Not where I live.
These guys have been around forever. Usually they're known by the shorter title "Systems Analyst" and more often recently "Information Technology Analysts."
Often they have no programming background at all, but typically they are paid substantially better.
In many cases they seem to be programmers who were never very good, but had an "in" someplace and got promoted above their level of incompetance. In other areas this seems to be viewed as some "natural career path" even though there was no new education involved in getting this promotion.
I expect things from such people I never get: useful specifications, system documentation that actually is useful to somebody, an insight into client needs. What I do get is: process, process, process, paper, paper, paper, demands, demands, demands (usually to reseach the running system and provide things that should have been in their system documents).
They are the lilies of the field: they do not toil, nor do they spin.
More recently I find I must contend with TWO layers of these folk: one the IT Analyst, the other a "Business Analyst." As Job might ask: what next?
It doesn't have to be like this. I have known exceptional examples who have made a highly positive impact.
Lately things have gotten worse however. In most cases these people have no formal data processing or computing eduation (usually a generic BS), and are former HR types and secretaries who took a class at a community college in "computer analysis stuff." That seems to have consisted of how to use Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Project to a primitive degree. If people think the programming ranks are grim, take a look at the analysts.
