Where Do You Go from Here? – A New Idea to Consider

,

My recent publishing activities include discussion of a completely new professional — the Project Manager/Business Analyst (PM/BA). I really believe that the industry needs such a professional, and I have written about it extensively. The following text is adapted from some of my earlier writings.

I consider this to be a good start on a long journey to completely define a new professional. Don't look upon it as merely having a single person with both Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) and Project Management Professional (PMP) designations. That is not my intent. I am talking about a professional who truly integrates business analysis and project management. In that sense, the PM/BA professional is almost like a generalist who is prepared to fully support the business and process needs of a Level 5 maturity business unit or enterprise. I am aware of a number of professionals who meet both of these criteria, but there is not a formal definition of the PM/BA position. The following sections are my attempt to fill that gap and offer some sustainable career goals for such professionals.

The PM/BA Position Family

The PM/BA position family is a rich family of professional positions that spans the project management profession and the business analysis profession. It is a unique integration of the skill sets that comprise each of the professional positions in this family. I see that family as consisting of the following six position types:

• PM/BA Team Member
• PM/BA Task Manager
• PM/BA Associate Manager
• PM/BA Senior Manager
• PM/BA Program Manager
• PM/BA Director

The ordering of PM and BA could also be BA/PM. The two are equivalent except for minor organizational alignment. The PM/BA is primarily a project manager, and the BA/PM is primarily a business analyst. For any given organization, there will be multiple position titles within each position type. Let me offer the next level of detail for each of these position types. Years ago, I had the opportunity to consult with the British Computer Society on the development and implementation of their Professional Development Program. A few years later, I had the occasion to develop an Internet-based decision support system for information technology (IT) career development for one of my clients. That system was called CareerAgent. In defining the BA/PM family of professionals, I integrated the CareerAgent model into the earlier work for the British Computer Society. Much of what I define here takes advantage of the deliverables from both of those engagements. The result is Figure 18-1.

Figure 18-1: The project manager and business analyst landscape

Figure 18-1 is a career landscape and is interpreted as follows. Six vertical sectors define the PM and BA skill and competency profile of the professional. For example, a PM/ba position type has minimal business analysis skills and competencies, whereas the PM/BA has advanced business analysis skills and competencies. The six horizontal slices define the BA/PM career path illustrated in Figure 18-2. The height of the horizontal slices is an indication of the number of specific position titles in each cell. The higher the slice, the more position titles there are within that cell. The three left and three right sectors are mirror images of one another and identify professionals who are either project managers (PM) or business analysts (BA) with the accompanying skills and competencies needed for their positions. For example, the PM/ba position family includes project managers with minimal business analyst skills, whereas the PM/BA position family includes project managers with extensive business analyst skills. Therefore, all of the sectors between PM and BA are professionals with some combination of project management and business analyst skills and competencies. Most project managers would have some business analyst skills and competencies, and most business analysts would have some project management skills and competencies. The PM, PM/ba, and PM/BA position families have a project management focus. The same interpretation holds for the BA sector. The primary focus of positions in this sector is business analysis, and many business analysts have some project management skills and competencies.

Figure 18-2: The BA/PM position family

In the middle two sectors are the PM/BA and BA/PM position families. These are the senior professionals that I envision emerging into the mainstream of project management and business analyst professional pursuits in the next few years. They are fully qualified to manage projects and manage business analysis engagements. The skill and competency profiles of the BA/PM and PM/BA are equivalent, and in some organizations, they may be the same. Their primary orientation is either as a project manager (PM/BA) or as a business analyst (BA/PM). I believe that the major career opportunities of the future are for the PM/BA or BA/PM professionals.

Figure 18-2 provides a high-level look at the career path model that underlies the six rows of the PM/BA landscape. At the staff level, there are two positions. Team Members are at the entry level. These professionals will have an entry-level skill and competency profile that qualifies them to be a team member in a project (PM) or business analysis (BA) effort. As they gain experience, they will move up to the Task Manager level, where they will be qualified to supervise the work of a task, perhaps with the support of other Team Members.

At the professional level, there are two positions. The junior of the two is the Associate Manager. Individuals in these positions are qualified to manage small, simple projects. Through experience, they progress to the Senior Manager level. They are now qualified to manage even the most complex projects.

The executive level positions are of two types. One is the Program Manager. This position is both a consultant-type position as well as a manager of project managers working on a collection of projects having some relationship with one another. The other position is the Director. This individual is a “people manager” and is at the highest level of the six-position family.

