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The Better Business Analysis 
Institute presence, the Better 

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Business Analysis podcast with 
Benjamin Walsh. 

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Hi, everybody, and welcome back 
to the Better Business Analysis.

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Podcast with Benjamin Walsh. 
And we are going to continue. 

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On our BA Bytes series, and I'm 
going to talk about something 

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controversial. 
I don't think there should be 

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any permanent business analysts.
Yes, it's controversial, isn't 

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it? 
Well, I'm going to. 

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Explain if I really believe that
and what I mean by that. 

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In the next couple of minutes. 
So when I talk about permanent B

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as I. 
Am talking. 

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About the project side of 
business analysis. 

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So if we look at the full PS, we
have people and obviously you've

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got human centered designers in 
that space. 

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We're not talking about that 
necessarily today. 

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We've got the process side and 
you may have a business 

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architect who is looking across 
caabilities across the 

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organization who may be 
permanent and that kind of 

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works. 
And you may have a process 

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expert, process analyst or 
business improvement analysts, 

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for example, who focus on the 
Lean 6 Sigma side of reducing 

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waste in the organization. 
And in that case, I can 

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understand a permanent role for 
people that plan that space. 

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We also have the product side. 
So the product side is around 

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kind of a product BA, an agile 
BA. 

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Who's working on an agile team? 
On a stable product, and I would

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say that's your role, then that 
product analysis PO role could 

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also be permanent. 
What I'm focusing on is. 

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Project business analysis or 
just business analysis? 

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The nature. 
Of a project is. 

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That it is finite. 
OK, at the end of the day, it 

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has a beginning and an end, 
which means that. 

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The resources on that project 
Project manager. 

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And the. 
BA along with other stuff like 

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testers. 
That. 

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Side of it, especially the 
professional services side, not 

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necessarily the development 
side. 

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They. 
Don't necessarily need to be 

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there forever. 
And you could ask, well, OK 

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then. 
Well. 

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Why can't I just be ABA a 
permanent BA? 

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And then I. 
Can work on projects and that's 

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fine, and we'll talk about why 
you might want to be in that 

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position. 
In a minute, but at the end of 

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the day, when? 
You're an organization and we'll

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talk about an individual's 
perspective in a. 

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Minute when you're an 
organization an. 

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Organization wants projects to 
be done and done well. 

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They have a business case 
they're investing certain amount

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of. 
Money. 

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For a. 
Certain type of outcome and they

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should. 
Really be optimizing who and 

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what skills they invest in that 
project and what they ultimately

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are paying for a project 
requires specialist skills to. 

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Complete an outcome and usually.
Projects are based on a 

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repeatable method using 
repeatable technology usually. 

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Within unknown industry and so 
when you're recruiting and 

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deciding. 
Who should work on those 

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projects? 
You really want to have someone 

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who's. 
Experienced in that. 

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Industry process, the product 
maybe or the method or 

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legislation change. 
And that's why I'm suggesting 

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that the best people that have 
those skills are contractors or 

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consultants. 
I'll explain the difference 

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between a consultant and a 
contractor. 

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Right now, a contractor is 
really an individual consultant 

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who's responsible for their own 
skills, and Uplift consultant is

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someone from a consultancy. 
Which is. 

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Almost mixed between a permanent
and a contractor role. 

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They are permanent employees, 
however they do get skills 

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invested and they you do pay a. 
Premium for. 

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Both a contractor and a 
consultant. 

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And that brings me to. 
The other perspective, you as a 

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someone who has skills across 
industries, who's worked in 

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multiple organizations, who 
understand how to deliver a 

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project well, you know, 
understands what this piece of 

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legislation means. 
You should be charging a 

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premium. 
I believe that you're best being

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a consultant or a contractor. 
Getting maximum return. 

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On your dollars and your time. 
Contractors and consultants. 

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Generally have worked in 
multiple different industries. 

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That's the whole point. 
They've travelled around, they 

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have skills, they have worked in
other organizations that worked 

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in multi. 
Projects. 

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That work with multiple teams. 
And that just means that. 

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Their skills have grown. 
And when you're a permanent 

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employee in. 
That space in the project space,

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you actually, your skills 
stagnate. 

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You're not. 
Generally trained. 

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Up or to have the same skill 
development opportunities as you

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would and a contractor or 
consultants. 

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Even if you have a. 
Great permanent team leader. 

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Who? 
Pushes for that. 

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That's very. 
Very rare. 

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You also don't have. 
The same. 

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Perspective because you haven't 
been exposed to different 

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people, different politics. 
And different. 

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Opportunities to test your 
skills out by having this 

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mobility, which you only get 
really from someone who's either

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a contractor or a consultant. 
You in that case, those people 

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have enhanced skill sets, they 
have increased. 

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Market value. 
And they have had career 

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progression. 
And the. 

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Good thing about. 
Hiring someone? 

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In that space for a project 
work. 

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Is that you know that the risk 
is. 

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Mitigated, and they can probably
do the job well, and the 

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organization gets a. 
Fresh perspective. 

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From an outside lens, which is 
great, it reduces their risk as 

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we talked about. 
And at the end of the day. 

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It's actually cheaper to hire 
someone for a. 

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Certain period of time than it 
is. 

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To commit to a permanent role so
it's effectively cost effective.

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And you could say to me, look at
the end of the day, I'm taking 

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a. 
Permanent role for job security.

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I'm taking it for the benefits 
and I'm taking it for the fact. 

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That I don't have. 
To worry at the end of a project

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about getting a new role and I'd
say good on you. 

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You're supporting your family. 
Good on you being a permanent 

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BA. 
In the project space. 

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I am just saying from a 
conceptual model point of view. 

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So in. 
Conclusion An organization is. 

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Better off. 
Hiring a contractor or a 

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consultant when working on 
projects, they're more likely to

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get the skills they need. 
Someone who can deal with 

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multiple situations. 
I know. 

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And you know. 
That there are some really bad. 

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Consultants and contractors out 
there, I am talking about the 

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concept, not necessary the 
individual. 

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And for? 
An individual's point of view. 

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If you are ABA and you are 
working on projects, unless you 

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have obligations outside of 
work. 

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Like family and you. 
Need. 

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The benefits? 
That a permanent role gives you,

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which is understandable. 
No problem there. 

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You should really go contracting
or you should become a 

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consultant. 
And maybe it's a consultant, 

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then a contractor. 
And you? 

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Will maximize the return on your
time and you will get paid more 

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for the skills that you. 
Bring and it will give you more 

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experience. 
I know. 

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It's controversial. 
I want to hear your thoughts. 

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I'm happy for you to leave a 
note through and we can have a 

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talk about it. 
And of course, if you want to be

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a consultant or a contractor, 
the perfect certification for 

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you is the Certified Better 
Business Analysis Level One 

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course. 
It will be enough to get you. 

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Into that. 
Realm and start earning top 

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dollar. 
I'll see you next week.