PMI-ACP Exam Prep Success

In this lecture I’ll provide you with a quick overview of the PMI-ACP Domain: Agile Principles and Mindset. This lecture sets the stage for all the other lectures in this section. In this lecture we’ll quickly discuss what is the Agile Mindset and how it affects your ability to earn the PMI-ACP certification.

We’ll also discuss the Agile Principles and how you must embrace these for exam success, but also for your success as an agile project manager.

What does it mean to have an Agile mindset? It means to think Agile, understand the change is welcome, and for many project managers, it’s a shift from the predictive approach project management utilizes in many fields.

The agile project manager has several attributes that we’ll discuss in this lecture:

Advocate for agile principles and values in the organization

Ensure common understanding of agile principles

Educate and influence agile

Transparency equates to trust

Safe environment for experimenting

Can you really create an Agile mindset? What if you come from a traditional predictive project management environment? Yes, but there may be some challenges. The approach to take is to first be open to the possibilities that there’s more than one way to manage a project.

Second, knowledge work projects, like software development, are more conducive to agile project management than more end-driven projects like construction.

In this lecture we’ll discuss the challenges you may have when first embracing agile project management – and what you’ll need to do for this exam objective. Let’s go!

In this lecture I’ll discuss empirical processes and defined processes. Agile (Scrum) really relies on empirical processes for transparency, inspections, and adaptation. You’ll need to be familiar with this concept for your PMI-ACP exam.

The PM Declaration of interdependence is a set of six management principles initially intended for project managers of Agile Software Development projects. Later on, the name was changed to "The declaration of interdependence for modern management", as it was realized that the principles might be applicable to other management situations. For your PMI-ACP exam, you’ll need to recognize these values.

Embracing agile doesn’t happen overnight. It is a culture change for many – to be successful it needs support from the top; a consistent view of what agile means to your organization needs to socialized at all levels.

In this lecture we’ll examine the Triple Constraints of Project Management and how agile turns it all upside down. You’ll likely see this concept on your PMI-ACP exam.

Aaron De Smet, an agile leader, said, “Agility is the ability of an organization to renew itself, adapt, change quickly, and succeed in a rapidly changing, ambiguous, turbulent environment. Agility is not incompatible with stability—quite the contrary. Agility requires stability for most companies.” That’s what we’ll discuss in this lecture.

Thinking about agile practices is all about having the agile mindset – something you’ll need for the PMI-ACP exam. In this lecture we’ll dive into this concept of the agile mindset for your PMI-ACP exam.

There is a difference between doing agile and being agile. In this lecture we’ll discuss doing agile, the mechanics of agile, and just create a good foundation for agile project management. This is also essential for your PMI-ACP exam, of course.

As part of your role as an agile project manager, you need to encourage others to embrace agile just as you have. Your PMI-ACP exam will test you on this concept of helping others and the organization to embrace agile.

The PMI-ACP examination will test the concepts and approaches in the Agile Manifesto. You don’t need to memorize this document, but you should be very familiar with the philosophies of what the manifesto recommends.

The Agile Manifesto is a proclamation of four key values and 12 guiding principles for managing software development projects. It’s a foundation for all that is Agile. In this lecture we’ll walk through the entire Agile Manifesto and see what you must know about this document to pass the PMI-ACP examination.

Can you really create an Agile mindset? What if you come from a traditional predictive project management environment? Yes, but there may be some challenges. The approach to take is to first be open to the possibilities that there’s more than one way to manage a project.

Second, knowledge work projects, like software development, are more conducive to agile project management than more end-driven projects like construction.

In this lecture we’ll discuss the challenges you may have when first embracing agile project management – and what you’ll need to do for this exam objective. Let’s go!

Another principle of the Agile Manifesto, which you’ll need to know for your PMI-ACP exam, is the concept of valuing working software over comprehensive documentation. The value in a project is in getting the project done.

This lecture is all about collaborating with the customer. Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation is one of the four statements of the Agile Manifesto. Customer collaboration means the actual customer who is purchasing your solution or an internal customer who’ll use what the team creates. Let’s discuss this in more detail now.

The fourth value of Agile project management addresses the response to change. You know that change is welcome in agile projects and change is a valuable tool for creating great products. In this lecture, I’ll discuss this concept of the Agile Manifesto: responding to change over following a plan

The PMI-ACP examination will test the concepts and approaches in the Agile Manifesto. You don’t need to memorize this document, but you should be very familiar with the philosophies of what the manifesto recommends.

The Agile Manifesto is a proclamation of four key values and 12 guiding principles for managing software development projects. It’s a foundation for all that is Agile. In this lecture we’ll walk through the entire Agile Manifesto and see what you must know about this document to pass the PMI-ACP examination.

On the PMI-ACP examination you’ll have lots of questions on the Agile approaches to project management. Fortunately, the biggest methodology is also based on the Agile Manifesto, to some extent, and its components are not difficult to learn.

