BSAIS-SBA 313 Information Sheet 4

Strategic Business Analysis
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Program : BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN

INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Course Code : SBA 313
Course Title : Strategic Business Analysis
Course Credit : 3 units Contact Hours : 54
BULACAN POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

Bulihan, City of Malolos
Elicitation
and
Collaboration
Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

Accounting Information Bulacan Polytechnic June 2020
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System College Date Revised:
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SBA 313
Document No. Developed by:
Strategic Business Revision # 01
20-SBA 313 MD MORILLO
Analysis
MODULE CONTENT
COURSE TITLE: Strategic Business Analysis
MODULE TITLE: Elicitation and Collaboration

NOMINAL DURATION: 6 HRS ( NO. of Hours per topic)
SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this module you MUST be able to:
1. Understand and develop the necessary skills for solving the tasks of
eliciting business analysis information and collaborating with
stakeholders, as described in the BABOK Guide 3.0.
2. Identify tasks involved in elicitation and collaboration
3. Identify roles of the business analyst during the elicitation and
collaboration process
4. Demonstrate your understanding of the tasks and roles involved in
BA elicitation and collaboration
5. Recognize guidelines and techniques used to prepare for elicitation
6. Distinguish between the roles of stakeholders involved in preparing
for elicitation
7. Recognize inputs and elements used to conduct elicitation
TOPIC:
1. Elicitation and Collaboration
2. Prepare for Elicitation
3. Conduct Elicitation
4. Confirm Elicitation Results
5. Communicate Business Analysis Information
6. Manage Stakeholder Collaboration
7. Engaging Stakeholders in Elicitation and Collaboration
ASSESSMENT METHOD/S:
1. Discussion Questions
2. Multiple Choice Questions
3. Student Project Plan
REFERENCE/S:
International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). (2015) BABOK v3. A GUIDE
TO THE BUSINESS ANALYSIS BODY OF KNOWLEDGE®. International
Institute of Business Analysis, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
IIBA (2017). IIBA Global Business Analysis Core Standard. A Companion to A

Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide) Version
3. International Institute of Business Analysis, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
https://publications.iiba.org/public/IIBA_Global_BusinessAnalysis_CoreStand
ard.pdf
Rahul Ajani (2020). Engaging Stakeholders in Elicitation and Collaboration.

https://www.iiba.org/professional-development/knowledge-
centre/articles/engaging-stakeholders-in-elicitation-and-collaboration/
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Information Sheet IS-BA 313-4
Elicitation and Collaboration
Introduction
Requirements elicitation is one of the most challenging activities for business
analysis. Because the requirements serve as the foundation for the solution to
the business needs it is essential that the requirements be complete, clear,
correct, and consistent. Leveraging proven means to elicit requirements will help
meet these quality goals. Requirements elicitation involves identifying sources of
requirements, as well as identifying the methods to draw out requirements from
these sources. A crafty business analyst will ensure that the stakeholders
collaborate on the requirements and design, ensuring consistent scope is
maintained. This module will cover techniques for elicitation and collaboration
with your stakeholders.
Elicitation according to dictionary.com is the act of drawing out or bringing

forth emotions, opinions, facts, etc.
Collaboration is the act of two or more people working together towards a
common goal.
Elicitation and Collaboration

The Elicitation and Collaboration knowledge area describes the tasks that
business analysts perform to obtain information from stakeholders and confirm
the results. It also describes the communication with stakeholders once the
business analysis information is assembled.
Elicitation is the drawing forth or receiving of information from stakeholders or
other sources. It is the main path to discovering requirements and design
information and might involve talking with stakeholders directly, researching
topics, experimenting, or simply being handed information. Collaboration is the
act of two or more people working together towards a common goal. The
Elicitation and Collaboration knowledge area describes how business analysts
identify and reach an agreement on the mutual understanding of all types of
business analysis information. Elicitation and collaboration work is never a
'phase' in business analysis; rather, it is ongoing as long as business analysis
work is occurring.
Elicitation and collaboration can be planned, unplanned, or both. Planned
activities such as workshops, experiments, and/or surveys can be structured
and organized in advance. Unplanned activities happen at the moment without
notice, such as last-minute or 'just in time' collaboration or conversations.
Business analysis information derived from an unplanned activity may require
deeper exploration through a planned activity.
Eliciting business analysis information is not an isolated activity. Information is
elicited while performing any task that includes interaction with stakeholders
and while the business analyst is performing independent analytical work.
Elicitation may trigger additional elicitation for details to fill in gaps or increase
understanding.

