According to the CCBA® Handbook, one of the tasks of the business analyst is to "define the business need" (p. 11). This task involves identifying and describing the problem or opportunity that the organization faces, and the desired outcomes that the solution should achieve. The inputs to this task are business goals and objectives, which are "the desired outcomes of a change initiative or the state of the enterprise after the successful implementation of a solution" (p. 35). Business goals and objectives provide the context and direction for the business analysis work, as well as the criteria for evaluating the value and benefits of the solution. The other options are not correct because:
B: Stakeholder identification and stakeholder analysis are not inputs to the define the business need task, but rather outputs of the plan business analysis approach task (p. 10). They provide information on the stakeholders who are affected by or have an interest in the business need and the solution, as well as their roles, responsibilities, communication preferences, and expectations.
C: Requirements and business analysis approach are not inputs to the define the business need task, but rather outputs of the elicit and specify and model requirements tasks (p. 11-12). They provide information on the capabilities and conditions that the solution must have and meet to address the business need, as well as the methods and techniques that the business analyst will use to perform the business analysis work.
D: Elicitation approach and solution approach are not inputs to the define the business need task, but rather outputs of the plan business analysis approach and determine solution approach tasks (p. 10-11).
They provide information on the tools and techniques that the business analyst will use to gather and validate the requirements, as well as the type and scope of the solution that will be implemented to address the business need. References:
CCBA® Handbook, p. 10-12, 35
BABOK® Guide, p. 35, 106