On the PMI-ACP examination you’ll have lots of questions on the Agile approaches to project management. Fortunately, the biggest methodology is also based on the Agile Manifesto, to some extent, and its components are not difficult to learn.

In this lecture I’ll discuss Scrum in agile project management. Specifically, we’ll look at:

Scrum is easy to understand, but can be difficult to master

Scrum is a rugby term

Scrum uses a methodology called the scrum framework

The scrum framework is a set of practices, roles and responsibilities, events, artifacts, and rules

Kanban (pronounced like Con Bon) is a Japanese word meaning signboard. It’s a great tool to show what’s in queue, what the team is working on, and what’s moving through the other stages of your software development life cycle. In this lecture, I’ll talk all about KanBan and what you need to know for your PMI-ACP exam.

Another flavor of agile project management is eXtreme Programming, also known as XP. XP has some similarities to Scrum, but there are a few different terms and approaches to how XP works. In this lecture we discuss how XP works and what you’ll need to know for the PMI-ACP examination.

We will discuss several topics, including:

XP core values

XP project team roles

XP practices

Refactoring code in an XP environment

For your PMI-ACP examination you’ll also need to know about Lean and how its characteristics have been incorporated into knowledge work projects like software development. You will have a few questions on lean, but primarily on its core principles.

In this lecture we will discuss:

Lean core concepts

Seven wastes of lean

The principles of Kanban

Little’s Law

You need to know and recognize DSDM as an Agile method that focuses on the project lifecycle.  This approach was created in 1994, after project managers using RAD (Rapid Application Development) sought more governance and discipline to this new iterative way of working. In this lecture we’ll explore DSDM and how it works.

In this lecture I’ll discuss Feature-Driven Development and why it’s important for the PMI-ACP exam. When it is produced well, FDD can offer timely status reports and accurate progress tracking based on all levels of leadership in the project.

There are a few other “flavors” of agile project management that you’ll need to be familiar with for your PMI-ACP examination. Don’t worry – these are easy and you want have tons of questions on these lesser-known agile project management practices. In this lecture we’ll discuss Crystal Agile Project Management.

So what does agile project management look like when it’s actually being implemented? In this lecture we’ll examine just that: the mechanics managing a project with agile. Specifically we’ll address several things you’ll need to know for your PMI-ACP examination:

• Product vision
• Creating the product roadmap
• Release planning
• Iteration planning
• Daily scrums
• Sprint reviews
• Sprint retrospectives

There are lots of terms in this lecture, so pay close attention. You may want to watch this lecture more than once (hint!)

So what does agile project management look like when it’s actually being implemented? In this lecture we’ll examine just that: the mechanics managing a project with agile. Specifically we’ll address several things you’ll need to know for your PMI-ACP examination:

• Product vision
• Creating the product roadmap
• Release planning
• Iteration planning
• Daily scrums
• Sprint reviews
• Sprint retrospectives

There are lots of terms in this lecture, so pay close attention. You may want to watch this lecture more than once (hint!)

One of the biggest themes on the PMI-ACP examination is that you, the project manager, take a servant leadership role. This can be a big adjustment if you’ve worked in environments where you’ve taken more of a command-and-control approach. In agile, the focus is on the team while the agile project manager supports the team.

In this lecture I’ll discuss how:

The recognition is on the team members not the project manager or coach or ScrumMaster

The team gets the work done

The team adds value

Servant leaders provide what team members need

Throughout the course I offer these quick coaching sessions about your effort to pass the PMI-ACP. These motivational lectures are a quick reminder of what it takes to earn the PMI-ACP and how you can work effectively to study to pass the test. I use the acronym PMA – Positive Mental Attitude – throughout this course. Keep your PMA! You can do this!

Team members need a safe environment to experiment, try innovative approaches, and to fail fast. In this lecture I’ll discuss the concept of creating a safe and trustful environment for the development team. You’ll want to know this for your PMI-ACP exam.

(NULL) In this assignment you’ll work through a case study to find efficient and effective ways or working in an agile project. You’ll consider the project manager, the project team, the product owner, and the shared vision of the project.

When we think of leading the project we often think of the role of the project manager. While the project manager does take up the initial leadership role, emergent leadership means that anyone can lead on the project.

Great job finishing up this section on the Agile Principles and Mindset. In this lecture we’ll take a quick look back at what you’ve learned in this section and I’ll highlight some of the most important topics.

This review lecture is always a good thing to review as you move through the course so you don’t lose touch with these topics.

Value-driven delivery is a theme of the agile project management approach. In this overview video I’ll introduce this topic and help you onto the value freeway. If you want to embrace an overall strategy for passing the PMI-ACP examination, value-driven delivery is key.

This is a big, big component of the exam, so you’ll want to pay close attention to these topics. Let’s hop in and get going on redeeming and creating value for your stakeholders in this section.

In this lecture we’ll discuss the PMI-ACP examination domain of Value-Driven Delivery. This domain accounts for 20 percent of your exam – roughly 24 exam questions. Lots of test questions on this information, so pay close attention to this domain.

