635 Improv courses in Edinburgh

Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM): In-House Training Is your team treading water using waterfall? Do you feel trapped in an agile framework? Would you like to find solutions to the problems you've been wrestling with? Are you looking for ways to enhance your team's agility? Break free from your old ways by choosing a way of working that fits your team's context. Find strategies to improve your processes and strengthen your team with the Disciplined Agile® tool kit. Disciplined Agile Scrum Master is a nine-lesson, instructor-led course that shows you how to use Disciplined Agile (DA™) to improve your team's way of working. In just two days, you will become familiar with foundational agile and lean practices that DA supports, practice using the tool kit to solve problems, and learn how to build high-performance teams. Filled with activities, animations, supplemental reading, and more, this course will prepare you to take the Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM) exam and, equally important, start using Disciplined Agile immediately. #BBD0E0 » What You Will Learn After the completion of this course, you will be able to: Apply foundational agile and lean practices in your own team setting Describe what business agility is and how it is core to value proposition of Disciplined Agile® Describe the significance of the Disciplined Agile mindset Define the DA™ principles, promises, and guidelines and how they set Disciplined Agile apart from other frameworks Explain how people are organized into DA teams Define the primary DA roles and how they each are key to the success of a self-organizing agile team Explain how to help your team work well together using the Lean principle of 'respect people' Analyze your team's context to make better process-related decisions Select the best-fit DA life cycles for your teams Apply the five DA steps of choosing your team's way of working (WoW) Apply the relevant agile and lean techniques to successfully initiate your team Apply the relevant agile and lean techniques to support your team producing business value Apply the relevant agile and lean techniques to support your team releasing their work into production Apply the relevant agile and lean techniques to support your team on an ongoing basis Recognize when to be resilient List and define the principles of Lean Significance of the Disciplined Agile® Mindset Business agility and how it is core to value proposition of Disciplined Agile Eight DA principles and how they are core to what sets Disciplined Agile apart from other agile frameworks Which situations each of the DA™ life cycles is best applied DA Practice of choosing a team's way of working (WoW) Foundations of Agile How people are organized into DA teams Primary DA roles and how they each are key to the success of a self-organizing agile team Help your team work well together (Lean principle 'Respect people') Inception phase and why it is important DA tool kit to tailor your way of working within a select phase according to context Agile techniques and ceremonies relevant to Inception Construction phase and why it is important Agile techniques and ceremonies that take place during Construction Eliminate Waste and Build Quality (Lean principles) Deliver Value Quickly (Lean principle) Transition phase and why it is important Ongoing phase and why it is important Learn Pragmatically (Lean principle) Elements of the process blade (onion) diagram Principles of Lean When to be resilient Benefits of explicit workflow Kaizen loops and PDSA techniques for continuous improvement Options for cross-team learning: "community of practice" and "center of excellence"

Scrum Master Workshop: In-House Training A Scrum Master helps project teams properly use the Scrum framework, increasing the likelihood of the project's overall success. Scrum Masters understand Scrum values, practices, and applications and provide a level of knowledge and expertise above and beyond that of typical project managers. Scrum Masters act as 'servant leaders', helping the rest of the Scrum Team work together and learn the Scrum framework. Scrum Masters also protect the team from both internal and external distractions. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Comprehend the Agile Manifesto and mindset Explain the fundamental principles of Scrum Guide the Scrum team in their responsibilities Write requirements in the form of user stories Define Ready and Done Estimate using planning poker and prioritize using MoSCoW Facilitate the team through the 5 Sprint events Fulfill the role of Scrum Master in a Scrum project Create Information Radiators to enable transparency Define the structure of the retrospective Foundation Concepts Agile History, Values, and Mindset Introduction to Scrum Scrum events Scrum artifacts Scrum Roles and Responsibilities Product Owner responsibilities Scrum Master responsibilities The Team responsibilities Cross-functional Teams Building Effective Teams The Product Backlog and User Stories The Product Backlog User Stories Definition of Done Backlog grooming Estimating User Stories Story points, planning poker Prioritizing User Stories The Sprint Team capacity and velocity The Sprint Planning Meeting The Sprint Backlog The Sprint Learning to self-manage, self-organize, self-improve Sprint Review and Retrospective Project Progress and Completion The Daily Scrum The Task Board and The Burndown Chart Information Radiators Closing a Scrum Project Summary and Next Steps Review of course goals, objectives, and content

