Reasons for problems with change projects The Standish Group Chaos Report (1994)
365 executive managers 8,380 applications all major industry segments including: banking, retail and wholesale.
BAs scope a project including who is impacted and therefore who needs to be engaged
Poorly defined? Open to misinterpretation? Blame the BA!
Changing requirements
If the project objectives dont matter to the exec, they wont support BA must ensure the exec define SMART measures and targets SMART the T is To-Die-For!
Measure of success for Business Analysts! Target: minimise. At least the analysis should be planned properly!
Lack of planning
Urban Wisdom
A factor present in every successful project and absent in every unsuccessful project is sufficient attention to requirements. Suzanne & James Robertson Requirements-Led Project Management
40
30 20
10
0
Requirements Analysis
Design
Code/test
70
60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Requirements Analysis
Design
*based on a study by James Martin
Code/test
*Source: Calculating your return on investment from more effective requirements management IBM article Dec 2003
The typical project expends least effort on change requirements analysis which is where most errors originate and whose errors cost most to fix!
The tool for discovering new knowledge is the Scientific Method Construction of theories
Observation and experimentation of isolated facts and results Creating generalised hypotheses Testing hypotheses through observation and experimentation
but how is not the issue, proving that the analytical products deliver project objectives is
Chain Of Reasoning:
Stakeholders
Drivers
Drivers
Drivers
Drivers
Objectives
Change Requirements
Change Requirements
Change Requirements
Change Requirements
Change Requirements
Change Requirements must be assumed to be wrong until they are proved to be right
Driver
Addressed as measured by
The measures and targets that will enable us to declare the change project has been successful
Project Objective
Delivered by
Definitions of what changes are required that will affect the measures of success (objectives) sufficiently for the project to be declared successful
Project Requirement
Enforces
What rules must be implemented by the changes specified in the Business requirements
Driver
Addressed as measured by
SMART objectives
Project Objective
Delivered by
Specific there is a precise definition of the objective Measurable there are units that the objective will be measured in Achievable the measures can be achieved in the real world Relevant this project will actually affect this objective To-die-for the project has failed if it does not achieve the objective
Project Requirement
Enforces
Change requirements
low level
Process model Process specification Non-functional specifications Data model Attribute specification
Business Rule
If
If you can map all your analysis to components in the Chain of Reasoning If there are no gaps AND no breaks in the chain If those who can kill your project agree with your analysis Then your analysis is correct and whats more you are a Business Analyst my (per)son.
Sorry Rudyard!
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