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The Elicitation and Collaboration knowledge area is composed of the following
tasks:
• Prepare for Elicitation
• Conduct Elicitation
• Confirm Elicitation Results
• Communicate Business Analysis Information
• Manage Stakeholder Collaboration

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Prepare for Elicitation CS (4.1)
Purpose
The purpose of Prepare for Elicitation is to understand the scope of the elicitation
activity, select appropriate techniques, and plan for (or procure) appropriate
supporting materials and resources.
Description
Prepare for Elicitation involves ensuring that the stakeholders have the
information they need to provide and that they understand the nature of the
activities they are going to perform. It also sets a shared set of expectations
regarding the outcomes of the activity. Preparation may also involve identifying
research sources or preparing to conduct an experiment to see if a process
change actually results in an improvement.
Inputs
• Needs: guides the preparation in terms of the scope and purpose of
elicitation activities. Elicitation can be used to discover the needs, but in
order to get started, there must be some need that exists—even if it has
not yet been fully elicited or understood.
• Stakeholder Engagement Approach: understanding stakeholders'
communication and collaboration needs helps plan and prepare
appropriate and effective elicitation events.
Outputs
• Elicitation Activity Plan: used for each elicitation activity. It includes
logistics, the scope of the elicitation activity, selected techniques, and
supporting materials.
Conduct Elicitation CS (4.2)
Purpose
The purpose of Conduct Elicitation is to draw out, explore, and identify
information relevant to the change.
Description
Conduct Elicitation describes the work performed to understand stakeholder
needs and identify potential solutions that may meet those needs. This may
involve direct interaction with stakeholders, doing research, or running
experiments.
Inputs
• Elicitation Activity Plan: includes the planned elicitation activities and
techniques, activity logistics (for example, date, time, location, resources,
agenda), the scope of the elicitation activity, and available sources of
background information.
Outputs
• Elicitation Results (unconfirmed): captured information in a format that
is specific to the elicitation activity.

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Confirm Elicitation Results CS (4.3)
Purpose
The purpose of Confirm Elicitation Results is to check the information gathered
during an elicitation session for accuracy and consistency with other
information.
Description
Confirm Elicitation Results involves ensuring that stakeholders have a shared
understanding of the outcomes of elicitation, that elicited information is recorded
appropriately, and that the business analyst has the information sought from an
elicitation activity. This task also involves comparing the information received
with other information to look for inconsistencies or gaps.
Inputs
• Elicitation Results (unconfirmed): capture information in a format
specific to the elicitation activity.
Outputs
• Elicitation Results (confirmed): integrated output that the business
analyst and other stakeholders agree correctly reflects captured
information and confirms that it is relevant and useful as an input to
further work.
Communicate Business Analysis Information CS (4.4)
Purpose
The purpose of Communicate Business Analysis Information is to ensure
stakeholders have a shared understanding of business analysis information.
Description
Communicate Business Analysis Information provides stakeholders with the
information they need, at the time they need it. The information is presented in
a useful form, using the right terminology and concepts.
Inputs
• Business Analysis Information: any kind of information at any level of
detail that is used as an input or output of business analysis work.
Business analysis information becomes an input for this task when the
need is discovered to communicate the information to additional
stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Engagement Approach: describes stakeholder groups,
roles, and general needs regarding communication of business analysis
information.
Outputs
• Business Analysis Information (communicated): business analysis
information is considered communicated when the target stakeholders
have reached an understanding of its content and implications.

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Manage Stakeholder Collaboration CS (4.5)
Purpose
The purpose of Manage Stakeholder Collaboration is to encourage stakeholders
to work towards a common goal.
Description
Manage Stakeholder Collaboration describes working with stakeholders to
engage them in the overall business analysis process and to ensure that the
business analyst can deliver the outcomes needed.
Inputs
• Stakeholder Engagement Approach: describes the types of expected
engagement with stakeholders and how they might need to be managed.
• Business Analysis Performance Assessment: provides key information
about the effectiveness of business analysis tasks being executed,
including those focused on stakeholder engagement.
Outputs
• Stakeholder Engagement: willingness from stakeholders to engage in
business analysis activities and interact with the business analyst when
necessary.
Engaging Stakeholders in Elicitation and Collaboration
Engaging stakeholders is one of the prime concerns of the business analyst.

