BAPv5 BCS Practitioner Certificate in Business Analysis Practice v5.2 Question and Answers

An organisation chart is a diagram that shows the structure and relationships of an organisation. It helps to identify who are the members, roles, levels and units of an organisation and how they are connected or related. Therefore, options A and B are correct answers, as they are the information that Sara is likely to have learnt about the sponsor from the organisation chart. Option A is a correct answer, as their position in the company hierarchy is the information that Sara is likely to have learnt about the sponsor from the organisation chart. Their position in the company hierarchy is the level or rank of the sponsor within the organisation’s structure. It helps to indicate their authority, status and influence within the organisation. Option B is a correct answer, as their span of control is the information that Sara is likely to have learnt about the sponsor from the organisation chart. Their span of control is the number of people or units that report directly to the sponsor within the organisation’s structure. It helps to indicate their responsibility, workload and management style within the organisation. Option C is not a correct answer, as their culture within their team is not the information that Sara is likely to have learnt about the sponsor from the organisation chart. Their culture within their team is the shared values, beliefs, norms and behaviours of the sponsor and their team members within the organisation. It helps to indicate their motivation, satisfaction and performance within the organisation. Option D is not a correct answer, as their scope of responsibilities is not the information that Sara is likely to have learnt about the sponsor from the organisation chart. Their scope of responsibilities is the range or extent of tasks or activities that the sponsor has to perform or oversee within the organisation. It helps to indicate their objectives, outcomes and deliverables within the organisation. Option E is not a correct answer, as their preferred management style is not the information that Sara is likely to have learnt about the sponsor from the organisation chart. Their preferred management style is the way or approach that the sponsor uses to lead or direct their team members within the organisation. It helps to indicate their communication, delegation and feedback skills within the organisation.

The documentation defines a workshop/meeting as a facilitated session with a prepared agenda, where the facilitator elicits information and views, and where actions and decisions are recorded. In addition, stakeholders with high power and high interest are described as key players who require positive, active management, including frequent meetings and discussions about the direction the project is taking.

Given that context, the most appropriate response is to allow the stakeholder to explain the proposed feature and its potential impact, while capturing the details. This ensures the facilitator is actively managing a high power/high interest stakeholder (rather than shutting them down), and it also supports good governance by making sure the idea is captured clearly enough to be assessed properly later (e.g., as a change request or option).

Option A is better than ignoring the point entirely, but it risks appearing dismissive and could undermine engagement with a key stakeholder. Option B captures notes but fails to explore impact, which may be critical when the request is “urgent.” Option D is inappropriate because it disregards input from a stakeholder who can significantly affect the project.

Therefore, C best balances facilitation discipline (capturing information and controlling the meeting) with effective stakeholder management for high influence stakeholders.

The parts of the Business Change lifecycle that the business analyst will have supported are Realisation, Design and Implementation. Realisation is the phase where the benefits defined in the benefits plan are evaluated and measured. The business analyst will support this phase by assisting in the evaluation of the benefits (a). Design is the phase where the elements that will support the change are defined and developed. The business analyst will support this phase by leading requirements elicitation and clarification activities (b). Implementation is the phase where the change is embedded into the organisation and its processes. The business analyst will support this phase by delivering coaching, training and ongoing support for any changes to existing processes ©.

The business analysis documentation distinguishes stakeholder categories and provides examples including customers, employees, managers, partners, suppliers, and others. The scenario clearly includes a supplier: the local builder is providing goods/services (construction) to ForestRetreat, which fits the definition of a supplier. It also includes a partner: the volunteer organisation is “working with” ForestRetreat to provide transport on its behalf, which aligns with the definition of partners as organisations that work with an organisation to provide services on its behalf.

A manager is represented by the senior officer who has been asked to oversee development of the new plot. The glossary explicitly lists managers as a distinct stakeholder category, separate from employees. While managers are employees in a general HR sense, the stakeholder categorisation used here treats managers and employees as separate groups because they often have different interests, influence, and perspectives on change.

What is not represented is the employee stakeholder group (non-managerial staff). No operational staff, event staff, customer service staff, or other employees are mentioned—only a manager (senior officer). Therefore, the missing stakeholder group from the options is Employee.

