Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme, Sixth Edition

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 ...