Hosted by Let's Do Business Finance Date: 16th July Time: 12pm – 12.45 pm Location: Online (Zoom link provided upon registration) Cost: Free Is your business finding it hard to access finance through traditional lenders? You’re not alone — and there is another way. Join us for this free lunchtime webinar to discover how the Community Enable Fund from British Business Bank can help you access the funding you need to grow, even if you’ve previously struggled to secure finance. We’ll be joined by a panel of industry experts: Lisa Young – Let’s Do Business Finance (the first accredited lender on the scheme) Susan Elliott – British Business Bank Matt Woodcock – Responsible Finance What You’ll Learn: What the Community Enable Fund is and how it works Why it was created and how it can help your business Real examples of how the fund can help SMEs How to apply and what to expect during the process Support available alongside the funding Whether you're a growing business, or simply exploring new finance options, this session is for you. 💬 There will be a live Q&A with our panel, so bring your questions! Who should attend? SME business owners and directors Community-focused and purpose-led businesses Anyone who has previously struggled to secure business finance Reserve your place today and take the next step towards unlocking funding for your business.
Duration 3 Days 18 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for intermediate to advanced Business Analysts who are looking to improve their skills for eliciting, analyzing, documenting, validating, and communicating requirements. Overview Obtain a thorough understanding of the core responsibilities of the business analyst Understand the main professional associations and standards supporting business analysts in the industry Discuss and explore the components of each of the domains/knowledge areas that comprise the work of business analysis Recognize the importance of properly defining the business need prior to engaging in requirements activities Formulate a strong understanding of the concepts that comprise strategy analysis Obtain experience with identifying and analyzing stakeholders Decipher between project and product scope and successfully use models to communicate scope Thoroughly understand and identify the various requirements categories and be able to recognize requirements of various types Explore business rules analysis Understand the benefits of process modeling and the common modeling language of BPMN Discuss process models and how the techniques can capture details about the as-is/to-be environment Learn how to properly prepare and conduct interviews Explore the components of use cases Learn what it means to package requirements Obtain hands-on experience with a number of business analysis techniques and gain hands-on experience eliciting, defining, and writing requirements. This course provides students a clear understanding of all the facets of the business analysis role, including a thorough walkthrough of the various domain/knowledge areas that comprise the business analysis profession. Students are provided an opportunity to try their hand at several business analysis techniques to assist with improving their skills in stakeholder identification, scope definition, and analyzing, documenting, and modeling requirements. Introduction to Business Analysis What is business analysis Benefits and challenges of business analysis Project success factors A Closer Look at the Business Analyst Role Definition of a business analyst Responsibilities of a business analyst Importance of communication/collaboration BA role vs. PM role Project roles involved in requirements IIBA/PMI and the goals of a professional association Purpose for having a BA standard IIBA?s BABOK© Guide and PMI?s Practice Guide in Business Analysis Business analysis beyond project work Business analysis core concepts Business analysis perspectives IIBA and PMI certifications for business analysts Workshop: Choose Your Project Supporting the Project Portfolio (Enterprise Analysis) Define Strategy Analysis When to perform Strategy Analysis Components of Strategy Analysis Defining the business need Envisioning the Product and Project Defining business requirements The importance of stakeholders Stakeholder identification Tips for analyzing stakeholders Techniques for managing stakeholder lists Discussion: Who is involved in strategy analysis? Workshops: Define the Business Need, Write Business Requirements, and Identify Stakeholders Understanding and Defining Solution Scope Defining solution scope Techniques for defining solution scope Applying the brainstorming technique Project scope vs. Product scope Finding solution boundaries The Context Diagram Actors and key information Workshop: Draw a Context Diagram Understanding Requirements What is a requirement? Requirement types Business, Stakeholder, Solution, and Transition requirements Assumptions and constraints Business rules Taxonomy of business rules Decision tables How to write simple calculations Requirements vs. business rules Document requirements Workshop ? Document Requirements Elicitation and Process Modeling Why do we model processes? What is Business Process Management? Using a modeling notation ?As Is? vs. ?To Be? modeling Why use BPMN? Basic BPM notation Business Process Modeling ? A case study Business Process Realignment ?As Is? vs. ?To Be? activity diagrams Workshop: Create a Business Process Model Planning & Eliciting Requirements Interviewing ? what and why? Preparing for an effective interview Types of questions to ask Sequencing questions Active listening techniques Planning for elicitation Conducting the interview Establishing rapport Active Listening Feedback techniques Types of elicitation techniques Workshops: Planning for Elicitation and Conducting an Elicitation Session Use Case & User Story Analysis What is an Actor? Types of Actors How to ?find? Use Cases? Diagramming Use Cases Tips on naming Use Cases Explaining scenarios The use case template Components of a use case Scenario examples Best practices for writing Use Cases Scenarios and flows Alternate and exception flows Exercises: Drawing a Use Case Diagram, Writing the Main Success Scenario, and Writing Alternate and Exception Scenarios Analyzing & Documenting Requirements Requirements and Use Cases Non-Functional requirements User Interface Requirements UI Data Table Reporting requirements Data requirements Data accessibility requirements Characteristics of good requirements The business requirements document (BRD) BRD vs. Functional Requirements Specification Preparing the requirements package Requirements traceability Workshops: Develop a User Interface, Analyzing Requirements, and Tracing requirements Additional Resources Useful books and links on writing effective requirements
