Conference Session Abstracts:

Business Analysis All Shook Up – How BA Tools and Techniques Contributed to Rebuilding Earthquake-Damaged New Zealand

This session tells the story of how Business Analysis methodologies helped SCIRT, charged with rebuilding Christchurch’s infrastructure after the earthquakes. It covers the use of BA tools in extreme environments, providing insight into how these techniques brought structure to the chaos and clarity in a rapidly changing environment.

Learning objectives:

• Insight into how BABOK knowledge areas and techniques were applied in the Christchurch rebuild
• Understanding the BA competencies most effective in extreme environments
• How to elevate BA skills beyond IT to make a real difference in enterprise environments

Transformational vs. Incremental Change

This session explores the difference between transformational and incremental change, using case studies to demonstrate the importance of choosing the right approach.

Learning objectives:

• Recognise the difference between transformational and incremental change
• Learn to make informed decisions on the best change management approach

The People Element

This session emphasises the importance of understanding people—critical for being a great Business Analyst. Drawing from psychology, coaching, and management, it teaches how to be a better communicator, facilitator, and trusted advisor.

Learning objectives:

• Understanding the impact of different perceptions and cultures
• Becoming a better communicator and facilitator
• Building trust and awareness of the people element

The Alchemy of Collaboration

Exploring what makes collaboration truly powerful, this session discusses the tools and conditions needed to improve collaboration and how Business Analysts can catalyse this process.

Learning objectives:

• What is collaboration and how does it differ from cooperation?
• Tools for effective collaboration
• How a BA can be the catalyst for collaboration

Good Questions or Good Answers, Why You Need Both (PMI Conference 2015)

This session delves into the relationship between Business Analysts and Project Managers, exploring how their collaboration leads to better business outcomes.

Learning objectives:

• The importance of both good questions and good answers in project success
• How BAs and PMs can work together for better results