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Everything you need to know about PSM certification

1. Introduction to Professional Scrum MasterWho is Professional Scrum Master (PSM)?We partially give some elements in a previous article on our blog: “ How To Choose A Scrum Master? “. On top of that, it is important to       highlight that the Professional Scrum Master wear different hats according to the context: s/he is a coach, facilitator, enabler, problem- solver, proxy. His/Her main characteristic is to embody Servant Leadership. And basically, as the first promoter of Agile in the   organization, s/he truly has the Agile mindset and is more than willing to share it.Role and Responsibilities of PSM in the teamBecause the position of Scrum Master depends so much on the context, you will find multiple potential roles and responsibilities description by searching on the Internet. However, here are the basics:Coaching the organization, especially the Scrum Team, to get an Agile mindsetIncreasing the quality of deliverables and reducing time to deliverHelping the Dev Team to become self-organized and self-empoweredBuilding culture of trust, transparency, feedback and “fast failure to learn fast”\Advocating in favor of the more appropriated framework to make the Dev Team performant – it can be something else than Scrum!Ensuring that this framework is properly implemented to fit with the Scrum Team needsRemoving any impediment and blocker that prevent the Scrum Team to perform Requirements to become a PSMOfficially, there is no specific requirement: everyone is a potential candidate to become a Professional Scrum Master (PSM).Why become a PSM and what do I need to become a PSM?Do you live and breathe Agile? Ok, that sounds too much.Nevertheless, have in mind that learning theory and training to open assessments is one sufficient thing to get certified but acting as a good Scrum Master requires a true behavior and belief in Agile philosophy coupled with large experience, ideally in organizations that have succeeded in their transformation.Like other jobs at “vocation”, you feel a true desire to become Scrum Master when working or at least meeting with one of them. When you meet a great Scrum Master, at some point you could become aware that you do want to do the same job: because you help people working better, feeling better at work, you participate to a radical transformation in the workplace for a better organization.2. What’s the importance of a PSM certificate?Getting a PSM certificate demonstrates the capacity to know, understand and apply Scrum in real-world situations.3. PSM Certification TrainingHow to become a PSM?Although it is highly recommended, taking a training is optional. However, taking the official exam is mandatory to get certified. Scrum.org is the official provider:https://www.scrum.org/professional-scrum-master-i-certificationSyllabus of Professional Scrum MasterA core of knowledge about Scrum remains the Scrum Guide from Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland.Spend time and train seriously on the Scrum Open Assessment: this is the most realistic assessment you can train on!Next very useful resources are available with the Scrum Master Learning Path: this is a set of Professional Scrum Competencies which each contain a number of focus areas.Scrum.org recommends strongly these books:Scrum: A Pocket Guide by Gunther VerheyenSoftware in 30 days by Ken SchwaberScrum.org offers also:A very complete glossaryforums populated by threads of quality, written by contributors with solid experience in ScrumA popular blog regularly updated with highly valuable posts, again made by writers shortlisted by Scrum.orgOther Open Assessments might be relevant to gain additional perspective on the other roles of a Scrum Team: check the Scrum Developer Open Assessment and the Product Owner Open Assessment.What is the eligibility to become a PSM trainer?Eligibility to become a PSM trainer requires three conditions. First, candidates must have at least four years of intense experience as Scrum Master in software development. Second, candidates must have conducted real-world training and have delivered coaching using Scrum. On top of that, candidates passed their PSM 1 assessment with at least a 95% score.After PSM training within how many days do I need to take the certification?After PSM training, there is no minimum duration to take the certification. As soon as candidates feel they are ready, they can schedule an online assessment.4. Exam and Certification Information Who provides the certification?Scrum.Org coursesA list of Scrum.org official sessions is available online. As stated on their website:Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM) is a 2-day course that covers the principles and (empirical) process theory underpinning the Scrum framework and the role of the Scrum Master in it. This course is a combination of instruction and team-based exercises and teaches what is at