A prototype is a simplified version of a proposed system or product that can be used to demonstrate its functionality and usability to the stakeholders. A prototype can be useful for communicating changes that involve new technology or software, as it allows the users to interact with the system and provide feedback. Therefore, option D is the best choice, as it would allow the scheduling team to see how the new telephony software and online booking system would work and how they would affect their process. Option A is not a good choice, as a business process model is a graphical representation of the activities, inputs, outputs and resources involved in a business process. It would not show how the new software would work or how the team would be split. Option B is not a good choice, as a business activity model is a high-level view of the business activities that take place within an organisation. It would not show the details of the scheduling process or the new software. Option C is not a good choice, as POPIT is an acronym for People, Organisation, Process, Information and Technology. It is a framework for taking a holistic view of a business situation, but it is not a tool for communicating changes.

A customer journey map is a visual representation of the steps and emotions that a customer goes through when interacting with a product or service. It helps to identify the pain points and opportunities for improvement in the customer experience. A customer journey map typically consists of the following elements: stages, actions, thoughts, feelings, touchpoints and opportunities. Therefore, option A is the correct answer, as it matches the elements of the customer journey map for Box F and Box 6. Box F represents the feeling of the customer at the stage of choosing a frame. The feeling is concern at cost, as the customer is worried about the price of the frames and lenses. Box 6 represents the opportunity for improvement at the stage of selecting lenses. The opportunity is to provide clearer information on options and pricing, as this would help the customer to make an informed decision and reduce their anxiety. Option B is not a correct answer, as it does not match the elements of the customer journey map for Box F and Box 6. Box F represents the feeling of the customer, not an opportunity for improvement. Box 6 represents an opportunity for improvement, not a feeling of the customer. Option C is not a correct answer, as it does not match the elements of the customer journey map for Box F and Box 6. Box F represents the feeling of the customer, not an opportunity for improvement. Box 6 represents an opportunity for improvement, not a feeling of the customer. Option D is not a correct answer, as it does not match the elements of the customer journey map for Box F and Box 6. Box F represents the feeling of the customer, not an opportunity for improvement. Box 6 represents an opportunity for improvement, not a feeling of the customer.

In Porter’s Five Forces, “Threat of new entrants” assesses how easy it is for new organisations to enter an industry and compete, and it focuses heavily on barriers to entry. The business analysis text explains that new entrants are more likely to move into a market if it looks attractive and the barriers to entry are low, and it lists typical barriers created by incumbents or inherent in the domain. These include (among others) substantial investment required and other structural constraints that make entry difficult.

In the scenario, Fund42morrow’s proposed new under-18 investment scheme requires regulatory approval and significant investment. Both are classic barriers to entry. Regulatory approval acts as a gatekeeper constraint: a new firm cannot legally operate until it satisfies the regulator’s requirements, which can slow entry, increase cost, and raise compliance risk. Significant investment is explicitly highlighted in the text as a barrier because a new entrant may struggle to obtain sufficient funds to compete effectively.

A competitor analysing this situation would therefore record Fund42morrow’s activity under Threat of new entrants, since it describes a potential new competitor entering the market and the barriers (approval and capital) that influence whether entry is feasible and how strong that competitive threat could become.

Planning activities are those that must be considered beforehand in order to complete the doing and enabling activities. They are usually related to defining or determining some aspects of the business. In this question, the activities c, d and e are planning activities, as they involve defining the skills sets of the consultants, agreeing on a marketing campaign, and running monthly open days. These activities are necessary to support the primary doing activity of delivering consultancy service. Option D is the correct answer.

The elements of the POPIT model that need further investigation are people and process. This is because the staff members have raised concerns about the compatibility of the new automated system with the current process of handling parcels without barcodes or with obscured barcodes, as well as the impact of the system on their job security. These concerns relate to the people element, which covers the roles, skills, attitudes, and behaviors of the staff, and the process element, which covers the activities, tasks, and procedures involved in delivering a service or product. Option C is the correct answer.

The bullet points describe taking candidate solutions and testing them, then collecting feedback to learn and decide what to do next. In design and change approaches, that is the essence of evaluation: trialling options (pilots) and assessing their suitability using stakeholder input and evidence.

The business analysis guidance places this kind of work in the “evaluate options / evaluate solution” part of the lifecycle: after a need is understood and options are generated, the next step is to assess them by considering feasibility, benefits, impacts, and risks, using structured stakeholder engagement such as workshops. Workshops are explicitly identified as an investigation technique used to gather and validate information collaboratively, which fits “workshops to capture feedback” from pilots.

