Tel: 01423 534630 • Email: info@tts-uk.com
Agile has caught the attention of business leaders in the UK and globally as a means of managing change, reducing time to market, eliminating waste and attracting and retaining customers. The question is – what is Agile Project Management and how does it differ from traditional waterfall? What are the roles, skills and competencies required?
This two-day foundation certificate course is concerned with the use of Agile practices in projects, product and software development.
The course is designed to ensure the delegate has suitable knowledge of the core concepts of Agile practices, the Agile values and principles, across a breadth of Agile methodologies. It is not aimed at preparing delegates to implement a specific Agile approach.
The certificate is relevant to anyone requiring an understanding of Agile, including organisational leaders and managers wanting to understand the value of Agile practices, or those who work in an Agile environment.
The closed-book exam is taken during the course and consists 40 multiple-choice questions taken over an hour. A pass mark of 65% (26 out of 40) is required for delegates to become accredited.
This course includes the Relevant Methods and Approaches for Agile Teams, including Scrum, XP (Extreme Programming), DSDM Atern, Kanban, Lean Software Development and Lean Startup.
Experience of working as a member of a project team, for example as a tester, business analyst, software developer, project manager, or release manager, is helpful but not required.
Please ensure that you bring photo identification with you on the day of your examination as you will not be allowed to sit the exam without it.
There is no pre-course reading required.
At the end of this course you will be able to:
Recall the origins of Agile methods.
Understand and apply the core values and principles of Agile methods.
Know the difference between the defined process and the empirical processes used in Agile.
Explain the issues identified in the traditional / waterfall approach.
Recognise myths that are often attributed with Agile practices.
Know the different approaches to the empirical model for improvement and change.
Explain the business culture and the economic case required for Agile.
Understand the implication of Agile practices on individuals, teams and businesses.
Explain the way in which we engage customers into an Agile project.
Know how we respond to change in an Agile project.
Describe the common Agile roles, techniques and practices.
The course is designed to present theoretical models and current industry practices, with an emphasis on understanding the intentions behind the four value statements of the Agile Manifesto. Towards the end of the course, we look at Agile approaches in use today, at a high level only.
The course includes the following syllabus areas:
4 Values
12 Principles
History of Agile
Empirical and defined processes
The pillars of the empirical process
The waterfall approach
The iron triangle of project constraints
Working with uncertainty and volatility
Agile myths
Empirical models for improvement and change
Business culture and Agile
The economic case for Agile
The lifecycle of product development
Motivated and Talented Individuals
Emergent design from Self-Organising Teams
Satisfy the Customer with Continuous Delivery of Value
Deliver Working Systems Frequently
Working Systems as a Measure of Progress
Technical Excellence and Good Design
Business People and Developers Must Work Together
Face-to-face Communications
Reflect and Adjust Regularly
Embrace Change
Sustainable Pace
Simplicity – The Art of Maximising the Amount of Work Not Done
The Role of the Customer
The Role of the Team
The Role of the Agile Leader
The Role of Stakeholders
The Agile Mindset
User Stories
Acceptance Criteria and Scenarios
MoSCoW Prioritisation
Estimation using Story Points
Agile quality assurance and testing
Short Feedback Loops
Focus on Quality
Emergent Documentation
Visual Boards
Team Synchronisation Meeting
Show and Tells
Retrospectives
Continuous Improvement
Scrum
XP (Extreme Programming)
DSDM Atern
Kanban
Lean Software Development
Lean Startup