Recertification Woes

©Shirley J. Sartin, CBAP® #002

9/22/2015

Shirley Sartin, CBAP, PMP, PBA, CSM, BSAC has a career filled with IT and IS experiences with which she

leverages in helping customers and end users realize their needs.

Having obtained IIBA’s Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP ®) designation in 2006 (first group tested)

I have had to recertify every 3 years which means I am recertifying for the third time. This requires a review of

efforts that have kept me involved in and learning about my profession for the past 3 years. It also includes

identifying relevant work experiences, training, and volunteering by giving back to the Business Analysis

industry. To retain my designation I must document at least 60 Continuing Development Units (CDUs) in those

areas.

Today I began the recertification journey in earnest – even though after the last painful recertification efforts I

promised myself that I would track relevant experiences as I acquired them. Sadly I did not keep that promise.

To make matters worse I was notified 90 days before my recertification anniversary date and yet I did not begin

recertification efforts at that time. Now I must undertake herculean efforts to meet the deadline in about a

month while also working as a Business Analyst and conducting non-Business Analysis volunteer activities. Woe

is the life of a serial procrastinator.

I reviewed the 6 categories for reporting the requisite 60 CDUs and considered those areas for which I can

provide supporting documentation. Unfortunately I was unable to attend a conference (Category 2A or 2D

worth 30 CDUs), I did not write that book for which I had been considering (Category 3E worth 30 CDUs), and for

certain I attended 0 (zero) formal academic education courses in Business Analysis (Category 1 worth 30 max

CDUs). With my IIBA volunteering days in the past (Category 5 maximum 30 CDUs) and no local IIBA chapter

where I could attend meetings (Category 2C maximum 30 CDUs) I realized I was going to hit a deficit for required

number of CDUs using only Category 6 Professional Experiences (maximum 25 CDUs) and Category 4 Self-

Directed Learning (maximum 15 CDUs). That is only 40 of the minimum 60 CDUs! I began stressing out but

then I recalled the internal 1 week training for agile requirements I attended this past summer. Yay! Category 2

is saving the day because I will be able to claim up to 30 CDUs in that category.

I have other professional designations for which I must recertify every 2 or 3 years and I have trained myself to

retain documentation for self-directed learning efforts. However, it is going to be painful documenting related

work experience and describing the activities as they relate to the BABOK®. For every 1,000 hours documented I

will receive only 5 CDUs. That means for the maximum 25 CDUs I must identify over 5,000 hours work

experience as it relates to the BABOK®! The work was tough enough the first go-round and now I will be reliving

those experiences by analyzing and documenting the tasks during every available moment for the next few

weeks.

I have already made myself another promise not to procrastinate for the 4th recertification efforts. I am going to

develop a strategy to earn a balanced number of CDUs across several of the 6 categories in the next 3 years with

a plan for when and how I will earn them and also to document the CDUs by completing the spreadsheet

provided by IIBA as I earn each CDU. I will not wait until the last minute again! My advice to CBAP®s and

CCBA®s? Don’t do as I did…do as I am planning to do. Best of luck to you all!