LOOKING FOR: CHILDREN'S: PICTURE BOOK TEXTS, NON-FICTION, POETRY Lucy Brownridge is Editorial Director at Wide Eyed Editions and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, and formerly Thames & Hudson where she helped to establish the Children’s list. She specialises in highly illustrated picture books and non-fiction (including poetry) for children. She has commissioned and edited books which have gone on to win the Carnegie Awards, The British Book Awards, the Klaus Flugge Prize, the Blue Peter Prize and have been translated into over 30 languages. She has been editor to Alan Ahlberg, Quentin Blake, Mariajo Ilustrajo, Yuval Zommer and Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho among many others. She is the author of The Fantastical Safari and The Cat Family series, and many other books for children. She is interested in the history of illustrated children’s books and is always looking for innovative ways to use the book format. ABOUT YOU Include a covering letter, in a Word document, telling Lucy about yourself and your sources of inspiration. If you have one, include a link to your website. She is keen to read stories she hasn't seen before or see artwork with a distinctive style rather than something that fits with trends. She has particular experience with picture books and illustrated narrative non-fiction. PICTURE BOOKS Please send one or two (max) full manuscripts, in a Word document, starting with a short summary/blurb. Make the summary punchy and engaging. Remember that the best picture book stories are simple and every word should count. Do you see this book as part of a series? NON-FICTION PROPOSALS Please send a paragraph explaining your idea, a contents list, if appropriate, and a sample piece of text. (In addition to the paid sessions, Lucy is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print). By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Friday 11th July 2025
Ten live dialogues between Prof Ernesto Spinelli and International Existential Therapists followed by an Experiential Study Group. A phenomenological approach to re-view psychopathology: We aim to explore the lived experiences of irregular perceptions of reality with an open mind. Each Saturday includes a live dialogue between Prof Ernesto Spinelli and an International Existential Therapist; a moment to share your thoughts and feelings with the teachers; and a final integration facilitated by Bárbara Godoy. This series of ten Dialogues set out to explore the multifaceted dimentions and complexities associated with Existential Therapies. It attempts to engage with various interpretations of insanity through the lens of patients' often painful, confounding, and deeply unsettling life experiences. TIMES AND DATES 2025 25 Jan. “Knots” with Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 2 Feb. “Healing” with Dr. Michael Guy Thompson 22 Mar. “Difference” with Dr. Todd DuBose 12 Apr. “Polarization” with Prof. Kirk Schneider 3 May “Character” with Prof. Robert Romanyshyn 21 Jun. “Opening” with Dr. Yaqui Martinez 19 Jul. “Meaning” with Dr. Jan Resnick 25 Oct. “Invention” with Dr. Betty Cannon 15 Nov. “Hallucination” with Prof. Simon du Plock 13 Dec. “Hysteria” with Bárbara Godoy Full course (including dialogues): £1260 (2 pm to 5 pm – UK time) Only Dialogues: £630 (2 pm to 3 pm – UK time) Venue: Online Zoom Read the full Programme here > Course Organised by:
QA Level 1 Award In Health And Safety In The Workplace (RQF) Face to Face: Half-day course Virtual Classroom: Spread over 2 sessions of 2½ hr duration A basic course to train your workers in basic health and safety Teaches workers how to keep themselves and others safe at work Course Contents: Roles and responsibilities of employers and employees The importance of health and safety in the workplace Workplace hazards and Risks, including:Slips, Trips and FallsManual HandlingFireWorking from HeightElectricityHazardous SubstancesMachinery and Vehicles Workplace conditions that can affect health and safety Health and Safety Signage Personal Protective Equipment and its uses Importance of Personal hygiene The Purpose of First Aid Provision The need for Reporting Incidents and ill Health Benefits of this course: In 2023/24, 1.7 million people suffered from a work-related illness 600,000 sustained a non-fatal injury 138 People lost their lives 776,000 Workers suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety The estimated cost of injuries and ill health last year was £21.6 billion 33.7 million working days, or 140,417 working years, were lost due to work-related illnesses and injuries It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. This includes providing sufficient information, instruction and training of employees, so they can work in a way that does not put themselves or others at risk Our QA Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace (RQF) course helps employs gain a bit more understanding of health and safety issues and their own role within that. Accredited, Ofqual regulated qualification: Our Health and Safety Training Course is a nationally recognised, Ofqual regulated qualification accredited by Qualsafe Awards. This means that you can be rest assured that your Health and Safety Certificate fulfils the legal requirements and is a very good way to make sure you and your employees are trained in Health and Safety. The Ofqual Register number for this course is 603/0774/2
Bring your questions about our BA Filmmaking and BA Screenwriting courses to our exclusive, Ask Me Anything Undergraduate Event! We will be sitting down with BA Course Leaders, James Davis and Mike Peel to have your specific questions answered about the undergraduate courses, student life, and numerous opportunities available at Central Film School.