Organizations often establish a change management system that can include
policies, structures, methodologies, and teams with the aim of ensuring smooth
execution of the initiative. Often, such systems are imperfect and many
organizations do not even have such a system in place. Imperfections in the
change management system or the lack of the system create chaos, which causes
diminished participation and interest from stakeholders to varying degrees.
This article examines common causes of lack of engagement from stakeholders,
and what a BA can do to better engage them. Throughout the article, we examine
what challenges a BA may face at various stages of elicitation and collaboration
activities. For each stage, we will try to identify the causes and possible solutions
or tools to enhance stakeholder engagement.
During Preparing for Elicitation
Before conducting elicitation, a BA might have already started interacting with

stakeholders to gather preliminary information (such as business rules, existing
policies, and procedures), arrange logistics, or request stakeholders to do
‘homework’ to make elicitation effective.
At this stage stakeholders might not prioritize requests from the business
analyst, resulting in delays or insufficient information, resources, and attention
being provided to the BA.

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The Causes
Lack of Awareness of Magnitude and Importance of Change and its Impact
Most initiatives bring change in ‘business as usual’, and impact the work of some
stakeholders. This change could mean a new working style, new tools, new
procedures, modifications in performance appraisals, or a new structure in the
department or team, and so forth. It could also mean growth in revenues, faster
delivery, or increased efficiency for the organization. If the stakeholders are not
aware of the magnitude of the change and the impact it will have on the
enterprise, they are most likely going to prioritize their ‘business as usual’ over
the BA’s requests; or even worse, consider these requests as an unnecessary
burden and become indifferent. This apathy is often due to stakeholders’ focus
on what they perceive as their primary responsibilities.
Resistance to Change
At the onset of the change initiative, there might be resistance from stakeholders
due to various reasons, such as:
 People may fear that the change will result in job loss. Very often, the business
case for implementing a change is a reduction in headcount, automation, or
restructuring.
 Change may also mean that people need to develop new skills or learn new
things. People may doubt if they will be able to develop themselves and
maintain the level of performance in the new system.
 Established ways of work and the working environment are often very familiar
and comfortable. An initiative is almost always likely to change the established
ways and the environment. At times it is this discomfort, and at times it is lack
of justification for going for this change, which causes resistance.
Lack of Perception of Roles and Ownership
There might have been communication from the organization about the initiative,
and to some extent, stakeholders might be aware of its importance and impact.
However, stakeholders might have a lack of clarity or insight into what their
responsibilities are in supporting and contributing to the change. As a result,
some stakeholders may perceive that they are in a supporting role and helping
the BA do their job rather than taking an active ownership role in the initiative.
In this case, stakeholders are likely going to diminish priority and degree of
contribution.
Lack of Acquaintance or Relationship
The BA may be an unknown or new face to stakeholders. People might not be

even clear about the role of the BA. This has a potential impact on the quality of
collaboration and the amount of support provided to the BA. E-mails or requests
from friends and known colleagues are processed with priority due to the social
dynamics and a sense of accountability; after all it’s not so comfortable to face a
friend or acquaintance when you ‘owe’ an e-mail or response to a request. But

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as for strangers? Well, it can be quite easy to dismiss the priority of their
requests.
Solutions for Engaging Stakeholders

Setting the Right Picture about Magnitude, Importance, and Impact of the
Initiative
It is good practice to identify key stakeholders that should be involved in

elicitation and hold a kick-off session to communicate the magnitude,
importance, and impact of the initiative. The BA should undertake a thorough
stakeholder engagement plan and understand who the key stakeholders are and
what are their roles in both the organization and the change initiative. Various
tools and techniques are described in 3.2: Plan Stakeholder Engagement
in BABOK® Guide version 3 that can guide the BA at this stage.
During the kick-off session, the BA could use a variety of tools to vividly portray
the picture of the initiative. Let us take an example to understand: a commercial
institute is thinking of introducing an e-learning platform to deliver courses to a
larger market and earn higher revenues. To illustrate the impact of this initiative,
the BA could present a road-map showing how the institute would grow rapidly
with this initiative. The BA could also show a prototype of the e-learning platform
to demonstrate how learning, student evaluation, enrollment, and certification
would change and how teachers, administrative staff, and student consultants
would be impacted.
BABOK® Guide Technique Purpose

