Introduction to Agile Scrum

Course Description

The evolution to Agile keeps accelerating faster and faster!  Companies are discovering that Agile delivery combined with an iterative and incremental philosophy allows them to focus on the rapid delivery of high-value product. As the teams continue learning to adapt for maximum impact they get rapid feedback from each version they release while working creatively and collaboratively This leads to faster business value delivery, increased customer satisfaction, product quality and stability— ultimately the goal of most projects.

To be highly successful there are techniques that need to be learned. Taking a formal Agile class is imperative to teach Scrum team members Agile tactics, roles, rules, methods, and tools. To harness the power and all the benefits of Agile, training cannot be optional but is a must-have first step for any team considering an Agile delivery approach.

This 10-module on demand course reviews the fundamentals of Agile methods with a deep dive into Scrum, the most popular Agile method used by 85-90% of Agile practitioners.

Outcomes

Take this course if you want to have a solid foundation in Agile or if you want to pursue certification.  Each module has specific learning objectives and outcomes which will optionally allow students to prepare for the Professional Scrum Master 1 (PSM1) certification exam.  The PSM1 is one of the key Agile certifications required by companies seeking to fill Scrum Master roles.

Learning Objectives

• What is Agile – History of Agile including the Agile Manifesto and 12 Principles
• What is Scrum – Overview of scrum framework including the three pillars of Scrum
• Scrum Teams – Roles and Responsibilities
• Backlog Preparation
• Sprint Planning
• Sprint Execution
• Sprint Review
• Sprint Retrospective
• Agile Tools and Techniques
• Agile Readiness
• Metrics and the Role of the PMO in Agile
• Harnessing Lessons Learned for Continuous Process Improvement

In addition to the theory of Scrum we will augment the lessons with actual project experiences, lessons learned, and strategies to overcome common people and process challenges in implementing Scrum. This includes an interview with instructor Lalig Musserian about her experiences in performing an Agile transformation in healthcare.

You will receive a “Scrum Playbook” to encapsulate key Scrum concepts and roles during the various Scrum events.  each lesson includes Quizzes, which will act as knowledge checks to help you assess your learning as you go along and a final quiz to test your overall knowledge

Target Audience

This course is well suited for a wide range of audiences including traditional project managers wanting to add Agile/Scrum to their toolkit, those new to project management who want to pursue a career in Agile or those managing employees in companies undergoing Agile transformations.  It is also a course for people who want to gain the knowledge necessary to pursue an Agile certification.  Agile has traditionally been popular in the software development or product delivery space but many different industries are beginning to embrace to benefits of being more agile and using more iterative approaches to managing projects.

Instructors

Lalig Musserian, PMP, CSM, PSM, CSPO, SAFe, CDA, CSA

Lalig helps clients with Agile transformations, including multi-level governance and methodology establishment, Scrum and Product Owner training, certification and Agile coaching. She has extensive experience leading complex technology and business projects, managing development teams and designing product platforms in a variety of industries.

She is an adjunct Professor at Boston College where she teaches the Agile Methodologies course, as well as the Applied Software: Tools and Techniques course for graduate students. She co-taught “Introduction to Agile” with Jim at Project Summit Boston in October 2019 and has been a guest speaker at various colleges in the Boston area.  Lalig is also a former President and Executive Vice President of the PMI MassBay Chapter.

Jim Stewart, PMP, CSM, PMI-ACP, IC-Agile Coach, SAFe 

Jim has been a project manager for twenty-five years and since 2003 has been providing consulting and training. Jim has established PMOs and led projects for IT departments, financial and pharmaceutical companies. He is currently running projects for a pharmaceutical company to assist in their EU medical device remediation and setting up a PMO.

A PMP since 2001 and Certified Scrum Master since 2013, he helps organizations increase their project maturity and best practices. In 2019, he received three agile certifications: PMI-ACP, IC-Agile coach and SAFe (Scaled Agile.) He also frequently teaches PMP and Agile and is co-author of “How to Facilitate Productive Project Planning Meetings.”