We will review:

Tasks for value-driven delivery

How to delivery value early in the project

The ongoing practice of removing waste

Assessing value is part of the agile project management approach. In this lecture we’ll discuss what value – and anti-value – is to the project manager. We’ll look at some formulas for understanding value from both the agile project manager’s perspective and the stakeholders’ perspective.

In this lecture we’ll also review the earned value management formulas. Don’t worry – you’ll likely not have many of these formulas on the PMI-ACP examination.

For your PMI-ACP exam, you need to be familiar with the concept of removing waste from a project. In this lecture we’ll identify the non-value added activities that are wasteful and discuss some strategies for removing waste from our projects.

Prioritizing Value is paramount for agile projects. Think about a construction project, until the project is completely done you don’t realize any value. In knowledge-work projects, such as software development, you can have intermittent releases that provide some value to the customers while continuing to work on less-valuable components.

In this lecture we’ll explore the concept of value-driven delivery and why it’s so important for agile project management and the PMI-ACP examination.

Incremental delivery is all about delivery value as early as possible. As we’ve already discussed, you’ll prioritize the requirements with the product owner, and then work to deliver those high priority items first.

In this lecture we’ll continue that conversation on these topics:

The team regularly deploys working increments

Usually to a test environment for evaluation

This is an opportunity for an early return on investment

Assessing value is part of the agile project management approach. In this lecture we’ll discuss what value – and anti-value – is to the project manager. We’ll look at some formulas for understanding value from both the agile project manager’s perspective and the stakeholders’ perspective.

In this lecture we’ll also review the earned value management formulas. Don’t worry – you’ll likely not have many of these formulas on the PMI-ACP examination.

In this lecture we’ll discuss the concept of agile project accounting:

Agile accounting defines the economic models of agile projects

Project work and smaller chunks of a larger project

Smaller chunks of work are less risky

Accountability of invested in relation to the ROI

Agile projects utilize key performance indicators to show performance and track metrics. Key performance indicators are metrics to show how well the project is performing. Consider:

Rate of progress

Remaining work

Likely completion date

Likely cost remaining

Managing Threats and Issues is a task within this PMI-ACP examination domain. In PMP land, risks can be positive or negative. In agile projects, however, we only look at risk as being negative. It’s a threat to the project success.

In this lecture we’re going to focus on three primary concepts:

Risk is considered anti value

Goal is to attack high-risk items early in the project

Items with the greatest value in greatest risk move to the top of the backlog

Know these themes for your PMI-ACP examination.

For your PMI-ACP exam, regulations are requirements. Regulatory compliance is one instance for documentation where just because is utilized. These are the two details covered in this quick lecture.

Prioritizing Value is paramount for agile projects. Think about a construction project, until the project is completely done you don’t realize any value. In knowledge-work projects, such as software development, you can have intermittent releases that provide some value to the customers while continuing to work on less-valuable components.

In this lecture we’ll explore the concept of value-driven delivery and why it’s so important for agile project management and the PMI-ACP examination.

Incremental delivery is all about delivery value as early as possible. As we’ve already discussed, you’ll prioritize the requirements with the product owner, and then work to deliver those high priority items first.

In this lecture we’ll continue that conversation on these topics:

• The team regularly deploys working increments
• Usually to a test environment for evaluation
• This is an opportunity for an early return on investment

When it comes to Agile, MoSCoW isn’t a place. Made popular by DSDM, MoSCoW means:

Must have

Should have

Could have

Would like to have, but not this time

For your PMI-ACP exam, you’ll need to be familiar with Kano Analysis. Specifically:

Delighters exciters

Satisfiers

Dissatisfiers

Indifferent 

Let’s connect some dots… no, that’s not what this lecture is about. Dot voting gives stakeholders a predetermined amount of dots. Dots are assigned to the business features to vote on the requirements. Dots could be check marks or stickers. This is also known as “dotmocracy.”

For your PMI-ACP exam, you’ll need to know all about Monopoly Money. With this voting approach, stakeholders receive monopoly money equal to the amount of the project budget. The monopoly money is distributed among the system features. This approach is most effective when it’s limited to prioritizing business features. 

This voting method is similar to dot voting. Each stakeholder is allotted 100 points for voting. The points are assigned to the most important requirements by the stakeholders. Let’s discuss this approach in more detail now.

For your PMI-ACP exam, know these factors for setting requirements prioritization:

Value – business benefit

Cost – expense versus ROI

Risk – riskiest requirements first

Difficulty of implementation – safest first

Success factors – high probability of success

Regulatory compliance – laws and regulations

Relationship to other requirements – linked to other requirements

Stakeholder agreement – consensus on requirement

Urgency – time-sensitive requirement

This lecture is all about the product backlog and how the requirements are ranked by the product owner the project team. Know these factors for you PMI-ACP exam:

List of all requirements

Prioritized with product owner

Priorities can change with each grooming

Priorities don’t change during the iteration

For your exam, know that the team regularly deploys working increments. Initial releases usually are to a test environment for evaluation. The evaluation of the increment is an opportunity for an early return on investment.

