About the BADS Organization

The Business Analyst Documentation Standard (BADS) is both a professional methodology and a practitioner-led organization dedicated to improving how business analysis work is documented, governed, and sustained over time.

A Practitioner-Led Standards Body

BADS was established by a board of experienced Business Analysts and Project Managers who have collectively delivered and governed complex initiatives across enterprise, public sector, and regulated environments.

The organization was formed in response to a consistent gap observed across industries: documentation quality varied wildly between teams, projects, and tools, creating unnecessary delivery risk and institutional knowledge loss.

The BADS Methodology

At its core, BADS defines what “good” documentation looks like — independent of delivery model, software platform, or organizational structure.

The methodology focuses on traceability, decision clarity, lifecycle alignment, and audit readiness. It is intentionally compatible with Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid delivery approaches.

Ongoing Member Support & Continuing Education

BADS is not a one-time certification. The organization provides ongoing support to members through structured continuing education and professional resources.

  • Access to standardized, version-controlled documentation templates
  • Continuing education modules aligned to real project scenarios
  • Updates to the BADS methodology as practices evolve
  • Community access for peer discussion and shared learning
  • Guidance on applying BADS in enterprise and regulated environments

Built for Long-Term Professional Practice

BADS is designed to support professionals throughout their careers — from individual contributors to senior analysts, delivery leads, and managers.

The organization’s focus is sustainability: ensuring documentation remains consistent, defensible, and useful long after projects close and teams change.