BA Rocks!

My BA team is currently looking into accreditation. The problem is that accreditation with either the ABAA or the IIBA organisations does not seem to carry the same weight or importance as the PMI (Project Management Institute) or other similar professional bodies.

Also, to date there has not been demand from our clients for professional association membership or certification. Therefore, we are asking ourselves the question - What is the benefit in joining one of these groups? Is it just the networking opportunity or is there a professional development component? Is accreditation a source of differentiation?

I believe that accreditation for BAs is important and worth considering as it will help to develop standards for the group as a profession. When ABAA President Peter Gibbins announced the new accreditation program he stated that “Business analysis is now a critical element of all business improvement projects, ranging from identifying the requirements sought by the change, the business processes affected or to be developed, and commercial impact of the project. There is strong demand for business analysts and, indeed, a shortage of highly skilled professionals yet there is very little objective information to guide either employers or the analysts themselves as to what a baseline level of business analysis competence might comprise”.

Risk mitigation may be seen as one of the main benefits of accreditation. If someone is certified then the client or employer may have a certain level of comfort in the knowledge that the consultant or candidate has reached a certain level of expertise and experience that has been checked by an independent body.

Our team decided that BA membership and subsequent accreditation is worth investigating. We will probably only get out of it what we are willing to put into it. Whilst certification may be of limited value (as clients do not require or demand it of their BAs) this status may change and grow over time. Accreditation (and membership) would give us as BAs , access to a greater body of knowledge through Internet forums, publications, training seminars and the opportunity to network at chapter meetings.