In agile projects change is welcome and accepted. Change is least expensive at the start of the project. Change increases as product functionality increases. Change is expected, but can be expensive – and timely. Let’s discuss this in more detail now.

Want to be an MVP for your PMI-ACP exam? Know these facts about the minimum viable product:

Complete enough to be useful

Small enough that it does not represent the entire project

Also known as the minimal marketable feature

Barebones essentials of a product

Agile projects should embrace low-tech/high-touch tools. Examples include:

• Cards 
• Charts 
• Information radiator 
• Tools that promote communication and collaboration
• Tools that promote learning and knowledge transfer

In this lecture we’ll talk a bit more about the KanBan tool, also known as a task board.

Help teams monitor the work in progress. This is part of the transparent communication requirement for agile projects; something you’ll want to know for the PMI-ACP exam.

In this lecture we’ll talk a bit more about making a task board, also known as a KanBan or task board.

Help teams monitor the work in progress. This is part of the transparent communication requirement for agile projects; something you’ll want to know for the PMI-ACP exam.

Managing work in progress (WIP) is a constant them in agile projects – and for your PMI-ACP exam. You need to know what the WIP is, how to manage the WIP, and some other attributes I’ll discuss in this lecture.

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Contracting can be difficult in agile project management. You’ll deal with sellers who want to balance time, cost, and the scope the contracted work. But you also have to deal with uncertainties of change and a developing project scope in agile project management.

In this lecture we’ll discuss the challenges of contracts in agile project management and how you, the agile project manager can overcome these challenges.

We discussed DSDM earlier in the course. In this lecture we’ll continue that concept and see how a variation of the approach works with contracting. This is part of customer collaboration over contracts, so pay attention to this for your PMI-ACP exam.

In this lecture I’ll discuss these items:

• Both parties share some of the risk and reward 
• If a vendor delivers on-time they get paid for their work at the hourly rate 
• If the vendor delivers early they get paid for their work but at a higher hourly rate
• If the vendor delivers late they get paid for their work but at a lower hourly rate

For the PMI-ACP exam, know all about fixed-price work packages. This approach keeps the price of the work constant. Individual work packages are estimated for cost. Changes to the scope reflect a new estimate for those work packages.

The PMI-ACP exam will test your knowledge of how to validate projects and the products they create for value. Value, business value, is an important concept for the PMI-ACP exam, so really know everything about project value.

Software must be tested and verified before it can be released to the organization. In this lecture, I’ll discuss this process and how to apply the information for your PMI-ACP exam.

Exploratory testing allows the tester freedom to explore. The tester aims to discover issues and unexpected behavior. The tester explores the software. This approach is in addition to scripted testing. 

For your PMI-ACP exam you’ll need to answer three concerns about usability testing and its goals:

• How will a user respond to the system under realistic conditions?
• How easy is it to use the system?
• What improvements need to be made for usability?

The PMI-ACP exam will test your understanding of continuous integration. You’ll need to know:

Incorporate new and changed code into the code repository

Small code commits

Frequent integration

Relies on automated tools to integrate code when new code is checked in

When it comes to test-driven development, it’s all about writing, developing, testing, and cleaning. Specifically:

Also called test first development

Test are written before the code is written

Nunit

Junit

Code is developed and edited until the code passes all tests

Refactoring is the final step to clean up the code 

Throughout the course I offer these quick coaching sessions about your effort to pass the PMI-ACP. These motivational lectures are a quick reminder of what it takes to earn the PMI-ACP and how you can work effectively to study to pass the test. I use the acronym PMA – Positive Mental Attitude – throughout this course. Keep your PMA! You can do this!

Know these four steps of Acceptance Test-Driven Development for the PMI-ACP exam:

• Discuss the requirements – developers as the product owner questions that are designed to gather acceptance criteria 
• Distill test in a framework friendly format – gets the test ready to be entered into the acceptance test tool 
• Developed the code and run the test – test initially fail because the code hasn’t been written completely
• Demo – with automated acceptance testing scrips and demonstrations of the software

You did it! Great job finishing up this section on delivery value in agile projects. In this lecture we’ll take a quick look back at what you’ve learned in this section and I’ll highlight some of the most important topics.

This review lecture is always a good thing to review as you move through the course so you don’t lose touch with these topics.

If you’re a PMP or CAPM you’re probably already familiar with stakeholder management and its new chapters in the PMBOK Guide, fifth edition. If you’re not, don’t worry – this chapter will walk you through stakeholder management from an agile project manager’s point of view.

In this overview, I’ll introduce stakeholder management and its importance in the PMI-ACP examination. We’ll get started with a talk about agile project management and the role of the project stakeholders.

Stakeholder management on the PMI-ACP examination accounts for 17 percent of the exam. That’s roughly 20 exam questions! Know stakeholder management, an easier topic for experienced project managers, and you’ll be on your way to exam success.