Within a Double Diamond–style design process, developing multiple pilot solutions aligns with exploring the solution space, and then running pilots and gathering feedback aligns with converging by evaluating what works in practice and what should be refined, scaled, or discarded. That activity is best represented by Evaluate rather than Empathise (understanding users), Define (clarifying the problem), or Create (generating ideas without yet testing them).

Therefore, the stage present in the bullet points is Evaluate (Option C).

A PESTLE analysis is a technique for identifying and evaluating the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that affect an organisation or project. It helps to assess the opportunities and threats that arise from the external environment. Therefore, options A and B are correct answers, as they are categories of factors that can be included in a PESTLE analysis for a small manufacturing company. They describe different aspects of the external environment that influence the company’s situation and prospects. Option A describes a legal factor, which is a factor related to laws, regulations, standards or policies that govern an organisation or project. An example of a legal factor is an amendment to the Data Protection Act, which affects how information about employees’ payroll can be held by an organisation. Option B describes an economic factor, which is a factor related to money, markets, trade or resources that affect an organisation or project. An example of an economic factor is a change in electricity usage calculation by an electricity provider, which affects how much electricity costs for an organisation. Option C is not a correct answer, as political is not a factor that has been discovered in the investigation for the PESTLE analysis. A political factor is a factor related to government, politics, power or conflict that affect an organisation or project. Option D is not a correct answer, as technological is not a factor that has been discovered in the investigation for the PESTLE analysis. A technological factor is a factor related to science, innovation, invention or discovery that affect an organisation or project. Option E is not a correct answer, as environmental is not a factor that has been discovered in the investigation for the PESTLE analysis. An environmental factor is a factor related to nature, ecology, climate or geography that affect an organisation or project.

 The role of a business analyst (BA) is to analyse business situations and problems, identify and evaluate potential solutions, and facilitate change within an organisation or project. A BA works with stakeholders at different levels and with different interests and perspectives to understand their needs and expectations and ensure they are met by suitable solutions. Therefore, option C is not likely to be used by George’s manager in describing his role as a BA in resolving this problem. To negotiate with stakeholders to reach resolution implies that George has to persuade or compromise with stakeholders to agree on one solution or approach. This is not part of the BA’s role, as the BA does not have the authority or responsibility to make decisions or impose solutions on stakeholders. The BA’s role is to analyse and evaluate different solutions or approaches objectively and present the findings and recommendations to stakeholders for their consideration and approval. Option A is likely to be used by George’s manager in describing his role as a BA in resolving this problem. To understand and challenge the stakeholders means that George has to elicit and validate the stakeholders’ views and needs and question their assumptions and rationale. This is part of the BA’s role, as the BA has to ensure that the stakeholders’ views and needs are clear, consistent, realistic and aligned with the organisation’s strategy and objectives. Option B is likely to be used by George’s manager in describing his role as a BA in resolving this problem. To facilitate the discussion to allow the stakeholders to find a way forward means that George has to organise and conduct meetings or workshops with stakeholders to explore and evaluate different solutions or approaches and help them reach a consensus or agreement. This is part of the BA’s role, as the BA has to enable effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders and help them resolve conflicts or issues. Option D is likely to be used by George’s manager in describing his role as a BA in resolving this problem. To record the meeting and the resulting decision means that George has to document and communicate the outcomes and actions of the meeting or workshop with stakeholders and ensure they are understood and accepted by all parties. This is part of the BA’s role, as the BA has to ensure that there is a clear and accurate record of what has been discussed and decided by stakeholders and that there is a shared understanding and commitment among them.

The key issue described—staff creating manual workarounds to satisfy important customers—often reflects tacit knowledge and “what really happens” in day-to-day work, not what is written in policies or what people might summarise in a survey. The guidance is clear that while interviews and workshops can reveal stakeholder views, the “back-story” of real working practices can differ; techniques such as work shadowing and observation help clarify what actually happens.

Shadowing is specifically defined as following a user as they carry out their job for a period (e.g., a day or two) in order to find out what the job entails. This is exactly the kind of technique that exposes hidden steps, exceptions, customer-specific handling, and unofficial procedures—precisely the conditions that drive workarounds when a COTS package does not fit real operational needs.

