.

There is an option to call the re-scoped skill "Business analysis" instead of "Business situation analysis"-
- the downside to that is that it hides the fact that the scope of the skill has changed
- and also (as described in the change requests) the fact that Business analyst roles require a number of skills

The more granular approach provide more flexibility in role/job design as well as supporting personal development planning.

The SFIA 8 beta release provides the opportunity to test this and suggest alternative solutions. The SFIA 8 beta is published on 30th June so we can expect to gather feedback after that.

Michael warman
Oct 16, 2021 01:56 PM

Perhaps each of the skills a BA should have need to include a link to the role family for a BA. At the moment, the role and skills of a BA has become invisible within SFIA. Which will reinforce the assumption that agile doesn't need a BA, perhaps not the expected outcome or perception that was intended.
I can see other roles aligned to a skill: Enterprise & Business Architecture STPL, Testing BPTS, Pen Testing PENT, Product Management PROD, Project Management PRMG, Programme Management PGMG, etc. But not the Business Analyst role that would support them all, to co-create value with the BA service framework, practice, knowledge, skills, tools etc.