Agile Project Manager Master Class

Course Introduction

"Agile" and "agility" are terms that are frequently used, but what do they really mean? And how do they impact our projects and organizations?

In today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment, recent events like the pandemic and political and financial disruptions have highlighted the need for adaptability. Continuous change, especially in customer requirements and expectations, has driven successful organizations to transform their ways of working.

Agile emphasizes people over tools, working products over documentation, collaboration over contract negotiation, and embracing change over rigidly following a plan. However, Agile does not equate to a lack of control. In this Agile Project Manager Master Class training course, participants will learn how Agile principles, tools, and mindsets are systematically used to deliver value in the complex, post-pandemic environment. Starting with the principles of Agile, the course takes a detailed, practical look at the most popular frameworks and tools. The training concludes with an in-depth examination of the latest post-pandemic trends and the implications of Agile for organizations.

Training Objectives

By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:

• Recognise how and where to apply an Agile approach to projects
• Understand and explain the benefits of an Agile approach
• Be able to apply Agile values and principles to all projects
• Understand the new mindset and culture required for successful Agile delivery
• Understand the critical nature of customer focus and value-driven delivery
• Use Agile planning and delivery tools
• Set up and run an Agile project using the Scrum framework
• Describe what Agile means to the larger organisation
• Explain the latest trends in Agile delivery post-pandemic

Training Methodology

This training course will utilize a variety of proven adult learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. This includes many examples, case studies, interactive activities, exercises, Q&A sessions and learning from other participants. The aim is to learn practical tools, tips, methodologies and frameworks, as well as their underlying basis in the Agile Manifesto and values. The course ends with practical planning as to each participants’ future steps in applying Agile.

Who should Attend?

This training course is aimed at the Project Manager who wishes to understand and apply the principles of Agile to their projects. However, it is suitable for a wide range of professionals who serve supporting and collaborating roles to the delivery of projects:

• Project and program managers who wish to gain a practical knowledge of agile and how it can benefit their projects
• Senior leaders who want to understand how an agile approach could benefit their organisation
• Subject matter experts in marketing, strategy, product development, engineering, HR, customer management, sales, R&D or innovation who want to understand the benefits that Agile could bring to their day-to-day work
• Agile/ Scrum team members who would benefit from understanding the basis of Agile delivery
• PMO staff who support Agile projects and Agile delivery

Day One: Agile Principles and Mindset

• The need for agility in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world
• The Agile manifesto, values and principles
• The Agile ‘growth’ mindset vs. the ‘fixed’ mindset
• Locating Agile, Lean and Kanban approaches
• The disruptive nature of the Agile approach
• How complexity drives lifecycle choice

Day Two: Creating an Agile Environment

• ‘Being Agile’ vs. ‘Doing Agile’
• Understanding value-driven delivery
• Roles and responsibilities
• Empowering through servant-leadership
• People over processes: team performance
• People over processes: stakeholder engagement

Day Three: Agile Planning

• Approaches to delivery
• Central importance of the customer
• The Scrum framework
• Applying value-driven delivery
• Agile planning
• Agile practices and tools

Day Four: Successful Project Delivery in an Agile Environment

• Design-thinking and Agile
• Monitoring and Controlling in Agile projects
• Contracting in Agile
• Problem detection and resolution
• Risk management in Agile
• Continuous improvement

Day Five: Projects and Organisational Agility

• What is an Agile organisation?
• Building strategic agility
• Current trends in Agile adoption
• Value stream management
• Agile techniques and maturity
• Addressing implementation challenges
• Scaling Agile