BABOK

BABOK, or the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge, is a guide published by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). It provides a consolidated description of generally accepted practices for performing business analysis, with the aim of helping practitioners identify business needs and determine potential solutions. The guide is intended to be methodology-agnostic and applicable across industries and project contexts, including traditional and agile environments.

The current widely adopted edition is the BABOK Guide v3. It organizes knowledge around six knowledge areas: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring; Elicitation and Collaboration; Requirements Life Cycle Management; Strategy Analysis; Requirements Analysis and Design Definition; and Solution Evaluation. Within each knowledge area, the BABOK defines tasks, along with inputs, techniques, and outputs. Techniques span interviews, workshops, data analysis, modeling, and requirements tracing, among others. Outputs commonly include requirements documents, models, acceptance criteria, and recommendations for solution design and evaluation.

The BABOK serves as a reference for practitioners, educators, and organizations, and underpins professional certification programs offered by IIBA. Certification tracks include ECBA (Entry Certificate in Business Analysis), CCBA (Certification of Capability in Business Analysis), and CBAP (Certified Business Analysis Professional). The guide is periodically updated to reflect evolving practices and considerations, such as agile approaches and regulatory or industry-specific contexts.

Overall, the BABOK aims to standardize core competencies in business analysis, support career development, and provide a benchmark for performance and quality in business analysis work.