10.28 Metrics and Key Show how a solution would help improve or
Performance Indicators impact organizational and individual performance
(KPIs) with respect to key metrics and KPIs.
10.32 Organizational Illustrate the organization before and after the
Modelling initiative.
Illustrate potential solutions and how
10.36 Prototyping
stakeholders would work/interact with it.
10.40 Root Cause Show why the initiative is needed or how it would
Analysis improve stakeholders’ life at work.
Illustrate solution scope with stakeholders falling
inside the scope and those falling outside yet
10.41 Scope Modelling
concerned with the scope.
If used appropriately, these tools would help the BA win hearts and souls of the
stakeholders in the kick-off sessions.
Setting Expectations and Agreeing on Roles and Ownership
When stakeholders have the right picture of the initiative, they generally become
eager to know how the change will happen, whether and how their concerns will
be addressed, and how they can suggest or shape the solution. This is the right
time to set expectations and agreeing on roles.

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The BA could use one or more of the following tools for this purpose.
BABOK® GuideTechnique Purpose

Explains key business analysis components. This
10.22 Functional can generate transparency in how a BA works to
Decomposition enable the change, and where a particular
stakeholder group can play their role.
Capture and articulate thoughts, ideas, and
10.29 Mind Mapping
information and show interrelationships.
Presents how the business analysis will be
carried out and how the solution will be defined.
10.35 Process Modelling Note: it can include actors, and information flows
to illustrate what is expected of which
stakeholders at various stages of the process
Show which group of stakeholders will have what
role and permissions throughout the business
10.39 Roles and analysis activities. For example, who will approve
Performance Matrix the solution design, who will implement the
solution, who will be responsible for shaping
what part of the solution.
Illustrate involved stakeholders, their level of
10.43 Stakeholder List,
responsibility, and how they will shape the
Map, or Personas
solution and collaborate with other stakeholders.
Apart from these tools, and depending on the situation, the BA could also choose
to share certain or all output of Business Analysis Planning activities such as
Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Business Analysis Approach, Governance
Approach, and Information Management Approach.
With these tools and documents, it is possible to generate clarity and agreement
on roles and expectations from the stakeholders. Note that depending on the
scale of the initiative, these kick-off meetings could be done either once with all
stakeholder groups together, or separately with each stakeholder group.
Building Relationships
Building relationships with stakeholders involves spending quality time with

stakeholder groups to get to know and understand the key people, their way of
working, and preferences. It should be noted again that e-mails get higher
priorities and faster replies, requests for meetings or favors are treated with
increased importance and priority if stakeholders have a positive relationship
with the BA. Depending on the enterprise and initiative, building relationships
might start before or after the kick-off meeting, and hence prescribing a set
sequence would be irrelevant here.
Some ways of building a relationship with stakeholders include:

 Spending quality time with each stakeholder group by shadowing them to
understand their work and procedures.
 Going out for lunch or coffee with them to get to know them personally.
 Involving stakeholders in various activities of business analysis planning.

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 Seeking their opinion on how they think elicitation and collaboration should be
done.
 Having separate interactive meetings with them and answering their queries.
These actions build trust and assurance that dramatically and positively affect
the elicitation and collaboration going forward.
Handling Resistance to Change
As discussed earlier, this resistance can be due to fear of job loss or

restructuring, doubts about the ability to learn new things, or the discomfort of
the new environment.
Though it is the responsibility of the business unit to manage the reduction of

headcount or restructuring under the initiative, the BA must work closely with
the sponsors to ensure that the right message is delivered at a suitable time.
Together, the BA and the leaders can ensure proper communication of this
transition, support measures, and timeline to minimize fear.
Should it be required to learn new technology, system, or develop new skills, the
BA could develop a comprehensive training plan and recommend to the
sponsors. Early and frequent communication to the impacted stakeholders
about the training plan and the timeline will help alleviate much of the fear of
uncertainty.
Highlighting the positive side of the change, the reasons and justification for
going for the change will help stakeholders embrace it willingly.
During Elicitation and Collaboration