The Agile Project Manager Change isn't coming, it's already here. The project environment is becoming more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Project management and project managers must transform and evolve in order to keep up with these changes. Agile has been a disruptor in the field of project management, having over 20 years of successes and benefits to organizations that have adopted their frameworks. The Agile frameworks have proven themselves to be more adept in dealing with this uncertainty. But Agile isn't just about following a different way of working. What do you need to learn, do, and become in order to continue in the current and future environment? It is a powerful combination of knowledge, competencies, and mindset. In an increasingly complicated project environment, this course provides participants with the knowledge needed to not only survive but thrive. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Evaluate the changing project environment and the needed knowledge, skills, and behaviors Demonstrate innovative project manager competencies of leading change, servant leadership, and focus on value Utilize Lean and Agile principles to maximize value and improve project performance Construct a hybrid Agile model that is unique to your project Assess your role in Business Agility as an Agile Project Manager Getting Started Introductions Workshop orientation Expectations Foundations Recap: What is Agile? A changed project environment The future project manager Agile Project Management Competencies Focusing on value Championing change Servant leadership Coaching / mentorship Facilitation Lean and Agile Principles Optimizing flow Making things small Continuous planning Just-In-Time requirements Visualizing work Hybrid Agile Considerations Considering a Hybrid Approach Examining Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Approach Selecting Waterfall / Agile Roles, Practices, and Techniques Reviewing Three Hybrid Scenarios Constructing the Hybrid Project Implementing Agile Pitfalls and Concerns Agile in the Organization Business Agility

Managing Complex Projects: In-House Training As knowledge and technology expand exponentially, organizations are finding that the tools, processes, and methods used to select, plan, and manage their projects are insufficient for the challenges posed by them. The goal of this course is to provide participants with a working knowledge of project complexities and a framework for managing the ambiguities involved in today's fast-changing, competitive, and technology-based environment As knowledge and technology expand exponentially, organizations are finding that the tools, processes, and methods used to select, plan, and manage their projects are insufficient for the challenges posed by them. Complex projects don't necessarily follow the rules of traditional projects - in many instances the projects' end-products, and the methods by which they will be produced, are not easily defined. Stakeholder diversity and geographical dispersion contribute to the difficulties project managers face in their efforts to gain acceptance of project goals, objectives, and changes. Additionally, hierarchic leadership styles, traditional lifecycle approaches, and traditional project manager competencies may no longer maximize the efficiencies that need to be realized on complex projects. The goal of this course is to provide participants with a working knowledge of project complexities and a framework for managing the ambiguities involved in today's fast-changing, competitive, and technology-based environments. What you Will Learn The learning objectives of this workshop are to enable participants to: Appreciate complexity and its impact on the management of projects Describe the differences among traditional, complicated, and complex projects Explain the effects of complexity on the PMBOK® Guide's process groups Apply a high-level model in the management of real- world projects Complexity and Projects Some characteristics of complex systems Important models/characteristics of complex projects Major players in project complexity Landscapes and project typologies A supplemental framework for complex projects Framing Framing overview Potential pitfalls in framing complex projects Possible solutions Inception Centrality of risk management PM competencies, selection Stakeholder identification, analysis Blueprint Collaborative planning Stakeholder engagements Alternative methodologies/life cycles Collaborative scheduling Procurement management Oversight, Navigation, and Adjustment Leadership and the project team Stakeholder management Networks Close and Continuous Improvement Transition/support Post-project evaluations Rewards/Recognition

Implementing Scrum for Teams: In-House Training Scrum is an iterative, incremental framework for developing products. It allows the team to deliver a potentially shippable set of functionalities for each iteration, providing the agility needed to respond to rapidly changing requirements. These characteristics have led to Scrum becoming the most popular method in the world of Agile projects. This two-day course provides a practical approach to implementing the Scrum method on your projects. You will learn how to initiate a Scrum project, how to build a Product Backlog, containing user stories, and how to plan and estimate releases and iterations. You will learn how to conduct Scrum events, such as the Sprint Planning Meeting, and how to track progress during an iteration. You will apply what you learn in a series of hands-on, team-based activities and simulations that take you through the entire Scrum process. The overall goal of the course is to enable you to successfully apply the Scrum method on appropriate projects in your environment. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Teach-back Agile and Scrum foundation concepts Initiate a Scrum Project Conduct Team Sprint Planning and Sprint Review meetings Develop Release Plans (including effective user stories and priorities) Build a Sprint plan (including effective estimates) Executive a Sprint (including essential Scrum ceremonies) Implement Scrum in your environment Foundation Concepts Agile Mindset, Values, and Tenets Agile Benefits and Methods Scrum Overview Teams: Self-Managing, Self-Organizing, and Self-Improving Initiating a Scrum Project 'Sprint Zero' Activities Defining the Vision The Product Backlog and User Stories Acceptance Criteria Story Map Planning Releases Planning releases Estimating user stories Prioritizing user stories Selecting a Sprint length Estimating velocity Creating a release plan Planning a Sprint The Sprint Planning Meeting Building the Sprint Backlog Creating a Sprint Plan Running a Sprint Conduct a Sprint Burn-down and Burn-up Charts Negotiating Changes During a Sprint The Sprint Review Meeting Sprint Retrospective Releasing into Production Closing the Scrum Project Implementing Scrum Scrum Simulation Exercise Conditions of Success for Implementing Scrum

Project Management Fundamentals for IT Projects: In-House Training A number of factors impact the new project manager's role within IT - for instance, the need to fully integrate IT into the business improvement process and the advent of distributed technology and Business Process Reengineering. As a result, the range of activities required of a new project manager has greatly increased, as well as the range of people with whom he or she interacts. This workshop enables you to minimize the problems inherent in managing a systems development project. What You Will Learn You'll learn how to: Articulate the benefit of using a project management methodology, processes, and various life cycles for IT projects Articulate on various standards and maturity models that provide benefits to performing organizations that manage IT projects Describe governance, gating, and the processes required for project origination Conduct a stakeholder analysis and describe its benefits throughout the project life cycle Gather good requirements, develop a work breakdown structure (WBS), and establish a baseline project plan Execute against the baseline project plan while managing change and configuration items Monitor and control the project activities using the baseline project plan and earned value management concepts Close the project by conducting scope verification, procurement audits, gathering lessons learned, archiving project records, and releasing resources Getting Started Course goal Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts Key definitions and concepts Methodologies, processes, and project life cycles Project success factors and the benefits of standards and models Project Originating and Initiating Originating projects Initiating projects Planning Stakeholder Engagement and Resource Management Planning stakeholder engagement Planning human resources management Developing effective leadership skills Planning Scope and Quality Management Planning project scope Planning project quality Planning Schedule Management Planning project time Identifying schedule activities Sequencing schedule activities Estimating activity resources and time Developing project schedule Optimizing the project schedule Planning Risk and Cost Management Planning for project risks Planning project costs Estimating project costs Developing a project budget Planning Communication and Procurement Management Planning project communications Planning project procurements Project Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing Project executing Project monitoring and controlling Project closing

Scrum Master Exam Prep This workshop prepares you for the Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master (PSM)™ I certification. A voucher for the exam and the access information you will need to take the exam will be provided to you via email after you have completed the course. NOTE: If you have participated in any of IIL's other Scrum workshops, you can bypass this program and focus on reading/studying the Scrum Guide and taking practice exams from Scrum.org. A Scrum Master helps project teams properly use the Scrum framework, increasing the likelihood of the project's overall success. Scrum Masters understand Scrum values, practices, and applications and provide a level of knowledge and expertise above and beyond that of typical project managers. Scrum Masters act as 'servant leaders', helping the rest of the Scrum Team work together and learn the Scrum framework. Scrum Masters also protect the team from both internal and external distractions. The Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM I) certificate is a Scrum.org credential that enables successful candidates to demonstrate a fundamental level of Scrum mastery. PSM I credential holders will grasp Scrum as described inThe Scrum Guide™1 and recognize how those concepts can be applied. They will also share a consistent terminology and approach to Scrum with other certified professionals. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Successfully prepare for the Scrum.org PSM I exam Comprehend the Agile Manifesto and mindset Explain the fundamental principles of Scrum, including events, artifacts, and roles Guide the Scrum team in their responsibilities Define Ready and Done Write requirements in the form of user stories Estimate using planning poker and prioritize using MoSCoW Facilitate the team through the 5 Sprint events Fulfill the role of Scrum Master in a Scrum project Create Information Radiators to enable transparency Define the structure of the retrospective Getting Started Introductions Workshop orientation Exam prep preview Foundation Concepts Agile History, Values, and Mindset Introduction to Scrum Scrum events Scrum artifacts Scrum Roles and Responsibilities Product Owner responsibilities Scrum Master responsibilities The Team responsibilities Cross-functional teams Building effective teams The Product Backlog and User Stories The Product Backlog User Stories Definition of Done Backlog grooming Estimating User Stories Story points, planning poker Prioritizing User Stories The Sprint Team capacity and velocity The Sprint Planning Meeting The Sprint Backlog The Sprint Learning to self-manage, self-organize, self-improve Sprint Review and Retrospective Project Progress and Completion The Daily Scrum The Task Board and The Burndown Chart Information Radiators Closing a Scrum Project Summary and Next Steps Review of course goals, objectives, and content Exam prep next steps

Business Intelligence: In-House Training Business Intelligence (BI) refers to a set of technology-based techniques, applications, and practices used to aggregate, analyze, and present business data. BI practices provide historical and current views of vast amounts of data and generate predictions for business operations. The purpose of Business Intelligence is the support of better business decision making. This course provides an overview of the technology and application of BI and how it can be used to improve corporate performance. What you will Learn You will learn how to: Specify a data warehouse schema Identify the data and visualization to be used for data mining and Business Intelligence Design a Business Intelligence user interface Getting Started Introductions Agenda Expectations Foundation Concepts The challenge of decision making What is Business Intelligence? The Business Intelligence value proposition Business Intelligence taxonomy Business Intelligence management issues Sources of Business Intelligence Data warehousing Data and information Information architecture Defining the data warehouse and its relationships Facts and dimensions Modeling, meta-modeling, and schemas Alternate architectures Building the data warehouse Extracting Transforming Loading Setting up the data and relationships Dimensions and the Fact Table Implementing many-to-many relationships in data warehouse Data marts Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) What is OLAP? OLAP and OLTP OLAP functionality Multi-dimensions Thinking in more than two dimensions What are the possibilities? OLAP architecture Cubism Tools OLAP variations - MOLAP, ROLAP, HOLAP BI using SOA Applications of Business Intelligence Applying BI through OLAP Enterprise Resource Planning and CRM Business Intelligence and financial information Business Intelligence User Interfaces and Presentations Data access Push-pull data access Types of decision support systems Designing the front end Presentation formats Dashboards Types of dashboards Common dashboard features Briefing books and scorecards Querying and Reporting Reporting emphasis Retrofitting Talking back Key Performance Indicators Report Definition and Visualization Typical reporting environment Forms of visualization Unconstrained views Data mining What is in the mine? Applications for data mining Data mining architecture Cross Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CISP-DM) Data mining techniques Validation The Business Intelligence User Experience The business analyst role Business analysis and data analysis Five-step approach Cultural impact Identifying questions Gathering information Understand the goals The strategic Business Intelligence cycle Focus of Business Intelligence Design for the user Iterate the access Iterative solution development process Review and validation questions Basic approaches Building ad-hoc queries Building on-demand self-service reports Closed loop Business Intelligence Coming attractions - future of Business Intelligence Best practices in Business Intelligence

