CBAP · Question #458
A non-profit utility company has 900 employees, a majority of whom are hourly employees and must track their time using a paper based process. A few years ago, the Director of Human Resources…
The correct answer is A. Compare the expertise of the Director of Human Resources to other stakeholders. When a stakeholder has a history that may bias their judgment, the BA should conduct a comparative stakeholder analysis to understand their expertise relative to others rather than excluding or appeasing them.
Question
A non-profit utility company has 900 employees, a majority of whom are hourly employees and must track their time using a paper based process. A few years ago, the Director of Human Resources purchased a software system to eliminate the current paper-based time reporting process. No requirements specific to the utility company were defined prior to the purchase. A team was formed to implement the software During implementation process, the team discovered the software lacked functionality and was not robust enough to support the general ledger requirements The company stopped the effort and incurred a $500,000 USD loss on the cost of the software. This year, the Director of Finance requested that a team investigate the current paper based time reporting process and recommend solutions. The Director of Finance feels that the Director of Human Resources must be involved as a critical stakeholder. The Director of Human Resources is still bitter about the last effort because the process stopped'. Which of the following is included in performing a stakeholder analysis?
Options
- ACompare the expertise of the Director of Human Resources to other stakeholders
- BRecommend excluding the Director of Human Resources as a stakeholder
- CDevelop a risk plan to anticipate negative behavior from the Director of Human Resources
- DImplement all of the Director of Human Resources suggestions to relieve tension
How the community answered
(58 responses)- A74% (43)
- B7% (4)
- C5% (3)
- D14% (8)
Why each option
When a stakeholder has a history that may bias their judgment, the BA should conduct a comparative stakeholder analysis to understand their expertise relative to others rather than excluding or appeasing them.
Comparing the Director of Human Resources' expertise against other stakeholders is a standard stakeholder analysis activity that helps the BA objectively assess the appropriate level of influence and weight to give to each stakeholder's input. This approach is objective and professional, ensuring the prior $500,000 loss is considered in context without unfairly marginalizing the stakeholder or ignoring legitimate domain knowledge they may still possess.
Excluding a Director-level stakeholder is not appropriate practice - stakeholders with relevant authority or impact on the solution must remain engaged regardless of past decisions.
Developing a risk plan solely based on anticipated negative behavior is premature and assumes bad faith without evidence, which is not a professional or balanced approach to stakeholder management.
Implementing all suggestions from any single stakeholder regardless of merit bypasses the BA's responsibility to evaluate recommendations objectively and serve the broader business interest.
Concept tested: Stakeholder analysis and comparative expertise assessment
Source: https://www.iiba.org/career-resources/a-business-analysis-professionals-foundation-for-success/babok/
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