Business Analysis in an Agile (Scrum) Environment

Business Analysis in an Agile (Scrum) Environment is a two-day course that helps learners transfer valuable business analysis skills from linear, documentation-led projects into an agile, product-based context. It explores the agile mindset, the essentials of Scrum and practical techniques for creating, refining and communicating Product Backlog items. Learners move from documenting requirements towards understanding needs through collaboration, feedback and adaptation, using a continuing case study to apply Product Goals, story mapping, story splitting, ordering and acceptance criteria.

Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites. Learners will gain most value if they have some experience of business analysis, requirements, product delivery or project delivery, whether in a waterfall or agile environment. No prior knowledge of Scrum is assumed.

Target audience

The course is primarily aimed at Business Analysts moving from linear approaches into agile ways of working. It is also suitable for people already working in agile delivery who want to understand how business analysis capabilities contribute to value delivery.

• Business Analysts seeking to apply their skills in Scrum and product environments.
• Product Owners and Product Managers who create, order and refine Product Backlogs.
• Project Managers and delivery practitioners transitioning from project-focused to product-focused delivery.
• Business subject matter experts and other stakeholders who contribute to requirements, discovery and backlog conversations.

Business Analysis

• Explore what business analysis is, the value it adds and the skills it requires.
• Compare business analysis in waterfall and agile contexts, including the risks of up-front analysis and late feedback.

The Agile Mindset

• Understand agility as a response to uncertainty rather than a collection of ceremonies or tools.
• Explore iterative and incremental delivery, feedback, adaptation and empirical decision-making.
• Apply the Agile Manifesto values and principles as context-sensitive choices rather than fixed rules.
• Recognise Scrum, Kanban, Lean, XP, SAFe, LeSS and DSDM as different approaches beneath the agile umbrella.

Scrum

• Understand Scrum as a lightweight framework founded on empiricism and lean thinking.
• Examine the Scrum Team accountabilities of Product Owner, Scrum Master and Developers.
• Explore the purpose of the Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective.
• Relate the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog and Increment to their commitments: Product Goal, Sprint Goal and Definition of Done.
• Identify how BA capabilities can add value without undermining Scrum accountabilities or team self-management.

The Product Backlog

• Distinguish an emergent, ordered Product Backlog from a fixed Business Requirements Document.
• Use the DEEP characteristics: Detailed appropriately, Estimated, Emergent and Prioritised.
• Connect strategic direction, Product Goals, Sprint Goals and Product Backlog Items.
• Create an outcome-oriented Product Goal and a lightweight first-cut Product Backlog.

Product Backlog Items and Story Mapping

• Treat Product Backlog items as prompts for understanding rather than exhaustive specifications.
• Use the 3 C’s — Card, Conversation and Confirmation — to support collaborative refinement.
• Build a story map with a horizontal backbone of activities and steps, and vertical ribs of options.
• Use release slices to maintain an end-to-end customer journey while delivering incrementally.

Story Splitting and Ordering

• Split large stories into smaller vertical slices that deliver useful behaviour.
• Apply Mike Cohn’s SPIDR lenses: Spike, Paths, Interfaces, Data and Rules.
• Order Product Backlog items using explicit considerations such as value, risk, dependency, urgency, learning, reach and effort.
• Recognise the strengths and limitations of ICE, RICE, WSJF, value/effort and MoSCoW.

Acceptance

• Define story-specific conditions of satisfaction and distinguish them from the Definition of Done.
• Use concrete examples and Given/When/Then scenarios to clarify expected behaviour.
• Apply Behaviour Driven Development as a collaborative refinement technique that exposes ambiguity and missing requirements.

Exams and assessments

There is no formal examination or assessment. Learning is reinfoced through discussion, reflection and practical activities.

Hands-on learning

The course includes:

• Seventeen facilitated exercises across two days.
• A continuing case study used to create a Product Goal, Product Backlog, story map, story splits, backlog order and acceptance criteria.
• Experiential activities exploring uncertainty, balance, prioritisation and constrained decision-making.
• Collaborative work using Collaboard for virtual delivery or flipcharts and sticky notes in the classroom.

By the conclusion of this event, attendees will be able to:

• Explain how business analysis skills support agile delivery.
• Apply an agile mindset through incremental delivery, feedback and adaptation.
• Describe Scrum theory, values, accountabilities, events, artifacts and commitments.
• Create goal-aligned, transparent Product Backlogs and effective Product Backlog Items.
• Split and order backlog items to deliver value sooner and make work fit.
• Define testable acceptance criteria using the 3 C’s and Behaviour Driven Development.
• Build story maps that reveal customer journeys, options, priorities and delivery slices.