PMI-ACP® Exam Prep: In-House Training

Getting Started

• Introductions
• Agenda
• Expectations

Foundation Concepts

• Defining “Traditional” Project Management
• Project management parameters
• The “traditional” approach to the parameters
• Strengths and weaknesses of the traditional approach
• Defining “Agile” Project Management
• Project management parameters revisited
• The “agile” approach to the parameters
• Strengths and weaknesses of agile
• Managing projects with traditional and agile methods
• Can the two approaches co-exist?
• Leveraging the benefits of both methods
• Options for using both methods on a project
• Avoiding the elephant traps
• Key aspects of the PMI® Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® Handbook
• Overview
• Eligibility requirements
• Exam information
• Exam Blueprint
• Continuing certification requirements
• Key aspects of the PMI Agile Certification Examination Content Outline
• Introduction
• Agile exam content outline
• Tools and techniques
• Knowledge and skills
• Domains and tasks (not examined)

An Introduction to Agile and Implementing Agile

• Definable work vs. high-uncertainty work
• Project factors that influence tailoring
• The Agile Manifesto and 12 Principles
• Agile mindset
• Agile domains and tasks

Agile Tools and Techniques Related to PM “Hard Skills”

• Planning, monitoring, and adapting
• The need for planning, monitoring, and adapting
• The Agile approach to planning and plans
• The Agile planning tools and techniques
• The Agile monitoring tools and techniques
• The Agile approach to adapting
• Product quality
• A definition of “product quality”
• Setting the standard for product quality
• Agile tools and techniques for achieving product quality
• Risk management
• A definition of “risk”
• What is “at risk”?
• The acceptability of risks
• The Agile tools and techniques for managing risks

Agile Tools and Techniques Related to PM “Soft Skills”

• The difference between PM “hard and soft” skills
• Communications
• The importance of communications
• Forms of agile communications
• Communications within the project
• Communications from the project
• Communications to the project
• Making communications the cultural norm
• Interpersonal Skills
• Defining and understanding management
• Defining and understanding leadership
• Defining and understanding servant leadership
• Delegating vs. empowering
• Playing to people’s strengths
• Overcoming the roadblocks

Core Agile Tools and Techniques

• The philosophy of core Agile tools and techniques
• Agile estimation
• Will traditional forms of estimating work for agile?
• The relationship between estimating and guessing
• The relationship between estimating and sizing
• The where, who, and how of agile estimating
• Agile analysis and design
• Product analysis and design from a user point of view
• Product analysis and design from a supplier point of view
• Product analysis and design from an agile project point of view

Value-Based Agile Tools and Techniques

• The role of value-based tools and techniques in bridging traditional PM with Agile
• Value-based prioritization
• Value-based prioritization and agile projects
• Investment appraisal methods
• Regulatory driven
• Customer driven
• Ranking methods (MMF, MoSCoW)
• Metrics
• What should we measure / track?
• Methods of measuring / tracking
• Adding value with metrics
• Process Improvement
• Value-stream analysis
• Value-stream mapping

Agile Knowledge and Skills

• Context of Agile Knowledge and Skills vis-à-vis Agile Tools and Techniques
• Agile Knowledge and Skills
• Process focused
• People focused
• Product focused
• Project focused

Exam Preparation and Course Closure

• The application process – where are you now?
• The “Exam-Focused Journal” – what you still have to do
• Further preparation – self-study schedule
• Exam topic review
• Practice exam
• Practice exam debrief
• Course closure