Business Analysis Planning for Value Delivery

You are starting a project. You are performing individual tasks, delivering work products. How do you know if the results of your work are valuable? How do you know if you are heading in the right direction? Without a plan – at least a framework – you don't know because you haven't defined the goals of your work, expected outcomes, the value you will deliver to stakeholders and team members. 

Let's avoid such risks through planning – a fundamental activity, yet often overlooked. One of the key skills of a business analyst is analytical thinking – so let's apply this skill to plan our activities.

I propose a relatively simple approach to planning analytical work. By using this approach, you will avoid the risk of performing activities that add no value, that are simply unnecessary. You will define work products that are crucial for the project's success. You will determine what skills are necessary to execute the plan and whether the team currently possesses those skills.