Course 5: Agile Project Management

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)

A Lean-Agile scaling framework that combines concepts from Kanban, Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), DevOps, and Design Thinking methodologies; puts the goal of delivering value above all else

Timebox

A Scrum concept that refers to the estimated duration for an event

Daily Scrum

A brief meeting of up to 15 minutes that takes place every day of the Sprint to inspect progress toward the goal; also called a stand-up

Agile Manifesto

A collection of four values and 12 principles that define the mindset that all Agile teams should strive for

Relative estimation

A comparison of the effort for a task to the effort for another task

Work-in-progress (WIP) limit

A constraint on how many work items are actively being worked on at any given time

Flow

A core principle of Kanban that aims to maximize efficiency

Product requirements document

A document that lists the scope and requirements of the project; used in Waterfall project management

CSV file

A file type that holds a spreadsheet's data; stands for "Comma Separated Value" because it uses commas to separate values

Change control board

A formal and rigorous process to manage any changes to requirements

Stacey Matrix

A framework developed to help project managers identify the complexities of their environment so they can adapt their style of decision-making; enables a project manager to consider the knowns and unknowns within their project based on implementation and requirements

Scrum

A framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex products

Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS)

A framework that aims to maximize the Scrum Team's ability to deliver value and reduce waste in larger organizations

Cynefin framework

A framework used for measuring project complexity; pinpoints five sections of complexity that various projects may fall into: obvious, complex, complicated, chaotic, and disorder

Epic

A group or collection of user stories

Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD)

A hybrid approach that combines the strategies from various Agile frameworks, including Kanban, LeSS, Lean Development, Extreme Programming, and Agile Modeling; guides people through process-related decisions and helps develop a scaled Agile strategy based on context and desired outcomes

Uncertainty

A lack of predictability or high potential for surprise

Velocity

A measure of the amount of work a team can take on during a single Sprint

Sprint Review

A meeting with the entire Scrum Team where the product is demonstrated to determine which aspects are finished and which aren't

Story points

A method for estimating user stories, tasks, and backlog items by assigning a point value based on effort and risk

Lean

A methodology in which the main principle is the removal of waste within an operation

Extreme Programming (XP)

A methodology that aims to improve product quality and the ability to respond to changing customer needs; takes best practices for the development process to extreme levels

Kanban

A methodology that provides visual feedback to everyone who might be interested in the status of the work in progress; displays the progress of a project as "to do," "in progress," and "done"

Waterfall project management

A project management methodology that refers to the sequential or linear ordering of phases

Mission

A short statement that stays constant for the team throughout the project and gives them something to work toward

User story

A short, simple description of a feature told from the perspective of the user

Ambiguity

A state where conditions and root causes of events or circumstances are unclear, leading to the possibility of misunderstanding

Deliverable

A tangible outcome from a project

Scrum of Scrums

A technique for integrating the work of multiple, smaller Scrum Teams working on the same project or solution

Sprint

A timeboxed iteration where a planned amount of work is done

Inspection

A timely check toward the outcome of a Sprint Goal to detect undesirable variances; one of the three pillars of Scrum

Coaching

A two-way communication style aimed at influencing and developing employees' skills, motivation, and judgment

Minimum viable product (MVP)

A version of a product with just enough features to satisfy early customers

Burndown chart

A visual that measures time against the amount of work done and amount of work remaining

Product roadmap

A visualization or document that provides a high-level view of the expected product, its requirements, and an estimated schedule for reaching milestones

T-shirt sizes

A way to estimate what is needed for a work effort in terms of time, budget, and energy by categorizing it as XS, S, M, L, XL, or XXL

I.N.V.E.S.T

Acronym for the criteria each user story should meet; stands for: independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small, and testable

Adaptation

Adjusting project, product, or processes to minimize any further deviation or issues; one of the three pillars of Scrum

Value roadmap

An Agile way of mapping out the timelines and requirements for the product-development process

Definition of Done

An agreed-upon set of items that must be completed before a project or user story can be considered complete

Agile project management

An approach to project and team management that embodies "agility" based on the Agile Manifesto