Successful elicitation and collaboration require the full and active engagement
of all stakeholders.
During elicitation and collaboration BAs may experience situations where key
stakeholders do not come to or show up late to meetings, they are preoccupied
and working on laptops or mobiles during the meetings, they do not participate
in meetings, or they derail the purpose of the meeting with off-topic
conversations. E-mails may get ignored and deliverables and commitments are
not met. These are all symptoms of a disengaged stakeholder.
The Causes of Lack of Stakeholder Engagement
Passiveness and Lack of Activity
Ever felt sleepy in a meeting or found it difficult with keeping track of what’s
being discussed? To be honest, yes we all have felt so sometimes, especially in
school classrooms. Why the example of a classroom here? Because it’s important
to realize that if you are not given a chance to act if you are forced to sit and
listen passively, most people cannot concentrate for more than 10 minutes. Yes,
no more than ten minutes. This is the prime reason why participants go blank
or start fiddling with their phones, pens, or papers and lose attention.
Problem Grasping Abstract Concepts
Can you imagine from the perspective of a stakeholder – let’s say an academic
manager in the example of the institute planning to implement e-learning
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solution given earlier – how difficult it can be to conceptualize ideas such as
solutions, features, requirements, software, systems, products? One of the
reasons stakeholders get lost in meetings (and eventually shy away from
meetings or workshops) is that they have a hard time imagining what kind of
solutions are being talked about or how a solution might work. While we BAs
might be very good at abstraction and conceptualization, the rest of the world
might not.
Lack of Clarity on Expectation or Lack of Direction
“What am I doing here?” or “Where are we going?” Sometimes people wonder why
they are present in this meeting at all. And sometimes they may know why they
are in the meeting, but have a hard time figuring out where things are going. In
any case, sooner or later they will give up and become passive.
Level of Complexity of the Task
Complex change initiatives can contribute to a lack of engagement because

stakeholders may become overwhelmed and it is difficult to keep everyone on the
same track. Continuing with the example of e-learning implementation, imagine
the topic of a requirements workshop is 'Requirements from the Administration
Department on e-Learning Platform'. The administration department will likely
have a hard time figuring out where to start from and where to go. Administration
consists of several areas such as student consultation, enrollment procedure,
communication with parents and students, managing class calendars, and tests.
And while we BAs exist because we can analyze and break down complex tasks,
the same can’t be expected of stakeholders.
Some Demotivators
When participants lose interest, a BA may attempt to regain their interest in

ways that aggravate the situation. While reading the following points, put
yourself in the shoes of the stakeholder participating in a session that is being
facilitated by the BA. How, as a participant, would you feel when:
 The BA reminds you of some basic ground rules such as no side conversations
and no talking on cell phones. (Ground rules are double-edged swords, which
can be helpful yet must be wielded carefully.)
 The BA has a list of topics to discuss and is desperate to finish it, not allowing
more than 10 minutes for each topic; and pushing you to stay on the topic
even when you realize some important concerns related to the current
discussion that will need elaboration.
 The BA keeps prodding you for participating and paying attention.
 The BA asks you not to bring your gadgets to the meeting.
 The BA wants you to sign-off on a form at the end of the meeting whether you
had a chance to discuss all topics that you wanted to.
 The BA doesn't listen to your ideas and tells (read ‘teaches’) you how the
solution should work. (That’s the worst of the demotivators).

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These demotivators do serious damage to the trust and relationship which are
essential for the success and efficiency of elicitation and collaboration.

Using Activities to Keep Stakeholders Active and Alert
Ensure that participants have something to do, something to act upon

throughout the session. Depending on the situation, you might want them to
form groups, or work individually. The key is to:
 Make sure groups or individuals have to think, write, present, evaluate, or do

some action. Ensure there is no passive listening or inactivity for long periods.
 Evaluate the work of others and presenting their own work are the two
activities that encourage stakeholders to do their best and increase
participation dramatically.
 Divide participants into groups, and assigning each group a separate topic
such as listing requirements of one particular area of the solution will
strengthen team-spirit and foster good competition.
The following table shows just a few examples of tools that could be used to keep
stakeholders active:
BABOK® GuideTechnique Activity

Prepare an exhaustive list of possible requirements
10.5 Brainstorming
or concerns.
10.10 Collaborative Playing games for uncovering requirements,
Games assumptions, and features.
Preparing a list of concepts, requirements, and
10.29 Mind Mapping concerns related to a given topic and showing the
relationship between them.
Preparing and evaluating as-is or to-be process
10.35 Process Modelling
diagrams.
Writing simple sentences such as “As a … I want to
… So that…” (Or other formats of user-story can be
used such as "Given - when - then").
10.48 User Stories
Note: It gives them a sense of control on how the
solution will behave.
Using Illustrations and Visual Aids
Illustrations and visual aids generate greater clarity about topics being discussed
and help the audience to comprehend and manage a large amount of information
 Several tools described earlier can be used as visual aids. For example, mind-
maps and process diagrams. These aids give stakeholders something to see and
visualize, and it makes it easier for them to think, conceptualize, and articulate
their opinion.

