Oct
14
BA BoK FAQ
October 14, 2005 |
I attended the first IIBA Toronto chapter meeting last night and got a chance to meet a number of local members. It was an interesting experience. A lot of them took some time to talk to me after the meeting and it’s clear that there’s a lot of anticipation around and interest in the Body of Knowledge. Since many of the questions were similar, a FAQ seems worth drafting. Eventually I’ll pass this on for officialness.
What is the current status of the BoK?
Version 1.4 is being prepared for release this month. The first release of the BoK set some general expectations as to the scope of the material and definitions for the KAs. That allowed us to form subcommittees which then worked to develop and expand on that structure. Subcommittees were formed at different times and progressed at different paces, but we have no reached the point where all of them have had an opportunity to build on that initial structure and drive it down to a lower level of detail. The next step is to confirm that breakdown with the membership and work to properly integrate the KAs with one another.
What is the position of the BoK in reagrds to the Zachman Framework, RUP, SSADM, CMMI, or [my favorite methodology/standard here]?
The BoK is and will remain largely methodology-neutral, as it is intended to define the common skills and knowledge required to support the definition of solutions to business problems (whether those solutions involve process analysis, system implementation, or both). I expect some non-neutrality will creep in, as we will naturally be focusing on methods that have a role for a dedicated BA (so likely the BA BoK will map poorly to Extreme Programming, for example) but if you are a BA, we’re looking to codify what you do, not mandate that you do things differently.
A related issue is terminology–while we try to stick to standards when defining what words we use to describe things, the standards tehmselves often differ. In these cases we strive to select terminology that will be broadly understood.
How can I get involved in the BoK?
Send an email to bok@iiba.com. We will be looking for comments and review by the BA community.
Is the BoK international in scope?
The BoK Committee and Subcommittees has representatives from Canada, the United States, and the U.K. We hope that the review process will allow comments from IIBA members worldwide.
When will the BoK be finished?
When it’s done. Or never, if you prefer–we will always need to revisit the BoK to ensure that it meets the needs of the IIBA membership. A more detailed plan will be released in the next couple of months.