Even projects that have solid, well-defined project plans encounter some degree of change and waste. Shifting market conditions, budget cuts, staff restructuring, or any number of influences will disrupt the best plan while contributing to customer dissatisfaction and staff discouragement. Moreover, projects that begin with changing or unclear requirements make it difficult to even establish project expectations. Scrum is the agile development process that allows teams to deliver usable software periodically throughout the life of the project, absorbing change and new requirements as the project proceeds.
As we move through the disciplines promoted by Scrum you will gain a comprehensive understanding of this agile product development methodology while specifically reviewing the behaviors expected of a Product Owner. While many of us may be accustomed to the practice of establishing value and priority across projects, the Product Owner needs to consider value and priority across the features of a single project.
This 2-day class is suitable for those who are responsible for setting product direction on a Scrum project, aka Product Owners. Current Certified ScrumMasters are also welcome to attend so they can get a more complete understanding of this critical role and help coach their Product Owners more effectively.
After successfully completing this class, participants will be registered with the Scrum Alliance as Certified Scrum Product Owners, and will have on-line access to the class training materials and any updates for one year. PMPs can also claim 15 PDU's with the PMI, and at least another PDU for reading outside of class.
Short exercises and case studies will be scattered throughout the two-day session. Longer exercises are detailed below. Time spent on each topic will vary depending on the composition of the class and the interest in particular areas.
The Scrum Framework: Here we’ll ensure that we’re all working from the same foundational concepts that make up the Scrum Framework.
Scrum Roles: Who are the different players in the Scrum game? We’ll review checklists of role expectations in preparation for further detail later in our session.
The Product Backlog, Product Visioning, and Progressive Elaboration: The Scrum Team must have an understanding of our Product Vision so they can make good decisions. The Product Backlog is a reflection of that vision, and we’ll practice developing its content.
Prioritization Considerations and Methods: Prioritization is the Product Owner’s number one tool for maximizing return on investment. In this section we’ll review different techniques available to establish meaningful priorities. Because of the variety of approaches, we will determine which ones to focus on based in feedback from the class participants.