LOOKING FOR: MG, YA AND ADULT SCI-FI / FANTASY, CHILDREN'S NON-FICTION After graduating from St Andrews University with a degree in English Literature and Art History, Maddy followed her love of literature to an internship at non-fiction literary agency Graham Maw Christie. At GMC, Maddy worked her way up to Agent and built a list of authors who wrote for both for adults and children, spanning history, tarot, and nature writing. An avid reader of anything magical, Maddy joined Madeleine Milburn in 2022 to build a list specialising in SFF. Maddy would like to see SFF across all genres for all ages, including: grim dark, thriller, historical, romance, cosy fantasy, sci-fi, epic, YA fantasy, dark academia, contemporary fantasy, fantasy middle-grade, mythology, fairy tale and queer fantasy. Inspiring children’s non-fiction. She loves worlds to get lost in, adventures that transform what it means to be a hero, and unique magic that offers as many problems as solutions. She likes books that make her cry and books that change her mind. Above all, when she finishes a story about another world, she wants it to have taught her a lesson which helps her live in this one. She loves all fantasy, but favours richly imagined, complex worlds with a history to discover and a future to protect. Worldbuilding is one of her favourite aspects of this genre and she is always looking for a new, dense world with series potential. Think Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere or the Marvel Cinematic Universe – the bigger the better! Maddy also likes character-driven fantasy with a diverse cast to root for (or root against) and she wants to see a range of different relationships depicted authentically. She particularly like epics that dip into big, universal themes such as grief, climate change, or war and which ask impossible questions in the vein of R.F. Kuang or N.K. Jemisin. She is also excited by authors that play with form and language in a fantasy setting. In YA, she is looking for much the same as in an adult fantasy, but with younger protagonists and a closer focus on relationships. She wants to see the tropes she knows and loves in new and exciting forms and her favourite YA books often centre around belonging and becoming. She likes a dash of romance in everything, because she is sentimental that way, but it’s particularly important in the YA space. Sci-fi is a big passion of hers, especially when it comes with a strong hook. She is a huge fan of Becky Chamber’s The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and Michaiah Johnson’s The Space Between Worlds. She likes space as a metaphor, and would love something that explores different alien species. Please send her your space operas and sci-fi romances which combine space, magic and mayhem! In fantasy middle grade, she favours whimsy and animal companions; she would love to follow a group of kids through magic school. She tends to look for plenty of humour with a strong friendship at the centre, and she wants middle grade stories which engage with the concerns of children growing up as well as offering an all-important escape (preferably on a dragon/unicorn’s back). She is also looking for children’s non-fiction for all ages. In this space, she wants something as creative as it is informative, and thinks diverse voices are increasingly important. Maddy would like you to submit a covering letter, one page synopsis and the first three chapters (Max 5000 words) of your completed manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Maddy is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print). By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Friday 11th July 2025
In this class we work on the Yang 10-Step Tai Chi Form. This is a 'standardised' set of movements that is performed in the same way throughout the world. We are specifically focusing on the 'energy' side of tai chi in this class - how energy rises and falls in the body. We are also working on a set of Qigong exercises called the 'Ba Duan Jin' or '8 Strands of the Brocade' - one of the oldest sets of Qigong. This is a 13-week term.