In this lecture I’ll discuss:

• Working with the project stakeholders 
• Establishing a shared vision 
• Creating collaboration 
• Communicating with project stakeholders 
• Using interpersonal skills

Projects are about getting things done, about creating value. Stakeholder values can be anything they find important for the project to create, the schedule of the project, and, of course, the project budget.

In this lecture we’ll continue our conversation about value, but we’ll continue it in light of the project stakeholders.

What does it mean to have an Agile mindset? It means to think Agile, understand the change is welcome, and for many project managers, it’s a shift from the predictive approach project management utilizes in many fields.

The agile project manager has several attributes that we’ll discuss in this lecture:

• Advocate for agile principles and values in the organization
• Ensure common understanding of agile principles
• Educate and influence agile
• Transparency equates to trust
• Safe environment for experimenting

Stakeholder management on the PMI-ACP examination accounts for 17 percent of the exam. That’s roughly 20 exam questions! Know stakeholder management, an easier topic for experienced project managers, and you’ll be on your way to exam success.

In this lecture I’ll discuss:

• Working with the project stakeholders 
• Establishing a shared vision 
• Creating collaboration 
• Communicating with project stakeholders
• Using interpersonal skills

If you’re a PMP or CAPM you’re probably already familiar with stakeholder management and its new chapters in the PMBOK Guide, fifth edition. If you’re not, don’t worry – this chapter will walk you through stakeholder management from an agile project manager’s point of view.

In this overview, I’ll introduce stakeholder management and its importance in the PMI-ACP examination. We’ll get started with a talk about agile project management and the role of the project stakeholders.

For your PMI-ACP exam, you want a mindset, and attitude, of getting stakeholders involved in the project. Collaboration is stakeholder synergy – a sense of ownership of the project, a sense of community for achieving the goals of the project through agile project management.

Once you have stakeholders involved you want to work to keep them involved. Much of this is you and the team following-through on conversations, promises, remaining transparent in the project, and following the principles of agile project management.

It’s been said that communications is 90 percent of project manager’s time. When you consider all of the people and all of the things you have to communicate with and about it’s easy to believe that statistic.

In this lecture we’ll examine communications in agile project management and how you go about communicating with the project stakeholders. In this lecture we will discuss:

• Communication requirements analysis 
• Communication technology 
• Communication model 
• Communication methods
• Create the communications management plan

As an agile project manager you need to have a shared vision of the project with your stakeholders. This means that you and your customers, project team, product owner, and even vendors all understand the goals and priorities of the project.

In this lecture I’ll discuss creating and maintaining the shared project vision. We’ll also look at:

• Defining what done means in agile project management
• Working with agile modeling
• Use case diagrams
• Screen diagrams
• Wireframes
• User personas

You know what the project charter is and what it does: It authorizes the project and allows the project manager to assign resources to the project work. It’s all about power. The project manager is officially identified in the project charter, though the project manager should be selected as early as possible during the project—hopefully while the charter is being developed, but must be identified before project planning commences. The project charter also demonstrates the organization’s commitment to the project and the investment in the endeavor.

It’s important to define what equates to done in an agile project. You don’t want the project to continue on and on – and you don’t want the project team and the stakeholders to lose focus of what the project is aiming to accomplish.

Modeling an agile project can save time and help you and the development team more clearly communicate the goals and tactics of a project. For you PMI-ACP exam, know what agile modeling is and how it can save time on your project.

A use case diagram shows how people and systems interact with one another. In this lecture I’ll discuss a use case and show the different components you may have to recognize on your PMI-ACP exam.

Data models are tools you can use to structure your data. In this lecture we’ll talk about data models and why you may need on in an agile project. Let’s go!

The user interface, the screen design, is an important aspect of any software development project. In this lecture we’ll discuss how screen designs can serve as a quick prototype of what the project is creating and how it can save time and better understand the project requirements.

Wireframes sound technical, but they’re not. Maybe you’ve seen an artist use a wireframe to make the basic shape of a statue prior to all the hard work. That’s the same idea here. Wireframes show the intent of the project and they can be computer-generated wireframes or even hand drawn.

It’s been said that communications is 90 percent of project manager’s time. When you consider all the people and all of the things you have to communicate with and about it’s easy to believe that statistic.

In this lecture we’ll examine communications in agile project management and how you go about communicating with the project stakeholders. In this lecture we will discuss:

• Communication requirements analysis 
• Communication technology 
• Communication model 
• Communication methods 
• Create the communications management plan

Collaboration is another key topic in agile project management. Right from the Agile Manifesto we saw the idea of collaboration: Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

In this lecture I’ll discuss the benefits of collaboration:

• Generates wiser decisions
• Promotes problem solving
• Promotes action 
• Build social capital 
• Ownership of collective problems

A big part of stakeholder management is your interpersonal skills in agile project management. This means you have to have emotional intelligence and listening skills. This ties back to our conversation about communications management and the importance of communicating with, not to, the project stakeholders.

In this lecture we’ll discuss:

• Four quadrants of emotional intelligence
• Active listening
• Internal listening
• Focused listening
• Global listening

We’ll also discuss conflict resolution, decision-making, and shared collaboration.

