The BA Body of Knowledge

The business analysis body of knowledge is described in the BABOK® Guide. Here’s a description taken from the Guide itself:

“A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide) is a globally recognized standard for the practice of business analysis. The BABOK® Guide describes business analysis areas of knowledge, their associated activities and tasks, and the skills necessary to be effective in their execution.

The primary purpose of the BABOK® Guide is to define the profession of business analysis. It serves as a baseline that practitioners can agree upon in order to discuss the work they do and to ensure that they have the skills they need to effectively perform the role, and defines the skills and knowledge that people who work with and employ business analysts should expect a skilled practitioner to demonstrate. It is a framework that describes the business analysis tasks that must be performed in order to understand how a solution will deliver value to the sponsoring organization. The form those tasks take, the order they are performed in, the relative importance of the tasks, and other things may vary, but each task contributes in some fashion, directly or indirectly, to that overall goal.”

Access to a free downloadable copy of BABOK® Guide is one of the many benefits of membership of our parent body, IIBA. If you aren’t an international member of IIBA yet, join now. Please be aware that membership of IIBA UK Chapter does not in itself entitle you to access the free downloadable version of the Guide. There’s more information on the difference between membership of IIBA UK and international membership of IIBA here.

IIBA international members – download your free electronic copy now.

Non-members can purchase the Guide using the link on this page.