First let me clarify my use of the word project in the following position descriptions. I use it in a very general sense. It refers to business analysis efforts as well as projects not encompassing business analysis activities. At this level, the position descriptions are structured to simultaneously embrace both the project manager and the business analyst. That has put some strain on the choice of language, and I beg your patience with that. In time, and with the help of the readers, we will converge on an acceptable taxonomy.

Team Member

This is an entry-level position into either a project management or business analysis effort.

Key Indicators

• Relevant two- or four-year specialized education at entry
• May have relevant but limited part-time or internship experience
• May have previous experience in at the entry level outside the BA/PM position family
• Limited experience (12–18 months) in a related position

Essential Characteristics

• Operates within a structured and routinely supervised environment
• After initial training, uses methods, procedures, and standards applicable to assigned tasks
• Demonstrates rational and organized approaches to tasks
• Has developed sufficient oral and written communication skills to conduct effective dialogues with colleagues and superiors
• Is able to absorb and apply new technical information rapidly when it is systematically presented
• Within a short time horizon, is able to plan, schedule, and monitor his or her own work

Task Manager

This is the upper-level staff position for individuals who are familiar with the scope of their tasks. Task Manager responsibilities extend to tasks within a project. There may be Team Members assigned to these tasks who receive guidance and supervision from the Task Manager. This position is distinguished from the Team Member position by the depth and complexity of their technical knowledge base and the extent to which supervision is required. This position implies a high degree of accountability for self-controlled work.

Key Indicators

• Fully trained Team Member
• Relevant experience in a related position (two to four years)

Essential Characteristics

• Operates within a largely unsupervised environment but within a clear accountability framework
• Is familiar with, uses effectively, and can select appropriately from applicable methods, procedures, and standards
• Is able to function productively and meet time and quality targets using available tools, templates, and processes with reference to others only by exception
• Can assume team leader responsibilities for the work of less-skilled professionals
• Demonstrates both formal and informal communications ability, orally and in writing, when dealing with all colleagues and clients
• Is able to rapidly absorb new technical information as required
• Demonstrates a systematic, disciplined, and analytical approach to problem solving
• Has a good appreciation of the wider field outside his or her own specialization and has developed a good broad understanding of computer systems and techniques
• Understands how the specific role relates to his or her relevant area of employment, to its clients, and to the employing business as a whole

Associate Manager

This is the more junior of two levels in the professional category. It will normally be achieved after clear evidence is available of full competence in a specialized role. At this level, full technical accountability for work done and decisions made is expected. The ability to give technical or team leadership will have been demonstrated as well as a high degree of technical versatility and broad industry knowledge. The Associate Manager will often manage major parts of projects and be responsible to the project manager or have project management responsibilities for simple projects.

Key Indicators

• 12–18 months experience as a Task Manager
• Recognized as a professional by his or her peers
• Is capable of successfully managing simple projects
• Does not have direct management responsibility for staff

Essential Characteristics

• Takes responsibility either for substantial technical decision making or for teams of staff. In the latter case, he or she demonstrates the basic qualities associated with team leadership and project management.
• Is thoroughly familiar with the available tools, templates, and processes associated with specialization, and possesses adequate technical depth to make correct choices from alternatives in all areas.
• Is able to apply selected tools and techniques in such a way as to meet set targets of cost, time, quality, and performance.
• Is able to communicate effectively both formally and informally with all those with whom working interfaces arise.
• Shows initiative and makes time available to ensure general competencies are up to date and in line with their development.
• Possesses a clear understanding of the relationship of any specialized role to the context in which the work is carried out. More generally, this understanding applies to the employer's business and the needs of those who will use the end product.

Senior Manager

This is the upper of two levels in the professional category. It will normally be achieved after two to four years of experience as an Associate Manager and when clear evidence is available of full competence in a specialized role. At this level, full technical accountability for work done and decisions made is expected. The ability to provide technical or team leadership will have been demonstrated as well as a high degree of technical versatility and broad industry knowledge. The Senior Manager will manage complex projects and often be responsible for managing the activities of Associate Managers who function as subproject managers.

