The use of agile development methods such as Scrum continues to grow apace. This is based on extraordinary benefits in productivity, quality, predictability and flexibility being experienced across diverse companies and industries. Scrum has now entered the mainstream, with the majority of software development organisations worldwide using it in at least some projects. But to be successful, the role of Product Owner is key, and qualified Product Owners are in big demand. A rigorous certification is increasingly important in accessing these new and exciting opportunities. The creators of Scrum, Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber, have defined the key concepts and practices of Scrum and introduced a certification scheme called ‘Professional Scrum Product Owner™’. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the concepts underlying agile, the Scrum framework itself and the core responsibilities of the Product Owner: Agile Requirements Management and Planning. The training includes classroom type presentation, interactive exercises and simulations, sample exam questions and in-depth discussions with experienced Scrum practitioners/trainers. Covering all material required for PSPO™ and much more, this course will give you the knowledge needed to pass the online exam and work as an effective Scrum Product Owner.

Who should attend

This course is intended for Product Managers, Product Owners, Project Managers, Business Analysts and Team Leads – those involved in defining and managing requirements and planning Scrum sprints and releases. For details on the Professional Scrum Product Owner™ Exam, see www.scrum.org

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

Define the key agile values, principles and benefits
Explain the theory behind Scrum and why it works
Describe the Scrum framework including roles, events and artifacts
Leverage Scrum to optimise value creation and customer satisfaction
Lead Story Writing Workshops to define user stories and acceptance criteria
Help the team plan and estimate in an agile environment
Run a Release Planning event with your team and project stakeholders
Define an effective product backlog covering stories and other work items
Steer the Scrum team by providing feedback and support for the evolving software system to maximise productivity and business value

Topics covered

Introduction to Agile

Agile values, principles and practices – managing complexity with empiricism
Exercise: The Name Game
Business benefits of Agile
Exercise: Value Flow Game

The Scrum Framework

Roles – ScrumMaster, Product Owner and Developer
Timeboxed Events – Sprint Planning, Stand-Up, Review and Retrospective
Backlog Refinement/Grooming – a continuous activity
Artifacts – Including Backlogs, Definition of Done and Product Increments

The Product Owner role and Responsibilities

Product owner role in the four Scrum meetings
Product Owner Characteristics and typical responsibilities
The Product Owner as Leader – working with the ScrumMaster

Requirements Management in Agile

Defining your stakeholders and understanding their needs ▪ The Agile Contract – A new way to engage with your customers
Product Vision, Epics, User stories, Acceptance Criteria and Spikes
Exercise: Defining a Product Vision and Project Charter
Specification by Example – using examples to define Acceptance Criteria
The INVEST criteria for user stories
User stories and acceptance criteria with examples
Exercise: defining and refining user stories using a workshop approach
Rightsizing Work – Delivering Potentially Releasable Product Increments
Exercise: Breaking up Work and Defining Spikes

Release and Sprint Planning

Estimation with Story Points, Planning Poker and Velocity
Exercise: Using Planning Poker
Effectively managing change with Scrum
Prioritising your Backlog to Maximise Value and Minimise Risk ▪ Return on Investment, Cost of Delay, Weighted Shortest Job First
Defining Product and Release scope ▪ Minimum Viable Features & Products ▪ Planning and Costing Product Releases in Scrum
Tracking progress to scope and schedule in agile projects

Working with Scrum at Scale and across Distributed Organisations

The Dual Role Product Owner model

PSPO™ Exam Preparation

Exam Tips and Techniques

Recap of the Scrum Framework, the Scrum Guide and the Product Owner Role

Answer, Assess and Discuss Sample Exam Questions