Solution Design Sprint

An entire Sprint spent working solely on the solution design

Sprint Retrospective

An essential meeting of up to three hours for the Scrum Team to take a step back, reflect, and identify improvements about how to work together as a team

DevOps

An organizational and cultural movement that aims to increase software delivery velocity, improve service reliability, and build shared ownership among software stakeholders

Requirements

Conditions that must be met or tasks that must be finished to ensure the successful completion of the project

Product vision

Defines what the product is, how it supports the customer's business strategy, and who will use it; makes clear what outcomes the team is responsible for and where their boundaries are

Organizational culture

Describes shared workplace values and shows up in people's behaviors, activities, the way they communicate, and how they work with each other

Incremental

Describes work that is divided into smaller chunks that build on one another

Development Team

In Scrum, the people who do the work to build the product; also called Developers

Scrum Master

In Scrum, the role responsible for ensuring the team lives Agile values and principles and follows the processes and practices the team agreed to; shares information with the larger project team and helps the team focus on doing their best work

Product Owner

In Scrum, the role responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the team

Case studies

In-depth, data-driven analyses of a business, community, or organization

Release plans

Indicates the approximate date when the team is expected to release and deliver certain features to the customer or user; contains a release goal, the list of Backlog items, an estimated release date, and any other relevant dates that impact a release

Transparency

Making the most significant aspects of the work visible to those responsible for the outcome; one of the three pillars of Scrum

Team dynamics and culture

Refers to creating an effective team culture that is inclusive, supportive, and empowering; one of the four themes of the Agile principles

Value delivery

Refers to delivering the work as quickly as possible to get feedback and mitigate time risk; one of the four themes of the Agile principles

Business agility

Refers to incorporating Agile principles into the wide sphere of management

Iterative

Refers to repeating cycles of delivery

Retrospectives and continuous learning

Refers to striving continuously to learn and adapt to what's working and what's not; one of the four themes of the Agile principles

Complexity

Refers to the high number of interrelated forces, issues, organizations, and factors that would influence a project

Sprint Planning

Refers to when the entire Scrum Team comes together to map out what will be done during the Sprint

Releasable

Refers to when the team has developed a minimum viable product of a given feature or requirement

Influencer

Someone who is able to lead and influence others to change their behaviors, hearts, and minds to produce meaningful, sustainable results

Continuous integration and continuous refactoring

The Extreme Programming practice of merging product changes into a shared version several times a day in order to get quick feedback on the quality of the code or product

Spotify model

The Spotify organization's version of the Agile approach; focuses on culture, team autonomy, communication, accountability, and quality to increase agility

Pair Programming

The XP practice that refers to when two team members work together at the same time on one task

Backlog refinement

The act of keeping the Backlog prioritized, estimated, and described so the Scrum Team can operate effectively

Managing

The act of overseeing the work of others; can include onboarding and orienting new employees, conducting meetings, delegating tasks and assignments, monitoring progress and performance against those tasks, making decisions, and dealing with conflicts

Capacity

The amount of work a team can handle in a given amount of time

Acceptance criteria

The checklist the project manager uses to decide whether a story is done

Business collaboration

The concept that collaborating with customers gets critical business information to the team immediately, allowing them to adjust and adapt new information instantly; one of the four themes of the Agile principles

VUCA

The conditions that affect organizations in a changing and complex world; stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity

Five values of Scrum

The core values that guide how Scrum Teams work and behave: commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect

Product Goal

The desired future state of the product; can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against

Three pillars of Scrum

The foundational concepts on which Scrum is based: transparency, inspection, and adaptation

Empiricism

The idea that true knowledge comes from actual, lived experience

Change management

The process of getting people to adopt a new product, process, or value system

Volatility

The rate of change and churn in a business or situation

Sprint Backlog

The set of Product Backlog items that are selected to be completed during the upcoming Sprint

Product Backlog

The single authoritative source for things a team works on; contains all of the features, requirements, and activities associated with deliverables to achieve the goal of the project

Product increment

What is produced after a given Sprint