The observation section also highlights that seeing the workplace provides a much better understanding of problems and difficulties faced by business users and helps uncover tacit information that would otherwise remain unstated. Additionally, the guidance even uses customer services as an example area where an analyst might shadow staff to record real call types, durations, and retrieval delays—evidence that supports discovering process pain and mismatch early.

Therefore, shadowing customer service personnel (D) would have been most likely to uncover the workaround drivers earlier.

POPIT is a technique for taking a holistic view when investigating a business situation or problem. It helps to ensure that all aspects and dimensions of a business situation or problem are considered and addressed. POPIT consists of four elements: People, Processes, Organisation and Information and technology. Therefore, options C and D are correct answers, as they are the elements of POPIT that consider these issues respectively. Option C considers issue 1: The suggested changes to the business structure will affect our relationships with suppliers. Organisation is the element that describes how an organisation is structured and governed internally and externally. It helps to identify who are involved in decision making and authority within an organisation and how an organisation relates to its stakeholders outside its boundaries. Issue 1 relates to organisation, as it involves changes to the business structure that will affect how the organisation interacts with its suppliers, who are external stakeholders. Option D considers issue 2: The proposed electronic data sharing with our suppliers will raise legal accessibility issues. Information and technology is the element that describes how information and data are created, stored, accessed, used and communicated within an organisation using technology systems and tools. It helps to identify what information and data are needed and available for an organisation to perform its activities and processes effectively and efficiently using appropriate technology systems and tools. Issue 2 relates to information and technology, as it involves electronic data sharing with suppliers using technology systems that will raise legal accessibility issues regarding information security and privacy. Option A does not consider any issue in this scenario. People is the element that describes who are involved in performing or supporting the activities and processes within an organisation. It helps to identify what skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours are required and exhibited by people within an organisation to perform their roles and responsibilities effectively and efficiently. There is no issue in this scenario that relates to people. Option B does not consider any issue in this scenario. Processes is the element that describes what activities and tasks are performed within an organisation to achieve its objectives and outcomes. It helps to identify how activities and tasks are sequenced, coordinated, controlled and measured within an organisation to ensure quality and consistency. There is no issue in this scenario that relates to processes. Option E is not a valid element of POPIT. Procedures is not an element of POPIT, but a term that refers to the detailed steps or instructions for performing a specific activity or task within a process.

A key performance indicator (KPI) is a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively an organisation is achieving a key business objective or critical success factor (CSF). A KPI should be relevant, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART). Therefore, options C, D and E are appropriate KPIs for the CSF ‘provide excellent customer service’, as they measure aspects of customer satisfaction and loyalty that are directly related to the quality of service provided by the hotel chain. Option A is not an appropriate KPI, as it does not measure customer service, but rather customer consumption. Option B is not an appropriate KPI, as it does not measure customer service, but rather customer preference.

A Business Activity Model (BAM) is a technique for modelling business activities within an organisation or project at a high level of abstraction. It helps to understand what an organisation does, how it does it, who does it, where it does it and why it does it. Therefore, options A and D are correct answers, as they apply to a BAM. Option A applies to a BAM, as multiple BAMs could be created to reflect different perspectives of different stakeholder groups within or outside the organisation or project. A BAM is not a single or definitive representation of the business activities, but a subjective and contextual view that depends on the purpose and scope of the analysis. Option D applies to a BAM, as the activities are most likely to be shown in boxes in a BAM. A BAM is typically represented as a diagram that consists of boxes and arrows. The boxes represent the high level activities that the organisation performs or delivers, and the arrows represent the flow or sequence of the activities. Option B does not apply to a BAM, as the owner should not always choose the final BAM. The owner is one of the stakeholder groups that may have a perspective on the business activities, but not the only or ultimate one. The final BAM should be agreed by all relevant stakeholder groups based on their needs and expectations. Option C does not apply to a BAM, as normally a consensus BAM will not be produced. A consensus BAM is a BAM that reflects a common or shared perspective of all stakeholder groups within or outside the organisation or project. A consensus BAM is not realistic or desirable, as different stakeholder groups may have different or conflicting views on the business activities. Option E does not apply to a BAM, as dependencies between the activities are shown in a BAM. Dependencies between the activities are the relationships or connections that indicate how one activity affects or influences another activity. Dependencies between the activities are shown by the arrows in a BAM diagram.

