This 6-hour course addresses the fundamentals and application of the Agile solution delivery approach.

The Lean-Agile solution delivery approach is a team-centric, empirical approach for delivering the highest value as quickly as possible. Most organizations fail at Agile because they do not understand the process. They adopt a process that is more traditional project management than not, call it Agile, and lose the many benefits provided by this lean project delivery approach, such as reduced project cost and shorter delivery timeframes.

Agile requires a major shift in an organization’s solution delivery philosophy. Agile recognizes the value of the team and places great emphasis on the team’s ability to develop, learn and deliver a fully functional solution through a lean, elegant process. In traditional project approaches, the work is planned and pushed to teams by the project manager. There is no project manager in Agile. In Agile, leadership evolves as needs dictate, and the team pulls the work needed to complete a project. Speed picks up and performance increases as the team gains experience, uncovers the essence of the users’ needs, and learns to work together across traditional functional boundaries. Agile places value on leading over managing, a theory Y approach to employee management (empowerment, experimentation and respect), Scrum methods, and the practice of making decisions through team consensus.

Specific tools will be demonstrated during the course, such as time-blocked phases of Agile’s iteration process, the capability map, backlog, team decision-making processes, and more. Case studies will be applied to illustrate key points and engage participants in the learning process.

Performance Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand Lean Management as it relates to Agile.
• Identify the key steps of the Agile iterative process, and their unique purpose.
• Relate the team-centric approach emphasized by Agile.
• Understand the new role of the Project Manager in Agile Solutions Delivery.
• Develop a Capability Map.
• Understand the role of the Backlog, as it applies to the Agile process.
• Identify the roles of users, managers, and others as they relate to the Agile process.
• Explain the importance of the voting process commonly used to reach consensus by Agile teams.
• Relate the challenges of implementing Agile in traditional organizations unaccustomed to the approach.

This course addresses the following knowledge areas identified by the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 4th ed. (PMI):

• Rolling Wave Management
• Human Resource Management
• Project Time Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Time Management

This class does not count towards the Project Management Certificate but can be used for PDUs with PMI.

Audience: Employees who work with, manage or are a member of project teams.