According to the IIBA: “The agile mindset is based on a common core of human values that include respect, courage, collaboration, continuous learning, customer focus, and value maximization. These values find their clearest expression in the Manifesto for Agile Software Development (Agile Manifesto).”
The main aspects of an agile mindset include
- deliver value rapidly and consistently,
- collaborate courageously,
- iterate to learn,
- simplify to avoid waste,
- consider context and adapt to realities,
- reflect on feedback and adapt both product and process, and
- produce the highest quality products.
The agile mindset can be applied to any industry and even our personal lives.
That being said what is the role of the Business Analyst in agile. Many folks have debated if the Agile Business Analyst role is going away. Here are a couple of high level job functions that an agile BA performs. There are three horizons that a BA plays a role in the agile methodology. The first two Strategy and the Initiate level will be discussed in another article. This articles focus is on the delivery horizon level.
- Work closely with the product owner and or solution architect to work with understanding the requirements from the business.
- Assist the Product Owner in prioritizing the backlog
- Gather the detailed level requirements for the developers
- In some instances the BA is responsible for facilitating the grooming sessions
- Collaborate with the testers and or test manager to explain the requirements