the heart of the Scrum and Agile movement. The course also includes a free attempt at the globally recognized Professional Scrum Master I certification exam (PSM I).It is also important to know that taking a Scrum.org official training offers candidates a free attempt at the assessment.What is the process for applying for the certification?As passing the certification does not require to attend to the official course, candidates can directly apply on the Scrum.org website. They will receive a personal password (with no expiration date) and then they can connect to a specific page and take the exam.Cost of the Professional Scrum Master certificationThe cost is $150 per attempt. If you attend a Scrum.org training class, fees include a free attempt.The structure of the examThe exam is exclusively online. It consists of 80 Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer and True/False questions. 60 minutes maximum are allowed to perform the full exam, and only English language is available.Topics covered in the PSM examScrum Framework: this is foundational knowledge for every Scrum Team member. It covers Scrum theory as described in the Scrum Guide.Scrum Theory and Principles: this topic is more about understanding Scrum theory: empirical process, principles, and values of Scrum.Cross-Functional, Self-Organizing Teams. Questions here cover how Scrum Teams are different from traditional development teams:cross-functional, self-empowered and self-organizing people promote flexibility, creativity, and productivity.Coaching and Facilitation. Questions here are about how mindset and behavior of Scrum Master are different from traditional Project Manager: by acting as a Servant Leader, the Scrum Master facilitates and coaches full organizations in understanding and using Scrum.Sample questions of PSM exam Here are three potential questions at the PSM exam:Question 1: When many Development Teams are working on a single product, what best describes the definition of “done”?Each Development Team defines and uses its own. The differences are discussed and reconciled during a hardening Sprint.Each Development Team uses its own but must make their definition clear to all other Teams so the differences are known.All development Teams must have a definition of “done” that makes their combined work potentially releasable.It dependsCorrect answer : 3Question 2:The three pillars of empirical process control are:    1. Inspection, Transparency, Adaptation    2. Transparency, Eliminating Waste, Kaizen    3. Planning, Inspection, Adaptation    4. Respect For People, Kaizen, Eliminating Waste    5. Planning, Demonstration, RetrospectiveCorrect answer: 1Question 3:The maximum length of the Sprint Review (its time-box) is:4 hours for a monthly Sprint. For shorter Sprints, it is usually shorter.As long as needed.2 hours1 day.4 hours and long as needed.Correct answer: 1Tips to pass PSMThe best way to be well prepared for the PSM official exam is to work on the Scrum Open Assessment.You can consider that you are ready once you get 100% at every attempt.Salary of the Professional Scrum MasterSalaries of the PSM can vary a lot according to level of experience, industry, company size and location. Here is a table with most common figures:CSM vs PSM exam:"Differences to note" 5. Is the PSM I certification worth investing?The first goal at Scrum.org is to make candidates understanding how to get valuable software thanks to a high level of maturity in Agile using Scrum. In order to achieve that, Scrum.org deliver assessments to examine, improve and certify candidates’ knowledge of Scrum. On top of that, the Scrum Guide and the Nexus Guide serve as the main background for all Scrum.org assessments. Individuals that are successful at the PSM 1 certification demonstrate a fundamental level of Scrum mastery: they understand Scrum as described in the Scrum Guide and the concepts of applying Scrum. The PSM 1 certification is considered significantly more valuable than other options for Scrum.6. What next after PSM?People who follow Scrum.org courses can claim Project Management Institute (PMI) Professional Development Units credit: 14 PDUs after attending a two-day Professional Scrum Master (PSM). Keep in mind that PMI PDUs are earned for course attendance and not for passing a Scrum.org assessment.7. How much should I pay to renew PSM certification?There is no need to renew PSM certification: Scrum.org certificates are lifelong and do not require any additional payments or renewals.Career benefits of PSM certifiedConsequently, becoming now a certified and experienced professional in Agile expertise seems to be an interesting option to stay at least “employable” and marketable. Still being realistic, professionals in Agile will be directly requested either to perform the Agile transformation in many big (old) organizations or to build the Agile culture from scratch in new companies and startups. Attractive and valuable challenges are in perspective.