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 If the solution has an IT component, it is helpful to present some mock-ups or
diagrams to demonstrate what the system would look like and how it might
work.
 If a range of solutions is already under consideration and you are seeking

requirements for customization, it’s helpful to give a demonstration of potential
solutions.
 If possible, develop a working prototype and evolve it with each session. In each
session, a refined version of the prototype can be presented and stakeholders
can evaluate and give further requirements on new features or improvements.
Viewing and interpreting visual presentations also keep participants busy,

another key to keep them engaged.
Clarifying the Goal of the Session and Expected Contributions
By taking the following simple actions you can ensure stakeholders have a sense
of direction before and during the elicitation session/activities.
 Prior to the sessions, clarify why a participant is necessary for the session and
what is the nature of their contributions.
 The agenda of the session, expected outcome, and planned activities should be
agreed upon and communicated to all stakeholders well in advance.
 Use strong facilitation skills and techniques to ensure the session goes as
planned. This can be done by reiterating the plan and agenda at the start of the
session, and occasionally (let’s say every 15 minutes or so) shedding light on
how far they have reached on the planned course.
 Avoid diversions in the discussions. If unforeseen important issues emerge,

they are better noted down in a “Parking Lot” and assigned priority for
discussing in the future.
 At the end of the session, recapping what activities were completed and how
much had been achieved. This provides a sense of accomplishment to all
participants.
 Following up with meeting minutes via e-mail can help to reinforce the current
position and future course in elicitation.
Cautiously Using Ground Rules
While establishing ground rules can be an effective facilitation technique they

should be articulated in a method suited for the culture of the organization and
stakeholders. They should not be repeated over and over, because this will likely
do more damage than good. However, conveying the ground rules along with the
emphasis that they will help accomplish goals will likely have a positive effect. It
is important to seek agreement from the participants so they don't feel these
rules are being imposed. Finally, the best time to remind participants about the
ground rules is at the start of the session.

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Other Methods for Engaging Stakeholders during Elicitation and
Collaboration
 Break down complex tasks or areas of elicitation into manageable chunks. In

the example of e-learning platform implementation, the BA could break down
the complex topic of 'Requirements from Administrative Department' into
requirements for Student Enrollment, Organizing Academic Events, Student
Evaluation, and Parents Communication and have a session for each of them.
 Use stakeholders’ time wisely. Ensure that no participant spends time in

sessions without purpose. The session activities should be organized in a way
that participants can join in only for the part concerning them and then drop
out.
 Avoid demotivators listed earlier at all costs. Instead, search for the reasons for
lack of participation and address them.
During Confirming Elicitation Results and Communicating Business

Analysis Information
Delay in confirmation, acknowledgments, and approval at these stages is a

common problem. At times additional requirements pop up, requiring the BA to
do rework.
The Causes of Lack of Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholders may delay confirmations and approvals due to:
 A long lapse of time between elicitation activity and request for confirmation of
results: this requires stakeholders to take time to recall.
 Changes in business dynamics or missing requirements.
 Large amount of information.
 Amount of non-facilitated elicitation requiring their approval.
 Unsuitable format, presentation, or the language of information. Certain

groups of stakeholders might not be comfortable with lengthy documents,
technical specifications, and overly technical language.
 Compile elicitation results and request confirmations as soon as possible after

the sessions, when things are still fresh in participants’ minds.
 Organize elicitation sessions in modules, so that requirements for one topic can
be elicited and confirmed without having to wait for other topics.
 Choose the right approach (adaptive or reactive) depending on how fast and
how often business dynamics can change.

