APM Course Outline

Course Outline

Agile ProjectManagement

with Bob McGannon

Directions: Use this course outline to take notes while you view the course.

Agile Project Management with Bob McGannon2 of 16

Introduction/Welcome

1. Rapid _____________ _____________ are the trademark of agile projects.

2. Agile helps you make your project flexible enough to accommodate _____________ from your man-

agement and customers.

3. Agile projects have great potential to deliver _____________ more quickly and efficiently.

Chapter 1. Understanding Agile Project Management

01. What is agile project management?

1) Some notable characteristics of agile projects are:

• You produce deliverables via _____________ chunks of work

• Value is presented to the client via _____________, or small deliveries

• Management of scope is _____________ based

2) Traditionally, the waterfall methodology consists of these 5 phases:

_____________, _____________, _____________, _____________ and _____________.

3) The small chunks of work created in sprints benefit the business when needs are _____________. The

agile process also provides _____________ benefits early.

4) Examples of non-IT projects where agile techniques are viable include:

• _____________ moves

• Company _____________

• Changing business _____________

5) Agile could be considered for any project with short _____________ and _____________ times.

6) Agile projects are typically structured with:

• _____________- _____________ week sprints

• _____________-_______-_____________collaboration

• Co-_____________


• _____________ committed to agile

• Requirements changes _____________ and accommodated

7) Fundamental environment elements that promote the success of agile projects include:

• A _____________ for the end game

• An understood project _____________

• Understood _____________

• A _____________ schedule

• A _____________team

• _____________ communication with stakeholders

02. Overview of the agile lifecycle

1) In the Envision stage, you:

• Determine what you will _____________

• Determine _____________ members

• Establish team _____________ and _____________

2) Deliverables produced during the Envision stage typically include the:

• Project _____________

• Defined _____________ list

• Set of _____________ tools you will use

• Team _____________

3) In the Speculate stage, you produce:

• A _____________-based delivery plan

• Feature _____________

• Your _____________ to manage

4) Additional deliverables produced during the Speculate stage typically include:

• _____________ for the sprint or project

• _____________ to be developed


• _____________ estimates

• Risks by _____________

5) In the Explore stage, you typically engage in:

• Daily_____________ _____________ meetings

• Peer _____________

• _____________ interactions

• _____________ of deliverables

6) In the Adopt stage, you strive to:

• Pause and _____________

• Get _____________

• _____________ things and move _____________

7) Typical activities during the Adopt stage include:

• Final review of _____________

• _____________ on performance

• Capturing _____________ learned

• Adjusting future _____________ plans

8) The Agile Close stage is not unlike traditional projects. Activities include:

• Ensuring all _____________ are completed

• _____________ lessons learned

03. The Envision Stage

1) The Envision phase provides the _____________for the project.

2) The purpose of the project charter includes definitions of the:

• _____________ for the project

• _____________ vision

• Target _____________, and _____________


• Project _____________ and their responsibilities

• Level of _____________ given to the project manager

04. The Speculate Phase

1) Examples of features include:

• Calculate tax for _____________ ordered

• Display the name and address of _____________

• Display the shipping name and address on the _____________

• Enroll a _____________in a course

• _____________ course completions

2) With a complete set of features:

• Review and _____________

• Ask _____________

• Add _____________

• Discuss _____________ for a future project

3) With agreed features:

• _____________ the work effort

• Verify estimates are _____________

• Develop the Iteration, _____________, and Release Plan

4) The Iteration, Milestone, and Release Plan

• List all _____________

• When features will be _____________

• When features will be _____________

05. The Explore Phase

1) The phase is about …

• _____________

• Daily stand-up _____________


2) The stand-up meeting:

• What was _____________ yesterday

• What is _____________ for today

• Any help needed to _____________ work

• Not for _____________ issues

3) The Project Manager at stand-ups

• An _____________

• Watch for _____________

• Remove _____________

• Ensure _____________ are decreasing over time

4) The Project Manager’s control mechanism

• Track _____________

• Use a feature _____________

• Find out why any features are _____________

• Make _____________ quickly

5) Don’t let time get away

• _____________ _____________ is essential

• Maintain the _____________schedule

• End the _____________ on time

06. The Adapt and Close Phases

1) The Adapt phase:

• Review what has been _____________

• _____________ to your plan

• Discuss what is and what is not _____________

• Agree to _____________

• Review the _____________ with the customer


• _____________ if working as expected

• Validate _____________ benefits

2) Typical adjustments:

• Adding or removing _____________

• Adjusting _____________

• _____________ estimates

• _____________ the daily stand-up agenda

• Changing _____________ members

• Updating the _____________ register

• Modifying _____________

• Adding _____________ , if essential

3) Close phase activities:

• Ensuring _____________ are paid and payments are received

• Reconciling _____________

• _____________ people to other projects or work activities

• Communicating the overall _____________ results

• Ensure business benefits are _____________ and achieved

Chapter 2: Envisioning – Project Selection and Design

01. Selecting an Agile Project

1) Characteristics of good agile projects

• Need a _____________ quickly

• _____________ may evolve

• Capable _____________ _____________ are available

• Independent _____________ making

• Can deliver _____________ in pieces


2) Not a good agile candidate

• Been _____________ using other methods

• Not ok to _____________ the project

• Cannot deliver in _____________

02. Scoping the Project

1) The Product Data Sheet

• Executive _____________ of the project

• More detailed _____________

• Easy to use _____________ tool

2) Typical contents of the Product Data Sheet include:

• Product _____________

• _____________ objectives

• Timeline

• _____________ estimates

• Constraints

• _____________

3) Common constraints for the typical project include:

• _____________ date

• _____________ standards

• When _____________ can or cannot occur

• _____________ of people

• Tools or _____________

• Funding

4) Client review of the PDS should:

