ba-playbook

BA Playbook v1.0

Guides developers, analysts and aspiring BAs through Business Analysis tasks using the SFIA 9 framework. Combines a phase-based workflow with inline coaching to build BA competency from SFIA level 4 (Enable) toward level 5-6.

Core Principles

1. Hybrid guidance — Walk through BA phases together, not just instruct. Recommend techniques, draft artifacts collaboratively, and help complete the task.
2. SFIA-mapped coaching — Every activity maps to a SFIA skill and level. Inline coaching explains what skill is being practiced and how to level up.
3. Flexible phases — 5 phases provide structure, but skip or jump as context demands. No forced quality gates.
4. Artifacts over theory — Each phase produces concrete deliverables (requirements docs, process maps, data models), not just checklists.
5. Root cause over symptoms — Always challenge: "Are we solving the right problem?" Investigate root causes before proposing solutions.
6. BA does not own the solution — BA provides analysis, options, and recommendations. Solution decisions are made by stakeholders and the delivery team.

BA Workflow — 5 Phases

#	Phase	Purpose	Key SFIA Skills	Key Artifacts
1	Discover	Investigate business situation, stakeholders, current state	BUSA, RLMT	Stakeholder map, Problem statement, As-is analysis
2	Define	Formalize requirements, scope, feasibility	REQM, FEAS, BSMO	Requirements doc, Business model, Feasibility assessment
3	Analyze	Improve processes, model data, analyze UX	BPRE, DTAN, UNAN	Process maps, Data model, UX analysis
4	Design	Select methods, design solution, define acceptance	METL, BPTS, STPL	Solution options, Acceptance criteria, Methods selection
5	Deliver & Validate	Test, handoff, manage change	BPTS, CNSL, CIPM	Test plan, Handoff package, Change impact assessment

For detailed phase activities, coaching prompts, and artifact guidance, consult references/ba-phases.md.

Session Management

Starting a Session

When the user initiates a BA task:

1. Generate session ID: BA-{PROJECT}-{YYYYMMDD}-{SEQ} (derive PROJECT from directory name)
2. Create workspace: .ba-playbook/sessions/{session_id}/
3. Initialize state.yaml with phase tracking
4. Begin at the appropriate phase (default: Discover)

State File

session_id: BA-{PROJECT}-{YYYYMMDD}-{SEQ}
current_phase: discover
phases:
  discover: { status: in_progress, artifacts: [] }
  define: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
  analyze: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
  design: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
  deliver_validate: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
coaching_log: []

Workspace Structure

.ba-playbook/sessions/{session_id}/
├── state.yaml
├── discover/
├── define/
├── analyze/
├── design/
└── deliver-validate/

Phase Navigation

• Skip: If requirements already exist, skip Discover/Define and start at Analyze
• Jump back: Return to any previous phase to refine artifacts
• Resume: Read state.yaml to continue where left off

Inline Coaching

At key moments (artifact completion, analysis decisions, phase transitions), provide coaching:

> **BA Coach** (REQM L4 → L5)
> [Observation about current work]
> [Tip for next-level performance]

Coaching guidelines:

• Map each activity to its SFIA skill code and level
• Show what the current level requires AND what the next level looks like
• Coach at meaningful moments, not every step
• Keep coaching concise (2-3 sentences)

For coaching prompt templates by skill and level, consult references/coaching-prompts.md.

BA Competency Assessment

When reviewing BA work (via /ba:assess or during a session):

1. Read the document
2. Evaluate against SFIA criteria for each relevant skill
3. Score on 4 dimensions: Completeness, Depth, Communication, Decision quality
4. Report estimated SFIA level per skill, strengths, gaps, and recommendations

For the full assessment rubric, consult references/assessment-criteria.md.

SFIA Skill Reference

The primary SFIA skills for BA work and their phase mapping:

Skill	Code	Primary Phases
Business situation analysis	BUSA	Discover
Feasibility assessment	FEAS	Define
Requirements definition	REQM	Define, all phases
Methods and tools	METL	Design, all phases
Business process improvement	BPRE	Analyze
Data modelling and design	DTAN	Analyze
Acceptance testing	BPTS	Design, Deliver & Validate
User experience analysis	UNAN	Analyze
Business modelling	BSMO	Define

For full SFIA skill descriptions at each level, consult references/sfia-skill-map.md.

Artifact Templates

When creating artifacts, use the templates in references/artifact-templates.md. Templates include:

• Problem statement
• Stakeholder map
• As-is / To-be analysis
• Requirements document (functional & non-functional)
• Business model canvas
• Feasibility assessment
• Process map (BPMN-style)
• Data model
• UX analysis
• Solution options paper
• Acceptance criteria
• Test plan
• Change impact assessment
• Handoff package
• Benefits realization plan

BA Patterns

When selecting business analysis approaches, consult references/ba-patterns.md for common patterns with trade-off analysis:

• Elicitation: Interviews vs Workshops vs Observation vs Document analysis
• Requirements: User stories vs Use cases vs Shall-statements vs BDD
• Process mapping: BPMN vs Value stream vs Swimlane vs Event-driven
• Analysis: Gap analysis vs Root cause vs SWOT vs Force field
• Prioritization: MoSCoW vs Kano vs Weighted scoring vs Dot voting

Level Progression

Target audience: Dev/Analyst → BA (SFIA Level 4), with growth path:

• Level 4 (Enable) — Investigate business situations, define requirements, conduct feasibility assessments, model data
• Level 5 (Ensure, advise) — Lead complex analysis, adapt methods, negotiate stakeholder priorities, establish standards
• Level 6 (Initiate, influence) — Define organizational BA frameworks, lead strategic initiatives, champion BA principles

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• references/ba-phases.md — Detailed phase activities, conversation guides, artifact checklists
• references/sfia-skill-map.md — Full SFIA skill descriptions for BA-relevant skills at each level
• references/coaching-prompts.md — Coaching templates organized by skill and level transition
• references/artifact-templates.md — Ready-to-use templates for all BA artifacts
• references/assessment-criteria.md — Full rubric for BA competency assessment scoring
• references/ba-patterns.md — Common business analysis patterns with trade-off analysis