Business analysts and project managers often find themselves working together on projects, and not always with great results. Project managers and business analysts don’t always see eye to eye, and this leads to conflicts on the project team. It’s not always about a clash of personalities; it’s more often just different approaches to working, different goals and different methodologies.
Elizabeth Harrin will be tackling these differences in a presentation at the IRM UK Business Analysis conference in London on 29 September. “I'll be talking about how project managers and business analysts attack the same topic from different angles and addressing how to work effectively together,” she says. Drawing on her own experience as a project and programme manager – and from a brief spell working as a business change analyst herself – she’ll discuss why project managers don’t intrinsically value business analysis and to avoid a “them and us” attitude.
This presentation will provide a real insight into what project managers think about business analysts and how BAs can use this to their advantage to drive home successful solutions.
“I think there’s a long history of tension between the BA and PM communities,” Elizabeth says. “It’s because both sides bring something different to the table and don’t understand the value of what the other party brings. I don’t think we talk about it enough, so I’m looking forward to opening up the debate.”
The conference runs from 28-30 September 2009. Full details and the programme are available online. IIBA and BCS members are entitled to discount on the conference fees.
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