Overview

This unit aims to build an appreciation of the complex business context in which business analysts operate, and to develop the knowledge and skills required to manage in such contexts. In particular, this involves developing skills and understanding of the challenges of working with multiple stakeholder groups (often involving large numbers of people), working in multi-disciplinary teams, and through leadership and facilitation, help evolve an understanding of the nature of the problem, the desired future state and how that future state might be achieved.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Apply coherent and advanced knowledge of the key aspects and characteristics to facilitate and lead individuals and groups towards an improved understanding of the challenges and the desired future states for the business
  • Critically evaluate the role of the business analyst in analysing, communicating, managing and building readiness for Information Technology (IT) enabled change
  • Communicate proficiently in professional practice to a variety of audiences, function as an effective leader or member of a team
  • Apply business analysis fundamentals to the analysis, and design of business problems and opportunities using appropriate methods and tools in a variety of contexts
  • Apply knowledge of research principles and methods to plan and execute a piece of research with some independence

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class		2.00 12 weeks 24
Online
Lecture		1.00 12 weeks 12
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 20 - 40% 1,2,4,5 
Assignment and Presentation 1Group 30 - 40% 1,2,3,4 
Literature ReviewIndividual 30 - 40% 1,2,5 

Content

  • Role and Practices of Business Analysts in contemporary organisational contexts
  • Business Analysts as Boundary Practitioners
  • Communication in the context of Business Analysis (BA): cross-cultural communication, communication planning
  • BA professional practice – understanding relationships and ethical standards critical to the practice of BA
  • Interviewing skills
  • Methods and tools for BA practice: Focus groups & surveys for requirements elicitation, Rapid Application Development (RAD) and Joint Application Development (JAD) sessions, influencing and negotiation skills
  • Business analysis in rapid and agile systems development contexts
  • Managing stakeholder expectations
  • Alignment of proposed solutions with business strategies & goals, and enterprise architecture
  • Managing the change associated with IT innovations
  • User experience design
  • Design thinking and decision thinking in the context of business analysis

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.