IT Disciplines: Collaboration, Competencies, and CareersLori Ambrose, Project Management Institute (PMI) Chicagoland David DeWitt, International Institute of Business Analysts (IIBA) Chicago Jack Hilty, Business Architects Association (BAA) Chicago Nancy Kastl, Chicago Quality Assurance Association (CQAA) Kim MacDonald, Panel Moderator, Harris Bank
About the Topic
The IT profession has evolved from generalists, where an individual performed all roles within the software life cycle, to distinct disciplines that bring specialized knowledge and competencies to a project team. IT organizational structures are aligning these specialized disciplines into centers of excellence, communities of practice, and other pools of same-skilled resources. Institutes and professional organizations have defined bodies of knowledge for these disciplines and offer certification credentials. Global networks of local chapters exist to support the continued educational needs of individuals within various disciplines.
How has this movement towards specialists impacted project teams and career opportunities within the IT profession? Representatives from the project management, business analysts, business architects, and QA/testing disciplines will provide insights into their bodies of knowledge and explore similarities, differences, and ways to foster collaboration, communication, and career paths across these disciplines.
About the Panelists
David De Witt Practice Director for NueVista's IT Leadership Practice, has more than 25 years in management consulting and Information Systems working in a number of industries including supply chain, financial services, and telecommunications. He has mentored companies and facilitated cross-functional, multi-level work groups through many kinds of projects, including process improvement and business requirements development. He holds the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) designation from the International Institute of Business Analysis and currently serves as Vice President, Relationships and Marketing for the Chicagoland IIBA Chapter. He has served on the Board of Directors, Midwest Facilitators Network, and Advisor to the College of Business, Indiana State University. A graduate of Furman University, Greenville, SC, he earned his Doctorate at Tulane University in New Orleans.
Jack Hilty is Managing Principal at SentientPoint, Inc. and is a Certified Business Architect (CBA®), Certified Business Process Professional (CBPP®), and Project Management Professional (PMP®). He has 25 years of enterprise-wide experience in providing overall leadership in the design and development of Information Systems, specializing in business process management, change management, project management, service oriented and enterprise architecture. Jack teaches at Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies and the University of Chicago Graham School. Jack is an International board member of the Association of Business Process Management Professionals (ABPMP), Executives' Club of Chicago and President of the Business Architects Association®.
Nancy Kastl CSQA, is President of the Kaslen Group and is an accomplished professional with over twenty-five years experience as an IT consultant, director, facilitator, and instructor. She assists clients with strategic planning, measurement, quality management, software testing, and process re-engineering/improvement. Nancy is a Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA) and served on the committee that originally defined the CSQA common body of knowledge. She has served on the Purdue University's IT Advisory Committee and the QAI Global Institute's Certification Board. She has taught seminars and on-line classes for both Purdue University and the QAI Global Institute. Nancy is a former VP of Quality Assurance at Harris Bank and is the founder and president of the Chicago Quality Assurance Association (CQAA). She has a Master's degree from DePaul University.
