Trust and reliance on Business Analyst on a project

By all means, disagree. That is how we all learn and grow.

The PM is ultimately responsible for the overall project schedule but it cannot be done in isolation. The PM will build out the schedule based on the information received from various other entities ie. the BA. The BA should develop a schedule for all BA related activities and then work with the PM to integrate this into the overall project schedule.I am not saying that there is an overlap in accountability since accountability cannot be shared. But there is a definite overlap in responsibility and how this overlap is handled is up to the org structure and culture. In an organization where you have a mature BA practice, this is normally understood and applied.

This is the same principle that applies to risks. Again I did not say that the BA take accountability for the risk register but the BA is responsible for working with the PM to ensure that risks are identified and documented appropriately.

So I guess it is important to understand that there are very specific areas for which the PM and BA are accountable but there are many areas where there is a shared responsibility and this is where a strong trust relationship must exist between the PM and BA.