Duration 3 Days 18 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for beginner to intermediate business and requirements analysts who are looking to improve their elicitation and requirements writing and documentation skills. This course is also a great fit for technical writers, product and software testers, project managers, product owners who work closely with business analysts or who perform some for of business analysis themselves. Overview Understand the role of the business analyst and core competencies for performing successfully Discuss the criticality of business analysis and requirements for successful project outcomes Understand the main professional associations and standards supporting business analysts in the industry Discuss the common problems with requirements and explore approaches to address these issues Obtain a clear understanding of the various requirements types and the significance for eliciting each type Demonstrate your ability to identify stakeholders Explore various methods for understanding and analyzing stakeholders Discuss and apply good planning practices to requirements elicitation efforts Obtain knowledge and understanding of over 15 current and commonly applied elicitation techniques Understand how to progress from elicitation to analysis to documentation Write well-formed and validated requirements Gain understanding of the best practices for writing quality requirements Learn the technical writing techniques that apply directly to writing requirements documents Discuss writing pitfalls, risks that impact requirements, and how to address them Learn best practices for communicating and collaborating with stakeholders, sharing the results of elicitation and the resulting documentation Learn approaches for validating requirements Understand the difference between validating requirements and validating the solution With elicitation serving as a major component of the requirements process, it is imperative that business analysts maintain high competency levels in elicitation practices and technique use to help organizations overcome the requirements related challenges faced on projects. Regardless whether you are a practitioner just starting off your career in business analysis or whether you have been performing the role for some years, this course will provide insight into the latest thoughts on elicitation and writing effective requirements and present a number of current techniques that are being applied on projects across industries today. Review of Foundational Concepts Definition of a business analysis Definition of business analyst BA role vs. PM role Business analysis competencies Benefits of business analysis Purpose for having a BA standard IIBA?s BABOK© Guide and PMI?s Practice Guide in Business Analysis Business analysis core concepts Discussion: Project challenges Understanding Requirements Common problems with requirements Understand the problem first Define the business need Situation statements and moving to requirements Understanding requirement types Business requirements Stakeholder/User Requirements Solution Requirements Functional Requirements Non-Functional Requirements Assumptions and Constraints Discussions: Requirement problems, business needs, and identifying non-functional requirements Discovering Stakeholders Definition of a stakeholder Stakeholder types Identifying stakeholders Performing stakeholder analysis Stakeholders and requirements Tips for identifying stakeholders Grouping stakeholders Creating a RACI model Tips for analyzing stakeholders Documenting results of stakeholder analysis Workshop: Discovering stakeholders Preparing for Requirements Elicitation Planning for elicitation Benefits of elicitation planning What do you plan? The elicitation plan Setting objectives for elicitation Determining the scope for elicitation Establishing pre-work Determining the outputs for the session The iterative nature of elicitation Elicitation roles Elicitation planning techniques Discussions: Who to involve in elicitation, planning impacts, and unplanned elicitation Workshop: Planning for elicitation Conduct Requirements Elicitation Elicitation skillset Types of elicitation techniques Using active listening in elicitation Techniques for performing elicitation Benchmarking/Market Analysis Brainstorming Business Rules Analysis Collaborative Games Concept Modeling Data Mining Data Modeling Document Analysis Focus Groups Interface Analysis Interviews Observation Process Modeling Prototyping Survey or Questionnaire Workshops Write Effective Requirements Elicitation and Analysis Requirements related issues Implications of bad requirements Elicitation and documentation Writing skillset Documenting requirements Modeling requirements Defining the project life cycle Impact of project life cycle on documentation Requirements specifications Characteristics of good requirements Guidelines for writing textual requirements Structuring a requirement Writing pitfalls Traceability Requirements attributes Risks associated to requirements Discussions: Project Life Cycle and Correcting Poorly Written Requirements Workshops: Documenting Requirements and Identify Characteristics of Good Requirements Confirm and Communicate Elicitation Requirements Business analysis communication Requirements communication Communication skills The 7 Cs Timing of communication Planning communication Importance of Collaboration Planning collaboration Documenting communication/collaboration needs Confirming elicitation results Verify requirements Characteristics of good requirements (revisited) Requirements checklist Requirements validation Signing off on requirements Discussions: Responsibility for Communication, Eliciting Communication Needs, Validation Signoff Workshops: Communicating Requirements and Obtaining Signoff Evaluate the Solution Business analyst role in solution evaluation Why solutions under perform What we are looking for in solution evaluation When does solution evaluation occur Performing solution evaluation Planning solution evaluation Metrics that might exist Evaluating long term performance Qualitative vs. quantitative measures Tools & techniques used in solution evaluation Comparing expected to actuals When solution evaluation discovers a variance Tools/techniques for analyzing variances Proposing a recommendation Communicating results of solution evaluation Discussion: Addressing Variance Wrap up and Next Steps Useful books and links on writing effective requirements BABOK© Guide Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide Additional course details: Nexus Humans BA04 - Eliciting and Writing Effective Requirements training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the BA04 - Eliciting and Writing Effective Requirements course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.