WEEKEND Class - PMI Agile Certified Practitioner - Exam Prep Course

Who Should Attend/Prerequisites

Anyone who wants to take the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner exam. 

• Project Managers
• Resource Managers
• Business Analysits
• Developers
• QA/Testers
• Project Sponsors
• PMO Leaders
• Project Analysts 
• Other people working on agile projects

Class Size Limit: 30 (Minimum 10)

Course Overview

Why do Project Managers Need to learn Agile?

Have you have heard of Agile but aren't sure what all the buzz is about? Maybe you are a project manager who has just been assigned a new project and told that the dev team wants to use agile.

Agile used to be considered to be a fad but it is clear that agile is now here to stay.

Are you ready to ride the agile wave?

"This Course is essential for any organization wanting to be successful in agile project management" ~ Past Student

This course is ideal for you if you want to:

• Apply Agile methods to your project requirements and schedules
• Recognize ways to increase team performance through better communication and close involvement of customers
• Recognize the benefits of agile to delivering Enterprise software development projects
• Use Agile estimating techniques to plan your Enterprise project more accurately
• Identify and prevent common pitfalls Enterprise Organizations run into when adopting Agile

Your instructor is Joseph Flahiff. Joseph has been actively managing agile and traditional projects for 20 years. He teaches PMP classes and is also a Certified Scrum Master AND Certified Scrum Professional. Joseph has lead large complex multi-million dollar projects to success using agile. Joseph speaks, trains and consults on agile project management around the world. Joseph will provide you with a real world very practical approach to agile, not an idealistic view but how it really works. He knows, because he has been doing it!

“ This is a fantastic deal for one of Joseph’s classes.  Joseph's fun, interactive 

exercises illustrate complex content and kept the group wide awake and involved. If he doesn’t do his car design based mind-mapping exercise then ask him to slip it in. It was great to watch the evolution of the group. One guy in particular had been burned badly in a scrum-gone-wrong experience in the past justifiable reservations, by the end he was openly exploring the opportunities and ideas that Agile PM brings, even in a Waterfall context.” ~ Ardith Lanstra-Nothdurft

Want a Sample?

Here is a FREE webinar you can watch to catch a glimpse of Joseph’s practical and content rich approach to teaching:

Agile Project Controls for Project Leaders

Intended Audience

• Frustrated Traditional Project Managers working with Agile developers
• People implementing Agile in Waterfall organizations
• PMO Leaders

This course is ideal for you if you want to:

• Describe agile principles and practices and apply them your projects
• Apply Agile methods to your project requirements and schedules
• Recognize ways to increase team performance through better communication and close involvement of customers
• Recognize the benefits of agile to delivering Enterprise software development projects
• Use Agile estimating techniques to plan your Enterprise project more accurately
• Identify and prevent common pitfalls Enterprise Organizations run into when adopting Agile

Learning Objectives

• To provide participants with the tools and techniques necessary to successfully plan and manage Enterprise Agile Projects.
• Provide the learner with essential learning for the PMI Agile Certification (see a matrix of PMI Agile Certification Coverage)

This Course will Cover

• What is Agile? (beyond just Scrum)
• Enterprise Agile trouble spots
• Strategies for 5 Layer Agile Planning
• Skills for Agile Monitoring & Controlling
• Changes you will experience in Agile Project Leadership
• Appropriate Requirements Documentation for Agile Projects
• Test Cases and how to document them for Agile Projects
• Moving to Agile: all at once or one step at a time?
• Open session Q&A to answer your SPECIFIC Questions about Agile in your context
• PMI Agile Certified Practitioner, Content Outline

"Fast paced, content loaded, highly interactive. I dare you to try to sit in the back of the room and sleep through this seminar"

~ Student from Seattle

"Joseph's vast experience with agile projects of all types and sizes made the course highly relevant and insightful."

~ Student from Seattle

30 day Money Back Guarantee

I know you work hard for your money. I know you’re buying this solely on the promises I’ve made. So I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is.If for any reason you feel you will not use what you learn… all you have to do is let me know within 30 days of your purchase and I’ll promptly refund all your money. No questions, no hassles – it’s that simple. Sounds fair, right?

