BA Trailblazer

What is a BA Trailblazer?

The BA Trailblazer program is series of informal meetings and discussions that allow participants to take a deep dive into trending and innovative topics that are of value in business analysis. These are meant to be a form of 'incubator' that will lead to a deeper understanding of a topic that can be shared with Chapter constituents. We are reaching out to you and your colleagues to crowd-source the business analysis thought leadership in the Ottawa-Outaouais region and to work together on this to build a collective.

Within the Chapter's mandate to Meet, Learn, Share, participants can:

• Dare to step outside of their usual activities and take on something new and interesting. No need to be an expert, just explore.
• Imagine how the topic can help Chapter constituents and inform their decisions in the workplace and their personal lives.
• Grow in our careers and in our perspectives.

MEET

BA Trailblazer sessions are hosted* by an individual who will lead the discussion and ensure that all outcomes are brought back to the Chapter. The hosts bring their chosen topic to the Chapter membership, and together they decide on a convenient and appropriate format to meet with other interested peers. This can include simply meeting in person over coffee, breakfast or an after-work beverage, or creating a discussion space such as a web conference, a discussion forum or a Slack group.

Sessions are open to all individuals who are interested in the topic. Participants need not be IIBA members, nor have the title of Business Analyst. They only need to have an enquiring mind and a desire to share knowledge.

*We are currently investigating awarding CDUs to hosts.

LEARN

Participants in the BA Trailblazer session will contribute to a topic by bringing what they know to the table, but also by investigating other resources (Internet, contacts, books, etc).  The host will lead the event by sharing what he/she knows on the topic and facilitating as participants contribute and the topic evolves. Topics can encompass anything that could change and improve the way we think and the way we do business analysis today. The selection is limitless!
These sessions also give participants an opportunity to practice some of the ~50 business analysis techniques listed in the BABOK v3.

SHARE

The most important aspect of the BA Trailblazer program is for participants to share what they've learned and bring this thought-leadership back to the BA community and to the workplace. The host is responsible for bringing the outcome of the session or sessions back to the Chapter. Ideally, the topic comes back to the Chapter as a presentation at the Chapter's monthly meeting, but it can also be something as simple as a news item that tells about the topic and what you've learned or as eleborate as hosting a workshop.

Here's a list of potential outcomes, to name only a few:

• Meeting presentation
• Skill building session
• Workshop
• White paper
• Discussion group
• News item
• Social media post