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Description

Business Analyst: Gathering Requirements, Formalising Specifications and Managing User Acceptance Testing

Translate a business need into testable requirements and maintain the link between users and the technical team

  • 3 days — 21 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

IT projects rarely go off track because of technology. They go off track because needs are poorly expressed, requirements change without arbitration, and acceptance testing is improvised at the very end. The business analyst is precisely the person who holds this chain together, from initial scoping through to go-live.

Three days to master the complete approach: scoping and stakeholder mapping, requirement-gathering techniques, process and data modelling, requirement writing, then preparing and steering user acceptance testing. All deliverables are produced on a single running case study.

Learning objectives

  • Scope a request and identify the relevant stakeholders
  • Run requirement-gathering workshops and interviews
  • Model a business process and the data it handles
  • Write requirements that are unambiguous, traceable and testable
  • Prepare acceptance test cases and steer validation with users

What makes this programme different

A running case study taken from scoping through to acceptance test cases
Requirement-gathering workshops facilitated by participants and then analysed
A traceability matrix linking every requirement to its test

Programme

1The Role and Scoping the Request

Knowing what you are actually trying to solve

  • Positioning the business analyst within the project
  • Identifying stakeholders and their interests
  • Framing the problem and the expected outcomes
  • Scope, constraints and assumptions

2Requirement-Gathering Techniques

Surfacing what is left unsaid

  • One-to-one interviews and group workshops
  • Observing actual work practices and reviewing documentation
  • Handling conflicting requests
  • Reporting back and validating meeting records

3Process and Data Modelling

Making the business visible

  • Representing processes and actors
  • Use cases and alternative scenarios
  • Data models and business rules
  • Gap analysis between current and target situations

4Writing Requirements

Writing what can be verified

  • Types of functional and non-functional requirements
  • Criteria for an unambiguous and testable requirement
  • Prioritisation and arbitration with the business
  • Traceability and change management

5Acceptance Testing and Change Support

Validate, then drive adoption

  • Acceptance testing strategy and test data sets
  • Writing test cases and acceptance criteria
  • Defect tracking and arbitration of fixes
  • Preparing the cutover and supporting users

Who is it for

Future business analysts · project managers on the business side · business-side project support staff and subject-matter representatives involved in IT projects.

Prerequisites

Having taken part in an IT project or in the evolution of a business application.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.