Throughout the course I offer these quick coaching sessions about your effort to pass the PMI-ACP. These motivational lectures are a quick reminder of what it takes to earn the PMI-ACP and how you can work effectively to study to pass the test. I use the acronym PMA – Positive Mental Attitude – throughout this course. Keep your PMA! You can do this!

You’re making great progress in this course!

You’ve finished section on stakeholder management in agile projects. In this lecture we’ll take a quick look back at what you’ve learned in this section and I’ll highlight some of the most important topics.

This review lecture is always a good thing to review as you move through the course so you don’t lose touch with these topics.

As the agile project manager you need a servant leader approach to the project team. This doesn’t mean, however, that the team runs over you in the project. This section deals with promoting team performance and your role as the servant leader.

For your exam, you’ll need to know about team performance and what steps you can take to promote team performance. Let’s dig into this section on team performance in agile project management.

This lecture is all about the team performance exam domain. This exam domain is worth 16 percent of the PMI-ACP examination. That is roughly 19 exam questions on how you can facilitate building high-performing teams.

In this lecture we’ll cover:

• Develop team rules and processes to foster buy in
• Help grow team interpersonal and technical skills
• Use generalizing specialist
• Empower and encourage emergent leadership 
• Learn team motivators and demotivators

On the PMI-ACP examination you’ll be faced with 19 exam questions about agile team management. In this lecture we’ll discuss one of the most important concepts of this exam domain: building agile teams.

In this lecture we’re going to take a deep look at:

• Create a shared vision for the project team 
• Set realistic goals 
• Limit team size to 12 or fewer people 
• Build a sense of team identity 
• Provide strong leadership

In this section we’re going to discuss the process of agile project management that you should look for improvements within. We’ll also look at how the product owner and the project team work together to find improvement opportunities in the product the project is creating. We’ll also look at how the project team and the agile project manager can seek out opportunities to improve the people involved in the project.

This lecture is all about the team performance exam domain. This exam domain is worth 16 percent of the PMI-ACP examination. That is roughly 19 exam questions on how you can facilitate building high-performing teams.

What does it mean to be collocated? It means the project team works in one location throughout the project. You might call this area your “war room” or commons area, but it’s an area that’s just for the project team to be isolated and focused on the project work.

In this lecture we’ll discuss:

• Collocated project teams
• How to create a team space
• Caves and common areas
• Tacit knowledge
• Osmotic communications
• Managing distributed teams

In this lecture of the PMI-ACP examination domain we’ll discuss tracking team performance. This is all about ensuring the project team is delivering on their promises and commitments to the project stakeholders.

In this lecture we’ll discuss burndown and burnup charts, team velocity, and calculating completion time. This is a quick and easy lecture – let’s knock it out right now!

In this lecture we’ll discuss the concept of a burnup chart and a burn down chart. This is something you’ll want to know for your PMI-ACP exam – and for your role as an agile project manager. Pay attention to the concept – I expect you’ll see this on your PMI-ACP exam.

Now we’ll discuss tracking team performance. This is all about ensuring the project team is delivering on their promises and commitments to the project stakeholders.

In this lecture we’ll discuss burndown and burnup charts, team velocity, and calculating completion time. This is a quick and easy lecture – let’s knock it out right now!

Great job finishing up this section on managing agile project teams. In this lecture we’ll take a quick look back at what you’ve learned in this section and I’ll highlight some of the most important topics.

This review lecture is always a good thing to review as you move through the course so you don’t lose touch with these topics.

Welcome to the adaptive planning PMI-ACP examination domain. This lecture is a brief overview of what adaptive planning and our goals for this section of the course. In this section we’ll cover three important adaptive planning subdomains:

• Levels of planning
• Adaptation
• Estimation
• Velocity/throughput/cycle time

Let’s get started on this section by completing this lecture overview right now.

Adaptive planning is a smaller PMI-ACP examination domain; it is worth 12 percent of the exam. This exam domain will challenge you with 14 exam questions – that’s 14 questions in your favor if you grasp this information!

There are some key tasks for adaptive planning you should be familiar with for the PMI-ACP examination:

• Progressive elaboration and rolling wave planning 
• Transparent planning and key stakeholders 
• Managing expectations by refining plans
• Adjusting planning cadence based on project factors and results 
• Inspect and adapt the plans to changing events 
• Size items first independently of team velocity 
• Adjust capacity for maintenance and operations demands to update estimates 
• Start planning with high-level scope schedule and cost range estimates 
• Refine ranges as the project progresses 
• Use actuals to refine the estimate to complete

Adaptive planning is different than predictive-type projects. In predictive projects the entire plan and concept is known before the project work begins. In agile projects, we expect changes to happen, so the entire plan isn’t known when the work begins.

There are five takeaways in this lecture:

• Agile projects are value-driven 
• Minimize non-value-added work 
• Plan to replan 
• Early plans are necessary, but they’re likely flawed
• Uncertainty requires replanning

Adaptive planning is a smaller PMI-ACP examination domain; it is worth 12 percent of the exam. This exam domain will challenge you with 14 exam questions – that’s 14 questions in your favor if you grasp this information!