A business case is a formal written proposal that details the costs and benefits of a proposed business change or solution. It helps to justify and secure the approval and funding for a proposed business change or solution. Costs and benefits can be classified into two types: tangible and intangible. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, as it identifies which categories of costs and benefits are described in this extract respectively. Intangible costs are costs that have no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of intangible costs are reputation, image, morale etc. An example of intangible costs in this extract is significant investment in terms of software licenses and annual maintenance fees, which will not be negotiable until year four of the proposal, as it has no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Tangible benefits are benefits that have physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of tangible benefits are revenue, profit, market share etc. An example of tangible benefits in this extract is improved management information, in addition to the boost it will give to our image with our established customers, as it has physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Option A is not a correct answer, as it does not identify which categories of costs and benefits are described in this extract respectively. Tangible costs are costs that have physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of tangible costs are equipment, materials, labour etc. There is no example of tangible costs in this extract. Intangible benefits are benefits that have no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of intangible benefits are satisfaction, loyalty, quality etc. There is no example of intangible benefits in this extract (although image could be considered as an intangible benefit). Option B is not a correct answer, as it does not identify which categories of costs and benefits are described in this extract respectively. Tangible benefits are benefits that have physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of tangible benefits are revenue, profit, market share etc. An example of tangible benefits in this extract is improved management information, in addition to the boost it will give to our image with our established customers, as it has physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Intangible costs are costs that have no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of intangible costs are reputation, image, morale etc. An example of intangible costs in this extract is significant investment in terms of software licenses and annual maintenance fees, which will not be negotiable until year four of the proposal, as it has no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Option C is not a correct answer, as it does not identify any category of cost or benefit that has been described in this extract.

The statement commits to two outcomes: good quality accommodation and repairs addressed in a timely manner. The documentation emphasises that performance targets and measures must be chosen carefully and should reflect not only internal views but also customer expectations; otherwise performance may look “fine” internally while failing customers. It also stresses that KPIs/targets should be SMART and monitored regularly.

Option A provides a clear, measurable proxy for property condition: if emergency repairs are needed in a high proportion of properties, that indicates poor underlying condition and reactive maintenance. Setting a target like “no more than 5%” directly measures progress toward “good quality accommodation.”

Option C translates tenant experience into a clear target: limiting complaints about condition/repairs to a defined maximum per month is specific and measurable, and it reflects the customer perspective that the press statement is trying to reassure.

Option B is a valid measure but it is not defined as a target (it has no threshold), so it is less aligned to the question asking for “targets to measure performance against.” Option D measures media coverage, which is indirect and can be influenced by factors outside operational performance; it is not a reliable operational KPI for accommodation quality or repair timeliness. Therefore, A and C are the best targets.

A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. A brand perception is how customers and potential customers view a brand based on their experiences, associations and impressions. Therefore, option A is the best choice, as independent industry websites are likely to provide unbiased and reliable information on how customers perceive different brands in the market. They may also include customer reviews, ratings and feedback that can help measure customer satisfaction and loyalty. Option B is not a good choice, as the company website is likely to provide biased and selective information on its own brand that may not reflect how customers actually perceive it. It may also omit negative aspects or criticisms that could affect its image or reputation. Option C is not a good choice, as the company’s organisational structure is not relevant to its brand perception. It may show how the company is organised internally, but it does not indicate how customers view its products or services externally. Option D is not a good choice, as the company’s complaints procedures are not sufficient to measure its brand perception. They may show how the company handles customer issues or problems, but they do not capture how customers feel about its overall quality or value.

In a SWOT analysis, the “strengths” and “weaknesses” are internal factors (within the organisation), while “opportunities” and “threats” are external factors (arising from outside the organisation). The documentation is explicit: strengths and weaknesses are found within the organisation, whereas opportunities and threats arise from outside and can often be identified using external analysis tools (for example PESTLE or Porter’s Five Forces).

Applying that rule to the options:

A (high-quality locally sourced ingredients) is an internal capability and therefore aligns with a strength.

D (lower staff morale) is an internal people/culture issue, therefore a weakness.

B (being asked to collaborate on distribution) is an external development that could create growth or access advantages, so it is more consistent with an opportunity.

