On a truely agile project where the business is performing the role of the product owner, is there still a role for the Business Analyst? The product owner would do the functional testing as soon as the user story is developed and document and prioritise the user stories.
In this case which I must add I haven't experienced yet and with high performing, self motivated developers I am struggling to see the role of the traditional business analyst?
Absolutely, 100%. There is still a need business analysts:
Quoting from a source:
The business analyst involvement in agile projects, unlike that of the project manager, is not limited to the period of time when the projects are active. Business analysts provide continuity for companies from cradle to grave by working with portfolio management teams to make sure the most valuable projects are being invested in, providing oversight during projects, and finally measuring actual benefits after projects are completed.
Have a look at these links:
I worked on a project whereby there was no BA working with the developers and the product owner was completely useless. The pain it brought into our lives was far greater than the pain of having a BA ;)