There are some key tasks for adaptive planning you should be familiar with for the PMI-ACP examination:

• Progressive elaboration and rolling wave planning 
• Transparent planning and key stakeholders 
• Managing expectations by refining plans
• Adjusting planning cadence based on project factors and results 
• Inspect and adapt the plans to changing events 
• Size items first independently of team velocity 
• Adjust capacity for maintenance and operations demands to update estimates 
• Start planning with high-level scope schedule and cost range estimates 
• Refine ranges as the project progresses
• Use actuals to refine the estimate to complete

Adaptive planning is different than predictive-type projects. In predictive projects the entire plan and concept is known before the project work begins. In agile projects, we expect changes to happen, so the entire plan isn’t known when the work begins.

There are five takeaways in this lecture:

• Agile projects are value-driven 
• Minimize non-value-added work 
• Plan to replan 
• Early plans are necessary, but they’re likely flawed
• Uncertainty requires replanning

Estimating and sizing an agile project can be tricky, but there are some approaches you can take in your project management practice. In this lecture we’ll discuss these approaches for sizing and estimating agile projects.

There are three consistent themes in estimating and sizing an agile project:

• Not as precise as predictive planning 
• More uncertainty and agile projects 
• Include a range of variance

Estimating and sizing an agile project can be tricky, but there are some approaches you can take in your project management practice. In this lecture we’ll discuss these approaches for sizing and estimating agile projects.

There are three consistent themes in estimating and sizing an agile project:

• Not as precise as predictive planning
• More uncertainty and agile projects
• Include a range of variance

You and the project team will work with the product owner and other stakeholders to define the release and iterations of the project deliverables. In this lecture we’ll discuss how best to plan iterations and releases in an agile project.

So much of this conversation is based on visioning, a part of high-level planning:

• Prior to planning the first release 
• Mapping out the overall effort of the project
• Product owner and sponsor
• Key team members
• Other major stakeholders

Throughout the course I offer these quick coaching sessions about your effort to pass the PMI-ACP. These motivational lectures are a quick reminder of what it takes to earn the PMI-ACP and how you can work effectively to study to pass the test. I use the acronym PMA – Positive Mental Attitude – throughout this course. Keep your PMA! You can do this!

That’s the end of this section on adaptive planning. While this section was short (and hopefully easy) don’t underestimate it for the PMI-ACP examination. If you really know this short and easy section you’ll have 14 questions in your favor.

In this wrap-up video we’ll review these three concepts:

• Adaptive planning
• Project sizing and estimating
• Planning for releases and iterations

Problem Detection and Resolution is an important part of the agile project manager’s roles and responsibilities. This exam domain will account for just 10 percent of the PMI-ACP examination. That’s 12 questions where you’ll need to recognize problems, issues, or approaches to resolving these issues.

There are four tasks that you’ll be tested on the PMI-ACP examination within this domain:

• Create a safe an open environment to surface problems 
• Engage team in resolving threats and issues 
• Resolve issues or reset expectations 
• Maintain a visible list of threats and issues 
• Maintain a threat list and add threat remediation efforts to the backlog

This lecture is an overview of the problems, issues, and detection in agile project management. In this lecture I’ll introduce the five tasks you need to know for the PMI-ACP examination. As an agile project manager you will work with your project team and stakeholder to seek out problems and issues.

Part of this domain is creating a safe space where people feel that they can experiment without ramifications if they fail. This is an important part of the PMI-ACP exam concept – fail fast, but learn from the failure.

Let’s hop in and explore these topics right now!

Problem Detection and Resolution is an important part of the agile project manager’s roles and responsibilities. This exam domain will account for just 10 percent of the PMI-ACP examination. That’s 12 questions where you’ll need to recognize problems, issues, or approaches to resolving these issues.

There are four tasks that you’ll be tested on the PMI-ACP examination within this domain:

• Create a safe an open environment to surface problems 
• Engage team in resolving threats and issues 
• Resolve issues or reset expectations 
• Maintain a visible list of threats and issues
• Maintain a threat list and add threat remediation efforts to the backlog

In this lecture we’ll discuss the types of problems that can affect an agile project. We’ll look at several things and how you might go about finding a resolution in your agile project. In this lecture we’re going to review these topics:

• Issues and risks
• Financial impact of project problems
• The timeline of where issues are discovered
• Reviewing technical debt and agile projects
• Creating a safe environment for the project team
• Success modes and failure modes
• Creating success strategies

There’s a logical approach to detecting problems in agile projects: ask the project team. This is actually a core piece of the daily standup meeting: Are there any impediments blocking your way? You’ll ask that question everyday for each project team member on the agile project.