C (a large chain bakery entering the area) is a change in the external competitive environment that could reduce the bakery’s market share, pricing power, and customer footfall. That fits the definition of a threat because it originates outside the bakery and could negatively affect performance.

Therefore, the correct external threat is C.

A workshop is a technique for conducting group discussions and activities with stakeholders to elicit, analyse, validate and prioritise their views and needs. It helps to facilitate effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders and resolve conflicts or issues. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, as a workshop would help the business analyst to resolve the conflict and gain a consensus among stakeholders who have different views after individual interviews. A workshop would help to bring together the conflicting stakeholders in one place and time and enable them to share and compare their views openly and constructively. A workshop would help to identify and address the sources and reasons of the conflict and find common ground and mutual understanding among stakeholders. A workshop would help to generate and evaluate different options or solutions that satisfy all or most of the stakeholder views and agree on the best one for further development and implementation. Option A is not a correct answer, as scenario analysis is not a technique for resolving conflict and gaining consensus among stakeholders who have different views after individual interviews. Scenario analysis is a technique for exploring how different scenarios or situations could affect the outcomes or impacts of an organisation or project. It helps to test the feasibility and desirability of different options or solutions under various circumstances or assumptions. Option B is not a correct answer, as questionnaire is not a technique for resolving conflict and gaining consensus among stakeholders who have different views after individual interviews. Questionnaire is a technique for collecting information from stakeholders by asking them predefined questions in written form. It helps to elicit quantitative or qualitative data from a large number of stakeholders in an efficient and consistent way. Option C is not a correct answer, as observation is not a technique for resolving conflict and gaining consensus among stakeholders who have different views after individual interviews. Observation is a technique for gathering information from stakeholders by watching them perform their tasks or activities in their natural environment. It helps to analyse how stakeholders work in practice and identify their implicit or tacit needs.

A SWOT analysis is a technique for identifying and evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that affect an organisation or project. It helps to assess the internal and external factors that influence the performance and potential of the organisation or project. Therefore, options A, B and C are correct answers, as they should be included in the SWOT analysis for the company that sells van insurance. They describe different types of factors that affect the company’s situation and prospects. Option A describes an opportunity, which is a favourable or advantageous circumstance or situation that arises from the external environment and that can be exploited to achieve the objectives of the organisation or project. An example of an opportunity is the increase in home shopping, which has led to an increase in delivery drivers and vehicles across both markets. This creates a potential demand for van insurance that the company can cater to. Option B describes a weakness, which is a negative or unfavourable characteristic or situation that arises from the internal environment and that can hinder or prevent the achievement of the objectives of the organisation or project. An example of a weakness is the inability of the call centre to deal with the large influx of calls, which may result in poor customer service, dissatisfaction and loss of business. Option C describes a threat, which is a harmful or adverse circumstance or situation that arises from the external environment and that can endanger or damage the achievement of the objectives of the organisation or project. An example of a threat is the new regulatory hurdles following Brexit, which may affect the company’s ability to trade in Ireland and reduce its market share and revenue. Option D is not a correct answer, as strength is not a factor that has been discovered in the investigation for the SWOT analysis. A strength is a positive or favourable characteristic or situation that arises from the internal environment and that can facilitate or enhance the achievement of the objectives of the organisation or project. Option E is not a correct answer, as technology is not a type of factor that can be included in a SWOT analysis. Technology is an aspect of the external environment that can affect an organisation or project positively or negatively, depending on how it is used or adapted to.

Gap analysis is a process of identifying and assessing the differences between the current state and desired state of an organisation or project. It helps to determine what needs to be done to achieve business objectives or solve business problems. Gap analysis typically involves three main steps: understand the existing situation, compare the desired situation and existing situation, and consider possible actions to address the gaps. Therefore, options A, B and C are correct answers, as they cover these steps in gap analysis. Option D is not a correct answer, as defining solutions to close gaps is not part of gap analysis itself, but rather a subsequent step that follows gap analysis. Gap analysis helps to identify what needs to be done, but not how it should be done. Option E is not a correct answer, as delivering solutions to close gaps is not part of gap analysis itself, but rather a final step that follows defining solutions. Gap analysis helps to identify what needs to be done, but not how it should be done or implemented.

