This course introduces the principles and practical skills needed to deliver projects in changing environments. Participants learn how to define outcomes, plan and prioritize work, coordinate stakeholders, manage risks, track progress, and adapt delivery plans. The course covers predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches so participants can select practices that fit their project.
Duration 3 Days – 21 hrs.
Objectives
- Define project goals, scope, deliverables, and success criteria.
- Select a predictive, agile, or hybrid approach based on project needs.
- Build and prioritize a backlog of project work.
- Plan delivery using milestones, iterations, and realistic capacity.
- Clarify team roles and communicate effectively with stakeholders.
- Monitor progress, manage changes and risks, and address delivery obstacles.
- Prepare a practical delivery plan for a sample project.
Target Audience
- Project managers and project coordinators
- Team leads and supervisors
- Product owners and business analysts
- Professionals involved in planning or delivering projects
- Aspiring project managers
Prerequisites
- Basic experience working in a team or participating in a project
- Familiarity with common workplace planning and communication tools
- No prior agile or formal project management training required
Course Outline
MODULE 1: Introduction to Agile
- 4th Industrial Revolution: Understanding the shift to cyber-physical systems and its impact on modern businesses.
- Business Agility: The need for organizations to adapt quickly to market changes and customer demands.
- Agile Overview: High-level introduction to the iterative approach of Agile project management and software development.
MODULE 2: Agile Manifesto & Mindset
- Agile Manifesto: Exploring the four core values and twelve principles of Agile software development.
- Agile vs. Waterfall: Comparing the adaptive nature of Agile with the predictive, sequential nature of Waterfall.
- Agile Mindset: Cultivating the values, principles, and beliefs necessary for Agile teams to thrive.
- Agile Frameworks: An overview of the various methodologies under the Agile umbrella, including Scrum, Kanban, and XP.
MODULE 3: Kanban Fundamentals
- Kanban Overview: Introduction to the visual scheduling and just-in-time manufacturing concepts of Kanban.
- Kanban Roles: Understanding the collaborative team approach in Kanban without strict predefined roles.
- Kanban Events: Overview of optional events like Daily Kanban, Replenishment, and Retrospectives.
- Daily Kanban: The 15-minute sync to inspect workflow and adapt the Kanban board.
- Kanban Artifacts: Exploring Kanban cards, the backlog, and explicit policies.
- Kanban Board: Visualizing workflow, limiting Work-In-Progress (WIP), and identifying bottlenecks.
MODULE 4: Scrum Fundamentals
- Scrum Overview: Introduction to the lightweight framework for generating value through adaptive solutions.
- Scrum Roles: Defining the accountabilities of the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers.
- Scrum Events: Overview of the five core time-boxed events that create regularity and minimize the need for other meetings.
- Scrum Artifacts: Exploring the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and the Increment.
MODULE 5: Vision and Customer Focus
- Product Vision: Crafting a clear and inspiring future state for the product to align the Scrum Team.
- Customer Centricity through UX Design Process: Emphasizing the needs and experiences of the end-user.
- User Personas: Creating fictional characters to represent different user types and their needs.
- User Journey: Mapping the steps a customer takes to achieve a goal within the product.
- Product Roadmap: Outlining a strategic, high-level visual summary of the product’s direction over time.
MODULE 6: Building the Backlog
- Building the Product Backlog: Collaborating to gather and structure initial requirements and features.
- The Product Backlog Item: Understanding what constitutes a valid, actionable item in the backlog.
- Product Roadmap to User Story Map: Translating the high-level roadmap into a detailed, prioritized story map.
- User Story Writing: Techniques for writing clear, concise, and valuable user stories from the user’s perspective.
MODULE 7: Backlog Refinement and Planning
- Product Backlog Refinement: The ongoing process of adding detail, estimates, and order to items in the Product Backlog.
- Definition of Ready: Establishing the criteria a user story must meet before it can be pulled into a sprint.
- Definition of Done: Defining the quality standards that must be met for an Increment to be considered complete.
- Estimation: Sizing Product Backlog items using relative techniques like Planning Poker and Story Points.
- Prioritization: Ordering backlog items based on value, risk, and dependencies.
- Ordering: Sequencing the work to maximize value delivery and flow.
- Release Planning: Forecasting when sets of features will be delivered to customers based on team velocity.
MODULE 8: Scrum Events and Sprint Planning
- SCRUM EVENTS: Deep dive into the time-boxed opportunities for inspection and adaptation.
- Sprint Planning: The collaborative event that kicks off the Sprint by establishing the plan for the work.
- Presentation: The Product Owner presents the highest priority backlog items.
- Discussion: The team clarifies requirements and negotiates the scope of the Sprint.
- Estimation: The Developers size the selected items to ensure they fit within the Sprint capacity.
- Commitment: The team crafts a Sprint Goal and commits to delivering the agreed-upon value.
- Sprint Backlog: The resulting plan consisting of the Sprint Goal, selected PBIs, and actionable tasks.
MODULE 9: Daily Scrum and Mid-Sprint
- Daily Scrum/Standup Meeting: The daily 15-minute synchronization event for the Developers.
- Did Yesterday: Sharing what was completed to help achieve the Sprint Goal.
- Do Today: Outlining what will be worked on next.
- Impediments: Identifying any blockers that require the Scrum Master’s assistance.
- BONUS: 16th Minute: Time reserved immediately after the Daily Scrum for detailed discussions or problem-solving.
- Mid-Sprint Product Backlog Refinement (Optional Event): Setting aside time during the sprint to prepare items for future sprints.
MODULE 10: Sprint Review and Retrospective
- Sprint Review and Demo: The event held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog.
- Presentation of Increment: Showcasing the “Done” work to stakeholders.
- Inspection of Increment: Gathering feedback and validating whether the Sprint Goal was achieved.
- Adaptation of Product Backlog: Updating the backlog based on feedback and market changes.
- Sprint Retrospective: The final event of the Sprint focused on process improvement.
- Went Well: Identifying successful practices and team strengths.
- Needs Improvement: Discussing challenges, bottlenecks, and areas for growth.
- Action Items: Creating a concrete plan to implement improvements in the next Sprint.
- Next Sprint: Preparing to repeat the cycle with renewed focus and continuous improvement.
MODULE 11: Framework Comparison
- SCRUM vs. KANBAN: A comparative analysis of both frameworks to understand when and how to apply each effectively.

