BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis (inc exam)

This fast-paced, three-day course introduces the essential concepts, techniques, and competencies of business analysis. It is designed to equip learners with a clear understanding of the role business analysts play in linking business needs, users, and IT teams. Through practical examples and a simplified case study, learners will explore core methodologies and frameworks used in business analysis and understand how these support change initiatives. Successful completion of the course prepares participants for the BCS Business Analysis Foundation Certificate, which is a recognised entry point into the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

Prerequisites

Participants must be able to commit to approximately one hour of revision or reading per evening during the course. Pre-course reading will be provided and must be reviewed prior to attending.

Target audience

This course is ideal for professionals new to business analysis, as well as those seeking to gain a broader understanding of the role within change programmes. It is especially suitable for those working toward the BCS International Diploma or those with some prior exposure to business analysis. Learners preferring a slower pace may consider the four-day version of this course.

A digital copy of the BCS Business Analysis Fourth edition will be issued as part of the course one week prior to the course start

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Define the role and responsibilities of a business analyst
• Describe key business analysis concepts and lifecycle models
• Identify and apply stakeholder analysis and management techniques
• Analyse and improve business services and processes
• Define, document, and validate business requirements
• Understand how to make and support a business case
• Prepare for and complete the BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis exam

Understanding business analysis

• Business change lifecycle and the principles of business analysis
• Role variants and purpose of business analysis in change

Core competencies of a business analyst

• The T-shaped professional model
• Key competency areas for business analysts

Strategic context for business analysis

• PESTLE and VMOST for environmental analysis
• Business models, performance metrics, SWOT, and POPITTM
• Using the business model canvas in strategy execution

Business analysis service framework

• Overview of the seven services in the BASF including requirements definition and stakeholder engagement

Investigating the business situation

• Workshop types, observation, interviewing, scenarios, prototyping, and user role analysis
• Quantitative techniques and diagrammatic tools (rich pictures, mind maps)

Stakeholder analysis and management

• Stakeholder categories, Power/Interest grid, RACI responsibilities

Improving business processes and services

• Process hierarchies, SIPOC, value chain, UML activity models
• As-is analysis, task and handoff evaluation, customer journey mapping

Defining potential solutions

• Gap analysis using POPITTM
• Developing solution options and applying design thinking

Building the business case

• Structure and feasibility of business cases
• Categories of cost and benefit, risk and impact assessments
• Investment appraisal methods and CARDI log

Requirements engineering and analysis

• Framework for establishing requirements
• Stakeholder roles, types and hierarchy of requirements
• Elicitation techniques and analysis filters such as MoSCoW and INVEST

Requirements documentation and modelling

• Documentation styles and user stories
• Use cases, class models, product backlogs, and business requirement documents

Validating and managing requirements

• Techniques for formal and Agile validation
• Requirements traceability and change control

Delivery lifecycles

• Comparison of waterfall, V-model, incremental and Agile approaches
• Pros and cons of different lifecycle models

Delivering the business solution

• Business analyst’s role in solution implementation
• SARAH model, business readiness assessment, benefits realisation

Exams and assessments

This course includes a BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis exam voucher. The exam is a one-hour, closed-book, multiple-choice assessment via remote proctor. Learners must schedule the exam to take place after the course. The exam voucher expires 12 months after confirmed attendance of the course.

Hands-on learning

Participants engage with practical examples and a simplified case study to reinforce learning. Instructor-led sessions incorporate workshops and collaborative exercises that simulate real-world business analysis scenarios, enabling learners to apply frameworks and techniques immediately.