• Describe _____________ benefits

• Confirm _____________


03. The Sprint Structure1) Options for grouping features include:

• Business _____________

• Available _____________

• _____________ resources

• _____________ of the business

2) Examples for size estimate categories:

• Large - ____ hours

• Medium - ____ hours

• Small - ____ hours

04. Deriving Your Risk Management

1) Agile risks should be:

• Assigned

• Assessed against _____________

• _____________ by feature

2) Options for lowering overall risk include:

• Make the first _____________ lower risk

• Work on more difficult _____________ in the second sprint

3) When agile practice is needed:

• Keep features _____________

• Allow _____________ to get used to agile

• Build the team’s _____________

4) Other approaches to risk include:

• Adjust the _____________ of features

• Allow a _____________ to develop

• Reduce features in _____________ sprints


Chapter 3: Speculating – Guiding the Agile Project

02. Designing Stand-Ups

1) The stand-up meetings characteristics:

• Critical _____________ sharing

• Typically ___ minutes long

• Standing keeps it sharp, _____________ , and active

2) The Project Manager’s role in stand-ups:

• Do not _____________ the meeting

• Change the _____________

• Assign a _____________

3) During the stand-up meetings…

• Do not _____________ issues

• Limit to _____________ team members

• _____________ is key

4) Items to observe during stand-ups:

• Collaboration

• New _____________

• Common issues or _____________ issues

• Anyone _____________

5) To end the stand-ups on a positive note:

• _____________ wins

• Demonstrate _____________

• Keep positive _____________

6) On a weekly basis…

• _____________ others

• _____________ how the project is going


• Create _____________

• Open for _____________

03. Controlling and Adjusting the Plan

1) Managing scope activities include:

• _____________ list

• Re-prioritizing

• _____________ _____________ current sprint

2) Using “velocity” involves:

• Average _____________ completed

• Tracking against _____________ rate

• Understanding changes in _____________

• Adjusting plans as needed to _____________ velocity

3) The Burn Down Chart provides information including:

• _____________ status

• Targets when to _____________

• Maximize _____________

Chapter 4: Exploring – Managing the Building Process

01. Controlling without interfering the build

1) Items to investigate include:

• Is the customer not _____________ with the development team?

• Has the customer been too busy to spend time with the_____________ _____________?

• Are _____________ confused about the iterative approach?


02. Managing Constructive Collaboration

1) Plan, do, check, adjust

• Plan the _____________

• _____________ the work

• Verify

• Corrective _____________ if needed

2) When co-location is not feasible:

• Provide additional _____________

• Enable _____________ _____________ to information

• Consider _____________

• Meet _____________ to _____________ at least once if possible

• Work the first _____________ together

3) A potential framework for non-unanimous decision making involves:

• Encourage _____________ sharing

• _____________ to speak up

• Listen carefully to _____________

• Majority _____________ are feasible

• Decision _____________ needs to be understood

• Need support from those who _____________

• No _____________ power

03. Managing Issues and Risks

1) Activities to consider when dealing with issues:

• _____________ the team

• Develop _____________ to resolve

• Direct an _____________ conversation


2) Healthy conflict involves:

• Attack the _____________

• Address _____________ directly

• Bring _____________ to the table

• _____________ with pros and cons presented together

3) When you need to make a decision:

• Make it _____________

• Provide _____________

• Ask for _____________

4) Evidence of a good working environment includes:

• _____________ is critical

• Make _____________ area available

• Provide _____________

• Allow _____________

5) Successful issue and risk management characteristics:

• About _____________

• _____________

• Providing clear _____________

• _____________ to resolve

Chapter 5: Adapting and Closing – Fine-Tuning to Deliver

02. Accommodation Business Priority Changes

1) Accommodation principles include:

• Business _____________ needs to be honored

• Advise business of _____________

• Re-estimate when _____________ are lost


2) The rebuilding of features

• Requires _____________

• Normal, but needs to be ___________

• Review any new ____________

• Enable ___________ estimates

04. Closing the Project

1) When starting the Close phase:

• Provide an overall _____________

• “A _____________”

• Invite additional _____________

2) Close phase begins when…

• All features are _____________ OR

• You are out of _____________ OR

• You are out of _____________

3) If you did not complete all features:

• Determine _____________ of remaining features

• Are other _____________ _____________ desired?

• A new project may be _____________

4) A team event at the end of the project is critical. It:

• Provides _____________

• _____________ the project is over

• Recognizes _____________

• Provides an opportunity to discuss benefits and _____________ points

5) The “people side” of project closure involves:

• Potentially _____________

• People may be _____________


• Focus on overall _____________

• Reflect on _____________

Chapter 6: Agile Tips and Tricks

01. Spotting Signs of Trouble

1) Signs of trouble include:

• _____________ features

• _____________

• Building _____________ _____________ features

• _____________ features

• Features need _____________

2) Typical root causes for problems include:

• Not asking the _____________ _____________

• _____________ does not understand what you are building

• Inaccurate _____________ about business need

3) Potential actions for addressing root causes include:

• Conduct a _____________ review

• Revise the product _____________

4) Other trouble indicators include:

• Team _____________ issues

• Using up project _____________

• Project manager vs. team is the “_____________”


02. Adjusting Your Management Techniques

1) When trying agile for the first time:

• Expect _____________

• Focus on what is important to _____________

• Move _____________ thinking

2) Typical management priorities for projects include:

• _____________ the business problem

• Maintain _____________

• Support team _____________

3) Maintaining control of the project involves:

• _____________ management

• _____________ management

• _____________ management

4) Team morale drivers include:

• _____________ skills

• Sharing _____________

• Delivering _____________ quickly

• _____________ with repeated success

• Letting them _____________ as they go

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