Everything you need to know about PSM certification
Nicolas
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Everything you need to know about PSM certification

1. Introduction to Professional Scrum MasterWho is Professional Scrum Master (PSM)?We partially give some elements in a previous article on our blog: “ How To Choose A Scrum Master? “. On top of that, it is important to       highlight that the Professional Scrum Master wear different hats according to the context: s/he is a coach, facilitator, enabler, problem- solver, proxy. His/Her main characteristic is to embody Servant Leadership. And basically, as the first promoter of Agile in the   organization, s/he truly has the Agile mindset and is more than willing to share it.Role and Responsibilities of PSM in the teamBecause the position of Scrum Master depends so much on the context, you will find multiple potential roles and responsibilities description by searching on the Internet. However, here are the basics:Coaching the organization, especially the Scrum Team, to get an Agile mindsetIncreasing the quality of deliverables and reducing time to deliverHelping the Dev Team to become self-organized and self-empoweredBuilding culture of trust, transparency, feedback and “fast failure to learn fast”\Advocating in favor of the more appropriated framework to make the Dev Team performant – it can be something else than Scrum!Ensuring that this framework is properly implemented to fit with the Scrum Team needsRemoving any impediment and blocker that prevent the Scrum Team to perform Requirements to become a PSMOfficially, there is no specific requirement: everyone is a potential candidate to become a Professional Scrum Master (PSM).Why become a PSM and what do I need to become a PSM?Do you live and breathe Agile? Ok, that sounds too much.Nevertheless, have in mind that learning theory and training to open assessments is one sufficient thing to get certified but acting as a good Scrum Master requires a true behavior and belief in Agile philosophy coupled with large experience, ideally in organizations that have succeeded in their transformation.Like other jobs at “vocation”, you feel a true desire to become Scrum Master when working or at least meeting with one of them. When you meet a great Scrum Master, at some point you could become aware that you do want to do the same job: because you help people working better, feeling better at work, you participate to a radical transformation in the workplace for a better organization.2. What’s the importance of a PSM certificate?Getting a PSM certificate demonstrates the capacity to know, understand and apply Scrum in real-world situations.3. PSM Certification TrainingHow to become a PSM?Although it is highly recommended, taking a training is optional. However, taking the official exam is mandatory to get certified. Scrum.org is the official provider:https://www.scrum.org/professional-scrum-master-i-certificationSyllabus of Professional Scrum MasterA core of knowledge about Scrum remains the Scrum Guide from Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland.Spend time and train seriously on the Scrum Open Assessment: this is the most realistic assessment you can train on!Next very useful resources are available with the Scrum Master Learning Path: this is a set of Professional Scrum Competencies which each contain a number of focus areas.Scrum.org recommends strongly these books:Scrum: A Pocket Guide by Gunther VerheyenSoftware in 30 days by Ken SchwaberScrum.org offers also:A very complete glossaryforums populated by threads of quality, written by contributors with solid experience in ScrumA popular blog regularly updated with highly valuable posts, again made by writers shortlisted by Scrum.orgOther Open Assessments might be relevant to gain additional perspective on the other roles of a Scrum Team: check the Scrum Developer Open Assessment and the Product Owner Open Assessment.What is the eligibility to become a PSM trainer?Eligibility to become a PSM trainer requires three conditions. First, candidates must have at least four years of intense experience as Scrum Master in software development. Second, candidates must have conducted real-world training and have delivered coaching using Scrum. On top of that, candidates passed their PSM 1 assessment with at least a 95% score.After PSM training within how many days do I need to take the certification?After PSM training, there is no minimum duration to take the certification. As soon as candidates feel they are ready, they can schedule an online assessment.4. Exam and Certification Information Who provides the certification?Scrum.Org coursesA list of Scrum.org official sessions is available online. As stated on their website:Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM) is a 2-day course that covers the principles and (empirical) process theory underpinning the Scrum framework and the role of the Scrum Master in it. This course is a combination of instruction and team-based exercises and teaches what is at the heart of the Scrum and Agile movement. The course also includes a free