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 Keep the information easy to understand and presented in a format suited for
its audience. Use visual diagrams where possible, and maintain the
appropriate length and language of the documents.
 If needed, hold sessions to present information and facilitate quick

understanding by Q&A.
 Send regular updates to key stakeholders on progress, upcoming deadlines,

and blocking points to encourage them to speed up.
Some Tips to Help You Maintain a High Level of Engagement with Your
Stakeholders
Essentially almost all of the proposed solutions are focused on ways of effective
communication. Apart from the communication at the start of the initiative:
 Send regular updates on the progress of the elicitation, or minutes of meetings

and future course.
 Meet key stakeholders informally often, have casual chats, show interest in
their issues, and listen.
 Acknowledge contributions of the people, and highlight special contributions by

sending group e-mails or a phone call or during casual chats over lunch.
 Send regular news and updates on the implementation of the solution and
achievement of milestones.
 Organize small celebrations with key groups, if possible, and if suitable.
These small acts are crucial in nurturing and strengthening the relationship with
stakeholders, which in turn will have a huge impact on their involvement.
In Summary
We can conclude that:

 Good and effective communication of roles, ownership, expectations,
magnitude, and importance of the change to come under the initiative is a
game-changer and works favorably for the BA.
 Success and efficiency of the elicitation and collaboration depend a lot on
the relationship with stakeholders. At the same time, building and
maintaining a relationship is an ongoing process and not a one-off task.
 There can be various reasons for the lack of participation from stakeholders.
The BA should investigate and address the underlying issues.
 In no case, a BA should become desperate and impose rules, restrictions, or
push the stakeholders to get things done or get things done on time. This
will only aggravate the situation and damage the relationship with
stakeholders.
Finally, remember that, in general, the stakeholders care about their
responsibilities and do want to do their best. Provided that you, as a BA, show
them the true picture of the initiative, its impact, their roles and foster a
collaborative environment, the stakeholders will show greater interest, get
involved and contribute their best.

Page 18 of 18
July 2020
SBA 313
Analysis

BSAIS-SBA 313 Information Sheet 4

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Strategic Business Analysis

Program : BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN

Course Code : SBA 313

Course Title : Strategic Business Analysis

Course Credit : 3 units Contact Hours : 54

BULACAN POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

COURSE TITLE: Strategic Business Analysis

MODULE TITLE: Elicitation and Collaboration

SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

IIBA (2017). IIBA Global Business Analysis Core Standard. A Companion to A

Rahul Ajani (2020). Engaging Stakeholders in Elicitation and Collaboration.

Elicitation according to dictionary.com is the act of drawing out or bringing

Elicitation and Collaboration

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

Engaging Stakeholders in Elicitation and Collaboration

Engaging stakeholders is one of the prime concerns of the business analyst.

During Preparing for Elicitation

Before conducting elicitation, a BA might have already started interacting with

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

Lack of Awareness of Magnitude and Importance of Change and its Impact

Lack of Perception of Roles and Ownership

Lack of Acquaintance or Relationship

The BA may be an unknown or new face to stakeholders. People might not be

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

Solutions for Engaging Stakeholders

It is good practice to identify key stakeholders that should be involved in

BABOK® Guide Technique Purpose

Setting Expectations and Agreeing on Roles and Ownership

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

BABOK® GuideTechnique Purpose

Building relationships with stakeholders involves spending quality time with

Some ways of building a relationship with stakeholders include:

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

Handling Resistance to Change

As discussed earlier, this resistance can be due to fear of job loss or

Though it is the responsibility of the business unit to manage the reduction of

During Elicitation and Collaboration

The Causes of Lack of Stakeholder Engagement

Passiveness and Lack of Activity

Problem Grasping Abstract Concepts

Lack of Clarity on Expectation or Lack of Direction

Level of Complexity of the Task

Complex change initiatives can contribute to a lack of engagement because

When participants lose interest, a BA may attempt to regain their interest in

 The BA keeps prodding you for participating and paying attention.

 The BA asks you not to bring your gadgets to the meeting.

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

Solutions for Engaging Stakeholders

Ensure that participants have something to do, something to act upon

 Make sure groups or individuals have to think, write, present, evaluate, or do

BABOK® GuideTechnique Activity

Using Illustrations and Visual Aids

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed:

 If a range of solutions is already under consideration and you are seeking

Viewing and interpreting visual presentations also keep participants busy,

Clarifying the Goal of the Session and Expected Contributions

 Avoid diversions in the discussions. If unforeseen important issues emerge,

Cautiously Using Ground Rules

While establishing ground rules can be an effective facilitation technique they

Bachelor of Science in Date Developed: