Scrum Product Owner Exam Prep: In-House Training This workshop prepares you for the Scrum.org PSPO™ 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 The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. The Product Owner must be knowledgeable, available, and empowered to make decisions quickly in order for an Agile project to be successful. The Product Owner's key accountability is the Product Backlog. Managing, maintaining, and evolving the Product Backlog involves: Establishing a clear vision that engages the Development Team and stakeholders Clearly expressing Product Backlog items Ordering the items in the Product Backlog to best achieve the vision and goals Ensuring that the Product Backlog is visible, transparent, and clear to all Working with the Development Team throughout the project to create a product that fits the customer's need The Professional Scrum Product Owner™ I (PSPO I) certificate is a Scrum.org credential that enables successful candidates to demonstrate a fundamental level of Scrum mastery. PSPO I credential holders demonstrate an intermediate understanding of the Scrum framework, and how to apply it to maximize the value delivered with a product. They will exhibit a dedication to continued professional development, and a high level of commitment to their field of practice. 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 Product Owner Workshop, which is aligned with The Scrum Guide™. 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. See additional exam details on the next page. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Successfully prepare for the Scrum.org PSPO I exam Identify the characteristics of a successful Product Owner Create a powerful vision statement Apply techniques to understand your customers and the market Manage and engage stakeholders Write effective user stories with acceptance criteria Utilize techniques to visualize and prioritize the Product Backlog Participate in the 5 Scrum events as the Product Owner Understand the Product Owner's role in closing a Scrum project Getting Started Introductions Workshop orientation Exam prep preview Fundamentals Recap Agile Manifesto, values, and mindset Product Owner characteristics Good vs. great Product Owner Product Ownership Product ownership Project vision Understand your customers and market Personas Stakeholder management and engagement The Product Backlog User Stories and Acceptance Criteria Preparing User Stories for a Sprint The Product Backlog Visualizing the Product Backlog Product Backlog Prioritization Technical Debt Sprint Planning and Daily Standups Sprint Planning Planning Poker Team Engagement Daily Standups Sprint Review, Retrospectives, and Closing Sprint Reviews Key Agile Patterns Retrospectives Closing the Project Summary and Next Steps Review of course goals, objectives, and content Exam prep next steps
Scrum Product Owner Workshop: In-House Training The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. The Product Owner must be knowledgeable, available, and empowered to make decisions quickly in order for an Agile project to be successful. The Product Owner's key accountability is the Product Backlog. Managing, maintaining, and evolving the Product Backlog involves: Establishing a clear Vision that engages the Development Team and stakeholders Clearly expressing Product Backlog items Ordering the items in the Product Backlog to best achieve the Vision and goals Ensuring that the Product Backlog is visible, transparent, and clear to all Working with the Development Team throughout the project to create a product that fits the customer's needs The overall course goal is to support you in becoming an effective Product Owner. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Differentiate between poor, good, and great Product Owner attributes, and their impact on the team, product, stakeholders, and the organization Engage your stakeholders by knowing your customers and market Develop an effective and value-driven Product Backlog Evaluate the Product Owner's role in Scrum's 5 events and team engagement Foundation Concepts Agile foundation Product owner role Product Ownership Product ownership Project vision Understanding your customers and market Personas Stakeholder management and engagement The Product Backlog Epics and user stories Preparing user stories for a sprint The product backlog Visualizing the product backlog Product backlog prioritization Technical debt Sprint Planning and Delivery Sprint planning The sprint Sprint Reviews, Retrospectives, and Closing Sprint reviews Key agile patterns Retrospectives Closing the project
Agile and Scrum Fundamentals: In-House Training The overall goal of the course is to provide learners with the fundamentals of what Agile and Scrum are, and how to effectively apply Agile methods in your projects. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Describe Agile and Scrum foundation concepts Compare and contrast Agile roles to traditional roles Initiate an Agile project Develop Release Plans Build an Iteration Plan Execute an Iteration Implement Agile in your environment Getting Started Introductions Workshop orientation Expectations Foundation Concepts Project Lifecycles What is Agile? Why Agile? A range of Agile methods Focus on Scrum The People Side of Agile A range of Agile roles Focus on Scrum roles Unique characteristics of Agile Teams Building effective Agile Teams Initiating an Agile Project Conducting Sprint Zero Setting the vision Building the Product Backlog and User Stories Defining Acceptance Criteria Planning Releases Planning releases Estimating user stories Prioritizing user stories Selecting a Sprint length Estimating velocity Creating a release plan Planning an Iteration Conducting the Sprint Planning Meeting Building the Sprint Backlog Creating a Sprint Plan Running an Iteration Executing Sprint activities Using Burn-down and Burn-up Charts Negotiating changes during a Sprint Conducting the Sprint Review Meeting Implementing Agile Conditions of success for implementing Agile and Scrum Implementing Agile Final words
Developing the Business Case: In-House Training Business analysts must be able to create business case documents that highlight project benefits, costs, and risks. The business case is based on the real business need to be solved. These become parts of proposals, feasibility studies, and other decision support documents. This course teaches the purpose, structure, and content of a business case. It presents the basic techniques for determining financial ROI, non-tangible benefits, and the probability of meeting expectations. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Perform feasibility studies Justify the business investment to solve the business problem Prepare an effective business case document Plan and implement a business case approval process Foundation Concepts The role of the BA An introduction to the BABOK® Guide The business analyst and the product / project life cycle (PLC) The business case deliverable Introducing the Business Case Process The BA and strategy analysis The BA and the business case process (BCP) The BA during the business case process (BCP) The BA after the business case process (BCP) Importance of defining solution performance metrics Defining the Business Need Overview of defining the business need Business needs: problem / opportunity statement Product vision Objectives and constraints Exploring Business Case Solutions Overview of exploring solutions Solution identification for feasibility Solution definition for analysis Assessing project risks Justifying the Business Case Overview of justifying the business case Qualitative justification Quantitative justification Approving the Business Case Overview of business case approval Developing recommendations Preparing the decision package - documents Preparing the decision package - presentations
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
Leading People through Change: In-House Training Research shows that 70% of change initiatives fail in large organizations. The largest factor contributing to this failure rate is leadership - the inability to plan and lead people through change. In many change situations, tremendous focus is put on strategy, processes, and systems, while the issue of changing people's behavior is assumed it will 'just happen'. In this interactive course, you will learn why the people side of change is crucial. We will begin by understanding why and how people resist change, and how important it is to become strong and effective change champions. Next, we will focus on critical change management practices - creating our vision of the future state, planning for acceptance in our change audience and stakeholders, mitigating threats, and capitalizing on opportunities. We will use metrics to plan, show progress, and confirm success. Lastly, we will focus on the need to reinforce and sustain change, and to prevent relapse to old ways and methods. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Realize the nature of change and describe how resistance manifests in people Compare prevalent change models and categorize their similarities Identify and rate the skills, traits, and behaviors of effective change champions Envision the future state and assess stakeholders Plan for change communication, training, and risks Evaluate change effectiveness using feedback and metrics Develop reinforcement practices for benefits and communication Foundation Concepts What is Change? Resistance to Change Common Change Management Theories Becoming a Change Champion Plan Envisioning the future state Planning for people Change management plan Do Change communication Training Piloting Risks Study Feedback Metrics Variance analysis Act Benefits realization Change sustainment Reinforcement messaging and communications
Project Leadership Skills: In-House Training To be effective within an organization, project managers need to have a wide variety of skills and abilities. Included among these are: creating and executing on a vision; motivating others; influencing without authority; networking; communicating up, down and laterally; negotiating; managing stakeholders; and managing conflict. This highly interactive workshop focuses on building the soft skills that are critical to leading a team and creating sustainable business change. Participants will gain insight into the social science as well as the brain science behind motivating and empowering others. They will learn and experiment with a variety of influencing strategies and tactics. Working in pairs as well as small groups, they will collaborate with others to brainstorm, share experiences, and apply concepts to everyday challenges. Participants will also discover their personal communication preferences, strengths, and blind spots and will gain insight into how best to communicate with others they find 'difficult.' They will gain insight into managing the people side of change, learning strategies for dealing with each step in the process. Hands-on negotiation and conflict management activities enhance the theoretical learning, grounding it in real life and making it actionable. Interweaving role play with experiential learning and group activities, this course will help participants refine a skill set that is invaluable to their organization, and one that transfers easily across their professional and personal lives. What You Will Learn At the end of this course, you will be able to: Explain the importance of vision in driving motivation and engagement Apply science-based research to better motivate those around you Strategically leverage both personal and positional power to achieve positive project results Determine influencing and networking strategies needed for personal growth Identify ways to problem solve communication challenges when others have different personality styles Connect stakeholder expectations to project success criteria Assess key stakeholders across various dimensions of complexity Apply the four rules of principled negotiation to a real-life conflict situation Recognize key aspects of a physiological response to conflict Utilize selected tools and techniques to 'defuse' an emotional situation Leverage various strategies and tactics to successfully deal with ambiguity at work Getting Started / Foundation Concepts Introductions Course structure, goals, and objectives Beginning a personal action plan Managing Vision and Purpose / Motivating Others Communicating and aligning around vision Tying the present to the future The importance of purpose The art and science of motivation Networking and Influencing Positive politics and project success Types of power within organizations Power and influence Networking best practices Communication The medium and the message Personality and communication styles Communication challenges Stakeholder Management and Negotiation Identifying stakeholders Analyzing stakeholders Negotiation basics Principled negotiation Conflict Management Dynamics of conflict The anatomy of conflict Conflict management approaches and tools Dealing with ambiguity Summary and Next Steps Key concepts review Creating your personal action plan
Overview Appreciative Inquiry is a form of action research that collects people’s stories of best practices. We can use these best practices as a way to initiate organisational change. This course will guide attendees through the process of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and give them the techniques to succeed in using the AI system. This course will benefit anyone that leads change and wants to create positive dialogue that leads to improvements within their organisation. Description David Cooperrider, Suresh Srivastva, and their colleagues at Case Western Reserve University developed AI in the 1980s. According to them, the aim of Appreciative Inquiry is to help the organisation in: Envisioning a collectively desired future Realising that vision in ways that successfully translate intention into reality and beliefs into practices The AI approach can be applied in almost all groups of people and once the process starts, the change is put in motion. The appreciative approach works in individual conversations among colleagues, managers and employees. AI consultants around the world are increasingly using an appreciative approach to bring about collaborative and strengths-based change. This course will provide attendees with the means to effectively develop the skills of managers for the benefit of their organisation. They will be taken through the full process of appreciative inquiry; developing a wide understanding of the tools and techniques required to effectively improve communication and affect change. What can Appreciative Inquiry achieve? Well, just imagine you were better able to: Solve problems within an organisation in a positive and forward-thinking way. Be more curious and excited about the challenges faced within the business. Ask unconditional, positive questions to strengthen the organisations capacity to increase potential. Approach change in an affirmative mindset. Use questions to create movement and change within the company. Simply apply core communication skills, for overall organisational success Topics covered: What is Appreciative Inquiry? – A review of the subject with an activity that helps embed understanding and a case study that explains the process in action. Benefits of Appreciative Inquiry to the Organisation – Establishing how AI can aid and improve the way an organisation works and how people communicate within it. Exploring how specific organisational issues can be viewed positively. Appreciative Inquiry Questions – Understanding how questions can be used to identify positive organisational improvements and refocus our approach to business issues. Appreciative Inquiry Interviews – A set process for performing AI interviews and framing consultations to get the best out of those involved. A chance to practice the given approach and hone personal skills. The 4D Model – An overview of the AI 4D Model (Discovery, Dream, Design, Destiny) and how it is applied. The 4D Model: Topic – Demonstrating how selecting the topic is the beginning of the 4D model process. Choosing the participants own topic to work on throughout the training. The 4D Model: Discovery – Showing how positive discussions are kick-started at this stage and taking a chance to look at, ‘the best there is and what has been’. The 4D Model: Dream – ‘Thinking big and beyond what they have in the past’. Creating an amazing and positive vision for the future. The 4D Model: Design – Laying the foundation with a design of the vision, principles, and set of propositions that describe the ideal end state. Defining the desired state by creating a hierarchy and blueprint for success. The 4D Model: Destiny – Defining clear actions that will help the organisation and individuals achieve what they have set out to. The output is the self-reinforcing nature of using positive and affirmative inquiry to improve the business. The 4D Model: Summary Task – Review of learning and knowledge check. The Change Process – Exploring Dr. Kotter’s 8-step change process and how it can support the AI approach. Rooms of Change – Understanding feelings and attitudes to change, using this interesting and memorable model. Using an activity to help participants consider their own ‘change position’ and what this might mean for them. Strategies for Managing Change – A simple set of skills to help overcome the challenges faced by people trying to implement change. Applying these strategies to the 4D Model and Appreciative Inquiry. Recall Quiz – A chance to review learning in an engaging way. Summary – Developing actions and key points to take away. Who should attend Managers who want to learn about and practice the Appreciative Inquiry approach to drive positive changes. Requirements for Attendees None.
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This course shows you how to apply various approaches and algorithms to solve business problems through AI and ML, follow a methodical workflow to develop sound solutions, use open-source, off-the-shelf tools to develop, test, and deploy those solutions, and ensure that they protect the privacy of users. This course includes hands-on activities for each topic area.