Agile is not what you do, Agile is what you become!

Since 2012, all government departments have been required to use the Agile approach to project management, to build and run new digital services.

As you begin your Agile journey, one of your first challenges will be understanding the rules and roles that support Agile delivery, some of the most frequently asked questions are "Which Agile framework is applicable to our business operating model?" or, "Is the Project Manager role equivalent to that of theProduct Owner?" and, "What does a Scrum Master do?"

A strong corporate culture not accustomed to the Agile mindset can also be a difficult environment in which to implement Agile methods.  In some cases, the company’s culture and practices may reward non-Agile milestones while inadvertently discouraging Agile success.

This intensive two-day training course combines PowerPoint presentations, informal discussions and practical exercises to introduce you to Agile Scrum as a Delivery Method, without the impending pressure of having to pass a formal certification examination. Previous experience of Agile delivery is not a pre-requisite to attending this course, although it is assumed delegates have previously attended the Primer course, or have some understanding of Agile Scrum terms and practices.

This course, designed by Agile Scrum practitioners and coaches with specialist experience of working on GDS (Government Digital Service) Service Standards compliant government and public sector projects has been accredited by The CPD Certification Service and is now available outside its usual central government and public sector digital delivery setting.

Who this course is for

Service and Programme Managers

If you are a Service Manager or Programm Manager who wants to explore the benefits of transitioning to Agile ways of working and want to understand how your existing business processes and resource landscape will fit into an Agile delivery model, then this course aims to provide you with enough information to enable you to make an informed decision.

Career ambitions

If you are new to Agile and your intention is to pursue a career either as an Agile Scrum Master or Agile Product Owner, you will hopefully be provided with enough knowledge to enable you to determine which role best suits your Agile career ambitions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How this course differs from other Agile courses

Delegates will learn the 'How', not just the 'What'!

This course has been designed by highly experienced Agile practitioners and coaches with specialist real-life experience of working on GDS (Government Digital Service) Service Design Standard projects. Delegates will find that the learning objectives are significantly more detailed than with other Agile courses which only focus on teaching the learning objectives of The Scrum Guide.

Delegates must take the certification assessment.

No! During enrolment, delegates can opt out of taking the C-ASDM certification assessment.

The online Agile Scrum as a Delivery Method – Essentials course quiz is optional

Absolutely! Delegates are provided access to the online Agile knowledge quiz which accompanies the Agile Scrum as a Delivery Method – Essentials course. The quiz helps delegates gauge their level of attainment but is entirely optional.

Delegates can take the certification assessment without enrolling on the course.

Yes! Delegates with existing Agile project delivery experience can choose to take the certification assessment without enrolling on the course.

I will receive my certificate as soon as I have completed the course

You will initially receive an Assessment Completion report after completing the assessment. The report details the certification status: 'Pass' or 'Fail', and includes information on which questions were answered incorrectly. Your certificate is issued by the CPD Certification Service approximately four-to six-weeks after successfully completing and passing the C-ASDM Certification Assessment.

A CPD certification is recognised by employers

Yes! CPD certification is recognised by private and public sector employers, and in central government departments as a valuable way to evaluate the skills of an individual, and the quality of the learning activities. Listing your CPD certification as well as the number of CPD Points you have achieved on your CV is essentially showcasing your achievements in continuing your professional development.

One CPD Point is equivalent to an hour of training

CPD points are units that quantify time, and the quality of learning and development activities. Delegates will earn 3 CPD Points upon successful completion of the C-ASDM Certification Assessment or 13 CPD Points after completing the two-day course.

My CPD certificate will expire after three years

Your certificate will not expire however, best practice suggests a renewal after three years. You can do this by enrolling on the C-ASDM course to ensure your knowledge of Agile as a Delivery Method is up to date.

Service features

• Two-day Agile Scrum training course
• The course uses eCommerce and other Business Case examples for context
• Optional online CPD certification assessment
• Optional Agile knowledge quiz to help delegates gauge level of attainment
• Online Retrospective feedback to enable continuous course improvements.

Service benefits

• Delegates will understand the concepts and benefits of Agile Scrum development
• Scrum team roles and role accountabilities
• INVEST-compliant User Stories and BDD formatted Acceptance Criteria
• Agile approach to incremental project delivery
• Agile artefacts and Agile reports (burn-down & burn-up charts)
• Agile Events & Scrum rules
• Comparison: Agile methodologies (Lean, XP, SAFe & Scrum)
• Use of Kanban for workflow management
• Government Digital Service (GDS) Service Standards and Service Assessment
• Be able to communicate the ideals of Agile to stakeholders

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Service Agenda

General knowledge

• Agile Delivery 101
• Scrum process and sprints
• Applicability of Scrum
• Agile Manifesto​

Scrum roles and accountabilities

• Overview of Scrum roles (Core & Ancillary)
• Scrum Master role and role responsibilities
• Scrum Product Owner role and role responsibilities
• Scrum team

Scrum events

• Sprint Planning
• Daily Scrums
• Sprint Reviews
• Sprint Retrospectives

Scrum artefacts

• Product Backlog
• Sprint Backlog
• Increments

Scrum Reports

• Burn-down and Burn-up Charts​

Scaling Scrum

• Working with multiple Scrum teams
• Working with distributed Scrum teams

GDS (Government Digital Service)

• Service Standards
• Service Assessments

Risks and challenges

• Risks and challenges of transitioning to Agile delivery

Frequently asked questions

• Discussion on frequently asked Agile questions

Agile knowledge quiz

• Examples of the multiple-choice questions in the optional online quiz

On-going support

Email support

No

Telephone support

No

Webchat support

No

Online support

No

Community Support

Yes! Delegates are offered access to our private online 'Community of Agile Scrum Practitioners'.

Delegates who achieve the pass mark for CPD certification are additionally offered access to our private 'Certified Scrum  Practitioners’ Guild', a private Slack community of like-minded Agile professionals.