Key Indicators

• Two to four years of experience in an Associate Manager position
• Recognized as a professional by his or her peers
• Is capable of successfully managing complex projects
• Will often have direct management responsibility for project staff

Essential Characteristics

• Has demonstrated a basic understanding of the consulting role and has acted in such capacity as requested.
• Demonstrates mastery of the qualities associated with team leadership and project management.
• Is thoroughly familiar with the available tools, methods, procedures, and/or equipment associated with his or her specialization, and possesses adequate technical depth to make correct choices from alternatives in all these areas.
• Is able to apply selected tools and techniques in such a way as to meet set targets of cost, time, quality, and performance.
• Is able to communicate effectively both formally and informally with all those with whom working interfaces arise.
• Shows initiative and makes time available to ensure general competencies are up to date and in line with their development.
• Possesses a clear understanding of the relationship of any specialized role to the context in which the work is carried out. More generally, this understanding applies to the employer's business and the needs of those who will use the end product.

Program Manager

This position represents the level associated with the mature, relevantly experienced, and fully capable professional. Such a person is fully accountable for work quality as a technical specialist. He or she possesses the background knowledge and experience to make informed and responsible decisions, which are both technically sound and take the needs of the organization fully into account. The Program Manager will be expected to advise and coach professional-level staff and is respected for his or her ability to do that.

Key Indicators

• None or very limited consulting experience at entry
• Has previous experience offering informal advice and support to less-qualified professionals
• Has peer recognition in a defined area of expertise
• Usually works unsupervised, with support from peers as requested

Essential Characteristics

• Has defined responsibility for all technical decision making within the scope of his or her specialization, and is expected to recognize and take appropriate action with respect to any safety-related applications within that scope
• Shows mature qualities of leadership in meeting targets of time, cost, quality, and performance within projects of substantial value to his or her employer
• Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, with subordinates, colleagues, clients, and customers at all levels of seniority
• Shows mature understanding of the relationship of his or her specialization and/or project responsibilities to the undertaking as a whole, and is able to propose solutions within the scope of his or her expertise
• Shows initiative and makes time available to ensure general competencies are kept up to date and in line with industry developments

Director

This is the most senior management-level position in the BA/PM position family. It is the level occupied by the most-senior manager of a business function or unit in organizations where operating effectiveness (and possibly survival) is heavily dependent on the function or unit and where large numbers of practitioners are deployed. A wide and deep practical knowledge base is called for, accompanied by mature management qualities.

Key Indicators

• Serves as the director of a critical business unit or function in a large organization
• Has frequent visibility and direct contact at the board level
• Advises and leads the organization in strategic initiatives within his or her area of responsibility

Essential Characteristics

• Has defined responsibilities and authority for decision making or an advisory function with a direct bearing on the work of a business unit or major function
• In carrying out these responsibilities, recognizes and ensures that all appropriate actions are taken with respect to any safety-related applications within the scope of their position
• Has a technical background of sufficient depth and breadth to be able to recognize and successfully exploit opportunities for effective development or usage of his or her area of expertise, and lead and manage fully experienced reporting managers
• Demonstrates a high level of presentation skills applicable to all levels of audience
• Plays a senior role in formulating strategy and policy
• Has specific management responsibility for a specialized activity, which normally includes full budgetary and policy implementation authority for a significant overall function or a significant segment of a larger unit

Using the PM/BA Landscape for Professional Development

The playing field for the career and professional development of the BA and the PM was previously shown in Figure 18-1. There are 36 distinct cells in this landscape, and all BA and PM position configurations fall somewhere in this landscape. The landscape therefore can be used for career planning and professional development. Each cell will contain one or more position titles, and each position title will have a skill and competency profile defined for it. An individual's career history can be represented in this landscape by a sequence of connected cells. An individual's professional development plan is represented in the landscape with a planned sequence of connected cells. An example of a career path is shown later in the chapter.

Each cell in the landscape will have a minimum skill and competency profile defined for all positions in that cell. In order for an individual to be in this cell, he or she must possess the minimum skill and competency profile for the cell that they occupy or would like to occupy. For professional development planning, the individual will be in some particular cell and have career aspirations to move to another position in the same cell or to a position in another cell (usually this will be an adjoining cell). The skill and competency profile of the current and desired positions or cells can be compared, and the differences will identify the skill and competency gaps. The training and experience needed to remove those gaps and to qualify an individual to move to a position in the desired cell can be defined. The implications to the training department planning are obvious, as are the applications to human resource management.

What Might a Professional Development Program Look Like?