Project Management Fundamentals: In-House Training Many projects are performed by highly competent and effective people who have little or no project management training. They perform projects like process improvement, marketing campaign development, new product development, event planning and production, and other 'tasks' which are projects. Project Management Fundamentals (PMF) is designed to support those people who need a solid foundation in project management, without being unnecessarily burdened to learn it while on the job. The course offers practical skills, concepts, and principles that can be taken back to the workplace, along with insights needed to adapt them to specific project environments. In today's environment, that means possibly adapting to Agile / Iterative methods. So, we have recently added key Agile concepts to provide a basic understanding of shifting towards agility. Since PMF's course goal is to achieve quality performance by learning effective planning and control, the focus is on a process orientation and an analytical, systems-oriented approach. Together, these frameworks promote project-related problem solving and decision-making skills necessary for real world projects. They honor project needs for collaboration, clear communications among people, and interpersonal and relationship skills. Recognition of these needs are woven throughout PMF, but are highlighted in two specific areas: Module 2 - People and Projects Module 8 - Executing, Communicating, and Developing the Team What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Describe the value of strong project management Identify characteristics of a successful project and project manager Recognize how current agile / adaptive practices fit within project management Explore project management processes, including Initiating, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing Utilize project management processes and tools, based on case studies and real-world situations Create an initial project plan Use standard project management terminology Foundation Concepts Project management and definitions Value and focus of PM Competing constraints and project success Project life cycles People and Projects People and projects overview The project manager The project team People and projects in organizations Initiating and Defining Requirements Initiating the project Developing the project charter Conducting stakeholder assessments Defining requirements Using the Work Breakdown Structure Defining the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Developing a usable WBS Using the WBS Managing Project Risk Making the case for risk management Overview to planning for risk Identifying risks Analyzing risks Planning responses to risks Implementing response and monitoring risks Considerations for adaptive environments Estimating Defining an estimate Estimating approaches Estimating practices Estimating cost Validating an estimate Scheduling Defining the scheduling process and related terminology Sequencing and defining dependencies Determining the critical path Considering schedule risks and optimizing the schedule Executing, Communicating, and Developing the Team From baseline to execution Project communications and stakeholder relationships High-performing teams Monitoring and Controlling Defining monitoring and controlling Viewing control through the competing demands lens Variance Analysis and corrective action (Earned Value) Considerations in adaptive environments Closing the Project Closing projects Focusing on project transition Focusing on post-project evaluations

Scrum Master Exam Prep This workshop prepares you for the Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master (PSM)™ I certification. A voucher for the exam and the access information you will need to take the exam will be provided to you via email after you have completed the course. NOTE: If you have participated in any of IIL's other Scrum workshops, you can bypass this program and focus on reading/studying the Scrum Guide and taking practice exams from Scrum.org. A Scrum Master helps project teams properly use the Scrum framework, increasing the likelihood of the project's overall success. Scrum Masters understand Scrum values, practices, and applications and provide a level of knowledge and expertise above and beyond that of typical project managers. Scrum Masters act as 'servant leaders', helping the rest of the Scrum Team work together and learn the Scrum framework. Scrum Masters also protect the team from both internal and external distractions. The Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM I) certificate is a Scrum.org credential that enables successful candidates to demonstrate a fundamental level of Scrum mastery. PSM I credential holders will grasp Scrum as described in The Scrum Guide™1 and recognize how those concepts can be applied. They will also share a consistent terminology and approach to Scrum with other certified professionals. Scrum.org does not require that you take their own sponsored or any preparatory training. However, training can facilitate your preparation for this credential. And this course is based on IIL's Scrum Master Workshop, which is aligned with The Scrum Guide™ and was built based on PSM I credentialed expertise. It will provide you with the information you need to pass the exam and IIL will make the arrangements for your online exam. You will be provided with an exam code and instructions, so that you can take the exam at your convenience, any time you are ready after the course. Passwords have no expiration date, but they are valid for one attempt only. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Successfully prepare for the Scrum.org PSM I exam Comprehend the Agile Manifesto and mindset Explain the fundamental principles of Scrum, including events, artifacts, and roles Guide the Scrum team in their responsibilities Define Ready and Done Write requirements in the form of user stories Estimate using planning poker and prioritize using MoSCoW Facilitate the team through the 5 Sprint events Fulfill the role of Scrum Master in a Scrum project Create Information Radiators to enable transparency Define the structure of the retrospective Getting Started Introductions Workshop orientation Exam prep preview Foundation Concepts Agile History, Values, and Mindset Introduction to Scrum Scrum events Scrum artifacts Scrum Roles and Responsibilities Product Owner responsibilities Scrum Master responsibilities The Team responsibilities Cross-functional teams Building effective teams The Product Backlog and User Stories The Product Backlog User Stories Definition of Done Backlog grooming Estimating User Stories Story points, planning poker Prioritizing User Stories The Sprint Team capacity and velocity The Sprint Planning Meeting The Sprint Backlog The Sprint Learning to self-manage, self-organize, self-improve Sprint Review and Retrospective Project Progress and Completion The Daily Scrum The Task Board and The Burndown Chart Information Radiators Closing a Scrum Project Summary and Next Steps Review of course goals, objectives, and content Exam prep next steps