The Business Analyst / Project Manager: A New Partnership for Managing Complexity and Uncertainty - Hardcover

Wysocki, Robert K.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0470767448 ISBN 13: 9780470767443

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2010

Synopsis

A breakthrough game plan illustrating the need for better collaboration between Project Managers and Business Analysts In The Business Analyst/Project Manager, author Robert Wysocki draws on his forty-five years of professional experience as a PM/BA to shed light on the similarities and differences of the roles and responsibilities of these two positions, the need for greater collaboration, and how to staff a project with one or both of these professionals. * Examines the boundaries and interactions between the BA and the PM * Looks at how to identify the skill sets needed to make the project a success * The typical relationship of the BA and PM across the project management life cycle * Making the best configuration of leadership assignments based on project characteristics * Where the responsibilities of the BA leave off and the PM's begins and where the two have collaborative responsibilities * How to use a PM/BA to enhance project performance * How to foster a "dual career path" for PM/BAs development The in-depth discussion of the synergies between the two roles and the advantages of a combined PM/BA makes The Business Analyst/Project Manager a valuable contribution in your ability to be successful on the complex projects of the 21st century.

About this title

About the Author

Robert K. Wysocki, PhD, has over forty years of experience as a project management consultant and trainer, information systems manager, systems and management consultant, author, training developer, and provider. He is the founder of Enterprise Information Insights, Inc., a project management consulting and training practice. He has written seventeen books on project management and information systems management.

From the Back Cover

A breakthrough game plan illustrating the need for better collaboration between Project Managers and Business Analysts to maximize the value and success of every project

Project failure rates are skyrocketing. Much of that failure stems from the scoping phase of the project, specifically requirements gathering and management. While the Project Manager (PM) and Business Analyst (BA) both have a role, their respective responsibilities and their interactions have not been clear . . . until now.

Praise for The Business Analyst Project Manager

A New Partnership for Managing Complexity and Uncertainty

"Bob has written the most comprehensive book to date on the roles of the PM and BA. ?He correctly asserts there is not one right way to assign these resources to every project. The complexity and differing characteristics of individual project types must be considered when deciding which roles and which individuals will excel on each project. Bob provides very specific recommendations that will help managers select the right person for the right role."
?Barbara Carkenord, CBAP, Cofounder, Chief Curriculum Strategist, B2T Training

"This book thoughtfully and persuasively clarifies the roles of the project manager and business analyst, showing how they can effectively work together to deliver maximum value to an organization. It not only provides historical context, but articulates the collaboration needed as we move into newer ways of delivering solutions to organizations. In delving into the nature of the relationship between the two roles, it leads us through the complexities of the project management life cycle in clear, understandable language. This ground-breaking book is sure to spark lively discussions for years to come."
?Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, Chief Executive Officer, Watermark Learning

"Without a strong working relationship between project managers and business analysts, a project is almost guaranteed to fail. If you're having problems with that relationship, you need to read this book. Bob provides clear and practical advice on how to improve the performance of both roles that can and should be read by everyone from individual PMs and BAs to senior executives."
?Kevin Brennan, CBAP®, PMP®, VP, Professional Development, International Institute of Business Analysis®

From the Inside Flap

The skill profiles of the Business Analyst (BA) and Project Manager (PM) have considerable overlap. Every Business Analyst must have some proficiency at managing projects and every Project Manager must have some proficiency at business analysis. While this overlap has often caused friction and competition between the two positions, one goal remains clear: both the BA and PM must be fully vested in maximizing business value. In The Business Analyst/Project Manager, author Robert Wysocki draws on his forty-five years of professional experience as a PM/BA to shed light on the similarities and differences of the roles and responsibilities of these two positions, the need for greater collaboration, and how to staff a project with one or both of these professionals.

The first book to take a critical look at these two professions, and to propose the hybrid position BA/PM, The Business Analyst/Project Manager demonstrates why and how the roles of the Business Analyst versus the Project Manager need to be more clearly defined so that they are matched effectively on a project-by-project basis. Wysocki provides a clear-cut model to show you how different kinds of projects have different skill set requirements and how to make sure the right skill sets are matched to all of your projects. The book also helps you define the conditions when the merged assignment should be used to maximize business value and how to staff a project based on the complexity and uncertainty of the job, available staff skills profile, internal organizational environment, and market conditions.

The Business Analyst/Project Manager answers such commonly asked questions as:

• When does a project require a BA, a PM, or both?

• What is the skill and competency profile of a BA as compared to a PM?

• What are the boundaries between the BA and the PM's responsibilities on a project?

• What conditions and factors would determine whether one person should carry out the responsibilities of both the BA and the PM on the same project?

• Who is responsible for gathering and documenting requirements?

• What is the role of a business analyst on an agile or extreme project?

• The Janus Complex: Are the BA and the PM really one and the same professional just displaying a different perspective depending on the situation?

Learn how to harness the power of the PM/BA relationship with Robert Wysocki's The Business Analyst/Project Manager.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0470767448
• ISBN 13: 9780470767443
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240