An external requirement is a business rule that is imposed by an external source, such as a law, regulation, or standard. The business rule in this question is a legal obligation that EuroCoach has to comply with, so it is an external requirement. Option C is the correct answer.

To identify underlying causes, the analyst needs a technique that helps them explore what is happening in practice and uncover where breakdowns or inefficiencies might be occurring. The documentation describes scenario analysis as “telling the story of a task or transaction,” and explains it is useful when analysing or redesigning processes because it helps staff and analysts work through the steps required, visualise them clearly, and understand what triggers the work and what actions must be completed to achieve a successful outcome.

In a retail setting, declining sales can result from failures or friction in key customer-facing scenarios (e.g., browsing, ordering, returns, stock availability, customer service escalation). By building and walking through scenarios end-to-end, the analyst can pinpoint where delays, handoffs, rework, unclear decision points, or system constraints occur—each of which can contribute to poorer customer outcomes and, ultimately, sales decline. Scenario work also creates a concrete basis for validating hypotheses with stakeholders and for identifying what evidence and data should be gathered next.

The other options are less directly “cause-finding” for the stated problem. A customer journey map focuses on experience and touchpoints (useful, but it may not expose operational root causes in enough detail). Use case diagrams define system interactions for requirements, not root cause diagnosis. A business activity model gives a conceptual “what activities exist” overview; it is valuable for gaps, but scenario analysis is the technique explicitly positioned to walk through transactions to reveal where problems arise.

Gap analysis is defined as comparing a current state with a desired future state in order to determine where the current situation has “gaps” that need to be resolved and what actions are required to improve it. The guidance explains that when you have an agreed model of the desired future business system (the book uses a Business Activity Model as an example of an agreed “future view”), the analyst should examine the activities on that model one by one to see where the current business system is lacking. This is exactly what option A states: the agreed TOM (as a target picture of “how the business should operate”) becomes the reference point for assessing deficiencies, inadequacies, or missing capabilities in today’s way of working.

The documented gap analysis procedure reinforces this by explicitly instructing analysts to examine the activities on the future-state model, consider how well each activity is currently carried out (and supported by information systems), and then analyse the gaps between the existing and desired systems to identify improvements. Options B, C, and D may be useful activities in other contexts (e.g., stakeholder negotiation or external analysis), but they are not the core way the target model is used to perform a gap analysis as described in the guidance.

The notes that will go into the MOST analysis are a, b and d, as they correspond to the elements of Mission, Strategy and Tactics. The mission is to supply 10% of the local bespoke furniture market by the end of the financial year (a). The strategy is to adopt new 3D printing technologies to gain an advantage when quoting for bespoke furniture designs (d). The tactics are to invest in local radio advertising and appoint a creative team to develop an appropriate advertisement (b). Note c is not part of the MOST analysis, as it is not related to any of the elements.

 A vision statement is a concise and inspiring statement of what the organisation aspires to be in the future. It should reflect the organisation’s core values and purpose, and provide direction and motivation for its stakeholders. A vision statement should not be too specific or focused on the current state of the organisation, but rather on the desired future state. Therefore, option A is the best choice, as it expresses a clear and aspirational vision that aligns with the company’s mission of meeting or undercutting all its competitors’ prices. Option B is too narrow and does not capture the essence of the organisation’s purpose. Option C is too vague and does not indicate how the organisation will achieve its goal. Option D is too generic and does not differentiate the organisation from its competitors.

A RACI chart (linear responsibility matrix) clarifies who does what for key deliverables and tasks, using the categories Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. The text defines Responsible as the person or role responsible for creating/developing the product or performing the task. It defines Accountable as the person who will “carry the can” for the quality and ultimate ownership of the product or task—often a senior role such as the project sponsor being accountable for the business case.

In this scenario, the graphic designer has been assigned the work of designing the promotional materials. That is direct execution: they are the person performing the task and producing the deliverable. Under the RACI definitions, that makes them Responsible.

“Accountable” would typically be held by the person who owns the outcome and is answerable for whether the promotional materials meet campaign objectives and brand standards—commonly the marketing lead, product manager, or campaign owner—rather than the specialist producing the asset. The RACI model is used precisely to prevent confusion between “doing the work” (Responsible) and “owning the outcome” (Accountable).

Therefore, the graphic designer’s typical role in the RACI matrix for this task is Responsible (A).