In this lecture we’ll examine that topic, but we’ll also look at:

• Lead time and cycle time
• Managing work in progress (WIP)
• Defect cycle time
• Causes of variances
• Trend analysis

In this lecture we’ll discuss the types of problems that can affect an agile project. We’ll look at several things and how you might go about finding a resolution in your agile project. In this lecture we’re going to review these topics:

• Issues and risks
• Financial impact of project problems
• The timeline of where issues are discovered
• Reviewing technical debt and agile projects
• Creating a safe environment for the project team
• Success modes and failure modes
• Creating success strategies

Managing Threats and Issues is a task within this PMI-ACP examination domain. In PMP land, risks can be positive or negative. In agile projects, however, we only look at risk as being negative. It’s a threat to the project success.

In this lecture we’re going to focus on three primary concepts:

Risk is considered anti value

Goal is to attack high-risk items early in the project

Items with the greatest value in greatest risk move to the top of the backlog

Know these themes for your PMI-ACP examination.

For your PMI-ACP exam you'll need to be able to identify problems in order to solve problems.

When there’s a problem the project team will look to you, the servant leader, to help resolve the problem. It’s part of the mantra of the servant leader, to remove impediments from blocking the project team. Problem solving is also part of continuous improvement.

In this lecture you’ll want to look for these four concepts:

• Problem solving games to fix the problem before it happens 
• Consider daily standup 
• Iteration reviews and retrospectives 
• Sprint planning sessions

Throughout the course I offer these quick coaching sessions about your effort to pass the PMI-ACP. These motivational lectures are a quick reminder of what it takes to earn the PMI-ACP and how you can work effectively to study to pass the test. I use the acronym PMA – Positive Mental Attitude – throughout this course. Keep your PMA! You can do this!

Great job finishing up this section on finding and resolving problems. Problems and issues are going to happen in every project; some problems you can live with and they’ll work out, other problems you have to attack and find a solution. In this lecture we’ll take a quick look back at what you’ve learned in this section and I’ll highlight some of the most important topics.

This review lecture is always a good thing to review as you move through the course so you don’t lose touch with these topics.

Continuous improvement is a goal of any project manager in an agile environment. Continuous improvement means that you and the project team look for opportunities to improve the processes, the product, and the people within the project.

In this section we’re going to discuss the process of agile project management that you should look for improvements within. We’ll also look at how the product owner and the project team work together to find improvement opportunities in the product the project is creating. We’ll also look at how the project team and the agile project manager can seek out opportunities to improve the people involved in the project.

The Continuous Improvement Exam Domain is worth just nine percent of the PMI-ACP examination. There are 11 questions on improving people, product, and process within your agile project management.

The tasks you’ll be tested on are:

• Periodically review and tailor the process 
• Improve team processes through retrospectives 
• Seek product feedback via frequent demonstrations 
• Create an environment for continued learning 
• Used values dream analysis to improve processes 
• Spread improvements to other groups in the organization

Continuous Process Improvement is an approach to tweak and tailor the processes within your agile project management to help the project, the product owner, the project team, and the customers of the project be better served.

In this lecture I’ll discuss tailoring agile processes. Be on the lookout in the lecture and in your PMI-ACP examination for these themes on process improvement:

• Adapting agile for your environment 
• There is some risk with tailoring 
• Better to create processes for each project as needed
• Consider risk and reward

Continuous Product Improvement is a key element of agile project management. Throughout the project the project manager, the project team, and the product owner will communicate about the product, the project priorities, and how to be realize value.

The PDCA cycle of Plan-Do-Check-Act is seen over and over in agile project management and is a topic we’ll discuss in this lecture. We’ll also take a look at product feedback and iteration reviews and planning. Let’s hop into this topic and talk more about product improvement for your PMI-ACP examination.

In this lecture we’ll discuss the improvement of the people on your project team. Throughout the agile project you will have opportunities to lead and coach the project. This will give you insight to what motivates the project team, what demotivates the team, and you’ll see characteristics of the project team members that may be holding themselves and the project back.

Key thoughts for this exam objective are:

What is going well?

What areas could use improvement?

What should we be doing differently?

In this lecture we’ll also discuss some methods you can use to gauge how the team feels about issues, productivity, and the overall project performance.

Continuous improvement is a goal of any project manager in an agile environment. Continuous improvement means that you and the project team look for opportunities to improve the processes, the product, and the people within the project.

Throughout the course I offer these quick coaching sessions about your effort to pass the PMI-ACP. These motivational lectures are a quick reminder of what it takes to earn the PMI-ACP and how you can work effectively to study to pass the test. I use the acronym PMA – Positive Mental Attitude – throughout this course. Keep your PMA! You can do this!

Now that you’ve completed the PMI-ACP Exam Pre course you’re probably ready to complete the PMI-ACP examination application. In this video I’ll walk through the process of how to complete the application with your experience and education qualifications.

In this lecture I’ll also discuss your certificate of completion. You’ll only need this certificate if your application is selected for a random audit. If you’re a PMP or another PMI certification holder you can claim this course for 21 PDUs. In this lecture I’ll also provide that information and how you can claim your PDUs.

Here's the link to complete: https://pdf.ac/3GuWBr