This is a big topic and would require more than the scope of this section allows. However, as an introduction to this topic, this section briefly defines the four parts that I think a good professional development program should include. This model is very similar to the model developed by the British Computer Society. It comprises the following components:

• Experience acquisition — Further experience mastering the skills and competencies needed in the current position
• On-the-job training — Training to increase the proficiency of skills and competencies needed in the current position
• Off-the-job training — Training to increase the proficiency of skills and competencies needed in the desired future position
• Professional activities — A combination of reading, professional society involvement, conference attendance, and networking with other professionals

Every position in every cell will have a minimum skill and competency profile required for the position. To qualify for a specific position, the individual must first define the skill and competency gap between his or her current and desired position, and then build a professional development program using the preceding four components to remove that gap. Completing such a program will enable the individual to move to the desired position when a vacancy arises. This individual should have a mentor assigned to him or her to help with plan development and other career advice.

Since you now have a BA/PM generic position family defined and a career path for that family, Figure 18-1 takes on more meaning. An example will help. Figure 18-3 shows an individual whose current position is in the PM/ba Task Manager cell. This person is a professional project manager with minimal business analysis skills and competencies. This is a very common position. Recognizing the importance and value of having stronger business analysis skills, this person has a short-term goal to move to a position in the PM/BA Task Manager cell. He or she will build a plan in his or her Professional Development Program (PDP) to accomplish this short-term career goal. His or her PDP will focus on improving his or her business analysis skill and competency profile from that of a PM/ba Task Manager to that of a PM/BA Task Manager.

Figure 18-3: Using the BA/PM landscape for a short-term professional goal from ba to BA skills and competencies at the same position level

The PDP for this person might contain the following strategies.

Experience Acquisition

• Seek out project assignments that have more of a business analysis focus than you are accustomed to.
• Support professionals who are at a more senior level than you and have a business analysis skill that you need to improve in order to better meet current position requirements.

On-the-job Training

• Look for opportunities to observe and support the business analysis work of PM/BA professionals.
• Take courses (on- or off-site) to enhance the business analysis skills required of your current position.

Off-the-job Training

• Take courses (on- or off-site) to add business analysis skills that will be required by your targeted position in the PM/BA Task Manager cell.
• Look for opportunities to observe and support a professional who is practicing the business analysis skills you will need in your targeted position.

Professional Activities

• Read books and journal articles on topics relevant to your targeted position in the PM/BA Task Manager cell.
• Attend meetings and conferences offering seminars and workshops relevant to your targeted position in the PM/BA Task Manager cell.

Using the PDP

In my experience, an individual's PDP covers an annual planning horizon, including at least semi-annual status meetings with a mentor and/or as-needed meetings that the individual requests.

Figure 18-4 illustrates an example of a more complex situation than what was depicted in Figure 18-3. Here the change is to a higher-level position (Task Manager to Associate Manager). A career change like this may take some time to accomplish. Not only will the person need to acquire additional experience to qualify for the higher-level position, but he or she will also need to increase his or her business analysis experience and skill and competency profile to qualify for the higher-level position's business analysis requirements.

Figure 18-4: Using the BA/PM landscape for a short-term professional goal at a higher level position

Figure 18-5 is the most complex. Here the professional is seeking a higher level position (Task Manager to Associate Manager) and a more developed business analysis skill and competency profile (ba to BA)

Figure 18-5: A higher level position and ba to BA skill and competency profile

A better professional development plan for the example in Figure 18-5 might be to use one of the following two-step strategy paths:

• PM/ba Task Manager PM/BA Task Manager PM/BA Associate Manager
• PM/ba Task Manager PM/ba Associate Manager PM/BA Associate Manager

You should choose the strategy that will give you the best opportunity for advancement based on the actual promotion opportunities available to you.

Career Planning Using the BA/PM Landscape

A section of the PDP should be devoted to long-range career planning. The BA/PM landscape is a tool that can aid in the planning process. Figure 18-6 illustrates a career path leading from a position in the BA Team Member cell to a position in the BA/PM Senior Manager cell. The CareerAgent System that I mentioned earlier in this chapter included a decision support system that helped the individual plan their career path down to the position title level within the cells. It mapped out a training and development sequence leading from position to position across the BA/PM landscape until the final career goal had been reached.

Figure 18-6: A career path from a position in the BA Team Member cell to a position in the BA/PM Senior Manager cell

As the plan is executed, it will most likely change. Several paths connect the BA Team Member position family to the BA/PM Senior Manager position family. Along the way, circumstances and changing interests might result in a change in the targeted position family. Several factors will influence the plan and suggest revisions that are more compatible with the changing business environment and that offer more career growth and professional development opportunities.