Agenda

Modules/ Learning Objectives/ Rational

Module 1: Introduction to Agile

• 1.1: Learning Objective: The student will understand the original influences  and context of agile
  • Because it is important to know WHY agile was developed
  • Because it is important to understand WHAT problem agile is trying to solve
  • Because by understanding the why and what independent choices may be made to adapt agile to the student’s specific context
• 1.2: Learning Objective: The student will understand the servant leadership model required of agile project leaders
  • Because command and control leadership is looked down upon in agile organizations.
  • Because the key role of the project manager in an agile project is to be a servant leader to the project team.
  • Because a true servant leader is what project teams are looking for in a project leader.

Module 2: Requirements in an Agile Project

• 1.2: Learning Objective: The student will understand the fundamentals of agile requirements gathering and analysis
  • Because agile requirements are quite different from traditional sequential requirements.
  • Because misunderstanding of how to gather and document agile requirements is frequently a problem for new agile implementations.
  • Because product quality is enhanced by appropriate agile requirements definition.
  • Because project agility is directly impacted by appropriate agile requirements definition.
• 2.2: Learning Objective: The student will understand and be able to facilitate agile requirements elicitation
  • Because the project manager with a solid agile requirements foundation can help the project team through adept facilitation.
  • Because project managers are frequently looked to as facilitators for such meetings.
  • Because specific skills are required to facilitate an agile requirements gathering session.

Module 3: Agile Project Planning

• 3.1: Learning Objective: The student will understand the 5 layer model for agile project/product planning
  • Because to gain the adaptive benefits of agile, projects must be managed in the context of the product lifecycle, not just in a vacuum as a standalone project.
  • Because the project manager will be required to facilitate the team through this planning cycle.
• 3.2: Learning Objective: The student will be able to create a Gantt based project plan for an agile project
  • Because agile in enterprise organizations, often, must be reported in a predominantly Gantt based portfolio.
  • Because to roll up multiple projects in an organization they must be in a common format.
  • Because many organizations and executives are familiar with the Gantt based reporting and expect to see this type of report.
  • Because it is common to have external dependencies in enterprise agile projects that must be coordinated in a common Project Management Platform (e.g. MS Project Server).
• 3.3: Learning Objective: The student will understand the problems of planning agile projects in Enterprise IT vs. in a software company
  • Because Enterprise IT organizations have specific problems with agile that software companies do not have.
  • Because understanding this difference highlights what is and is not agile and will help the student make informed project decisions.
  • Because not understanding this issue will result in continuous struggle in adopting agile in an enterprise organization.
• 3.4: Learning Objective: The student will understand the differences between project management and product management and how it impacts agile implementation.
  • Because understanding that agile was designed for one and not the other will greatly increase the possibility of a successful agile transition.
  • Because the lack of understanding of this difference is the source of many problems in Enterprise IT implementations.
  • Because the desirable actions of leaders of projects and products are diametrically opposed to one another.

Module 4: Agile Project Controls & Reporting

• 4.1: Learning Objective: The student will be aware of the reports common to agile project delivery
  • Because the reporting is new and different from traditional metrics.
  • Because the project manager will be expected to interpret these reports and communicate the meaning to project leadership.
• 4.2: Learning Objective: The student will understand the options for project control, how and when to apply them
  • Because understanding the project controls available will allow the project manager to be more successful in detecting issues and trends which require action.
  • Because agile projects have a different set of tools and metrics from sequential projects which require analysis
• 4.3: Learning Objective: The student will have tools for encouraging collaboration, conflict resolution, and negotiation
  • Because effective collaboration is key to all agile planning and execution.
  • Because conflicts arise in every group of people and conflict can threaten the success of a project.
  • Because skillful negotiation will allow the project leader to positively influence the direction and ultimate success of the project.
• 4.4: Learning Objective: The student will be able to explain the three key financial implications of delivering projects using agile
  • Because much of what determines the success of a project in most organizations is financial.
  • Because agile projects have unique benefits and risk reductions that can be realized if accounted for financially.

Module 5 - Agile Transitions

• 5.1: Learning Objective: The student will have an understanding of the maturity phases of agile implementation
• 5.1: Learning Objective: The student will understand several models for implementing agile

Cost:

2300 per attendee.