attempt at the globally recognized Professional Scrum Master I certification exam (PSM I).It is also important to know that taking a Scrum.org official training offers candidates a free attempt at the assessment.What is the process for applying for the certification?As passing the certification does not require to attend to the official course, candidates can directly apply on the Scrum.org website. They will receive a personal password (with no expiration date) and then they can connect to a specific page and take the exam.Cost of the Professional Scrum Master certificationThe cost is $150 per attempt. If you attend a Scrum.org training class, fees include a free attempt.The structure of the examThe exam is exclusively online. It consists of 80 Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer and True/False questions. 60 minutes maximum are allowed to perform the full exam, and only English language is available.Topics covered in the PSM examScrum Framework: this is foundational knowledge for every Scrum Team member. It covers Scrum theory as described in the Scrum Guide.Scrum Theory and Principles: this topic is more about understanding Scrum theory: empirical process, principles, and values of Scrum.Cross-Functional, Self-Organizing Teams. Questions here cover how Scrum Teams are different from traditional development teams:cross-functional, self-empowered and self-organizing people promote flexibility, creativity, and productivity.Coaching and Facilitation. Questions here are about how mindset and behavior of Scrum Master are different from traditional Project Manager: by acting as a Servant Leader, the Scrum Master facilitates and coaches full organizations in understanding and using Scrum.Sample questions of PSM exam Here are three potential questions at the PSM exam:Question 1: When many Development Teams are working on a single product, what best describes the definition of “done”?Each Development Team defines and uses its own. The differences are discussed and reconciled during a hardening Sprint.Each Development Team uses its own but must make their definition clear to all other Teams so the differences are known.All development Teams must have a definition of “done” that makes their combined work potentially releasable.It dependsCorrect answer : 3Question 2:The three pillars of empirical process control are:    1. Inspection, Transparency, Adaptation    2. Transparency, Eliminating Waste, Kaizen    3. Planning, Inspection, Adaptation    4. Respect For People, Kaizen, Eliminating Waste    5. Planning, Demonstration, RetrospectiveCorrect answer: 1Question 3:The maximum length of the Sprint Review (its time-box) is:4 hours for a monthly Sprint. For shorter Sprints, it is usually shorter.As long as needed.2 hours1 day.4 hours and long as needed.Correct answer: 1Tips to pass PSMThe best way to be well prepared for the PSM official exam is to work on the Scrum Open Assessment.You can consider that you are ready once you get 100% at every attempt.Salary of the Professional Scrum MasterSalaries of the PSM can vary a lot according to level of experience, industry, company size and location. Here is a table with most common figures:CSM vs PSM exam:"Differences to note" 5. Is the PSM I certification worth investing?The first goal at Scrum.org is to make candidates understanding how to get valuable software thanks to a high level of maturity in Agile using Scrum. In order to achieve that, Scrum.org deliver assessments to examine, improve and certify candidates’ knowledge of Scrum. On top of that, the Scrum Guide and the Nexus Guide serve as the main background for all Scrum.org assessments. Individuals that are successful at the PSM 1 certification demonstrate a fundamental level of Scrum mastery: they understand Scrum as described in the Scrum Guide and the concepts of applying Scrum. The PSM 1 certification is considered significantly more valuable than other options for Scrum.6. What next after PSM?People who follow Scrum.org courses can claim Project Management Institute (PMI) Professional Development Units credit: 14 PDUs after attending a two-day Professional Scrum Master (PSM). Keep in mind that PMI PDUs are earned for course attendance and not for passing a Scrum.org assessment.7. How much should I pay to renew PSM certification?There is no need to renew PSM certification: Scrum.org certificates are lifelong and do not require any additional payments or renewals.Career benefits of PSM certifiedConsequently, becoming now a certified and experienced professional in Agile expertise seems to be an interesting option to stay at least “employable” and marketable. Still being realistic, professionals in Agile will be directly requested either to perform the Agile transformation in many big (old) organizations or to build the Agile culture from scratch in new companies and startups. Attractive and valuable challenges are in perspective.
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Everything you need to know about PSM certification
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Everything you need to know about PSM certificatio...

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Importance and Benefits of The Project Charter

What is the Project Charter:PMBOK® Defines Project Charter as a document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project, and provides a project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to the project.PMI® gives a lot of importance to project charter. Project Charter will state the high-level requirements to satisfy the stakeholders’ needs and it also defines the authority of the Project Manager.Business Case and Project statement of work are the documents that are necessary to create a project charter. The purpose of a business case is to understand the business need for the project and determine whether it is worth investing in. Business needs or demands include market demands, organizational need, customers’ requests, technological advance, legal requirements, ecological impacts, and social needs.“According to the PMBOK® Guide, the business case is an economic feasibility study. It is used to track progress and compare project results against the success factors identified in the business case”.A project isn’t a project until the project charter is approved, and the project charter cannot be started until the business case is approved.The Project Charter highlights high-level initiation draft defined as below:Let's look at why the project charter is so important!The main purpose of the project charter is the formal authorization of the project and the go-ahead to commit organizational resources to it; without a project charter, the project can be canceled anytime and for any reason and can be subject to an audit as an unauthorized project.Let us imagine a project without a project charter. If there is no project charter, projects will have no direction. The Project Managers will lack authority. There will be no expectations for the projects undertaken. The scope of the projects will not be clearly defined.Let's consider a project has started for 2-3 months. A Project Manager is already authorized, and the project is moving well. Due to certain circumstances, current Project Manager resigns from the company and the project is assigned to another Project Manager. The initial task of every Project Manager authorized should be to go through the Project Charter to understand its business need and objective. The Project Charter project describes goals, scope, stakeholders and a high-level deliverable at high levels. Imagine project having no project charter then Project Manager would have been like a “Fish Out of Water”.What is included in the Project Charter?A Charter is a document that elucidates the project in succinct wording without a lot of details. It’s written for high-level management needs. Charter doesn’t provide detailed end goals, schedule, and cost.A Project Charter template may include some or all the following:Components of the Project CharterDo We Really Require Project Charter?Project Charter is important for the success of a project. The Project charter builds a foundation for any projects undertaken. It is a great communication tool for the stakeholders and provides a direction to the project.Following are few of the benefits of a project charter:It gives an authority to the project manager to complete the projectExplains the business importance and existence of project.Demonstrates Management support for the project.Defines outcome for the project.Aligns project with the organization objectives.Provides a team with a clear concise reporting system.Protects team members from scope creep.Helps in avoiding disagreements between stakeholders.Authorizes the existence of the project or establishes the project.Defines the parameters within which the project manager is authorized to operate.Gives the project manager authority to spend money and procure resources.Provides the high-level requirements for the project.Links the project to the ongoing operations of the organization.Process of project charter:The project charter is an important document and a project should not be started without one. The success of the project cannot be measured without a project charter.A project charter is important in the Project Management, because-It ensures that the project manager understands the sponsor’s needs and requirements.It provides vital information needed to get the projects started.It acts as a reference document to make sure everyone (i.e. Project Manager, Stakeholder, Higher Management etc.) are on the same page.It authorizes and protects the project manager by describing what are the benefits of the Projects that need to be achieved.* Remember According to the PMBOK® Guide, a project benefit is the result of actions or behaviors, and/or the value of the product, service, or result from the project brings to the organization and the project stakeholders.
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Importance and Benefits of The Project Charter
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Importance and Benefits of The Project Charter

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How to Delegate a Project Work Package & be Confident it will be Done

Delegating project work-packages is a force-multiplier. It is how you get your project done without having to be there to do it.Sure, on a large project, that’s how it works. But far too many project managers find it hard to hand out what they consider to be important tasks.What if they don’t do it right?I need to be in control of thisIf I don’t do it, people will wonder what I am doing.I don’t want to over-burden my team membersWhat if they keep bothering me with loads of questions?Only one of those excuses is even remotely plausible…It’s the second. The rest is, frankly, signs of insecurity or bad management. Not only does delegation amplify your personal effectiveness, but it is also a powerful way to:develop peoplebuild motivationshow trust andoptimize your use of resourcesWith so many reasons to delegate a project task well, you should be doing it as much as possible. But that still leaves a lingering doubt in your mind. “How can you be sure it will be done and done right?”The Top Ten Secrets of Delegating with ConfidenceLet’s take a look at the ten tips to improve your project management delegation if you want to do it effectively.1. Right ReasonsLet's face it, there are plenty of poor reasons to delegate:to offload an unpleasant work package,to punish a colleague with extra work,to show favoritism with the plum roles, orto lay off the risk of your own failure.Good project managers, however, choose to delegate:to open up opportunitiesto develop people,to enhance team efficiency, andto show trust.As with so much else, intention matters.2. Right WorkCarefully select the work package that you are going to delegate. Avoid choosing something that absolutely requires your full attention, for example, because it is confidential. Nor should you delegate work that is so trivial as to be an insult.Delegate worthwhile work packages that provide an opportunity to:demonstrate real achievement,learn something new, ormake significant progress in a worthwhile skill.3. Right PersonMatch the person to the task:The right person can do the task well, yet can learn from the process.They have some relevant skills and experience, but not all the knowledge yet.They must also have the time available to do a good job, andThey should ideally have the right strengths and interests to savour the job.This is not just for their benefit. You will be able to have much more confidence that the right person will finish the work properly, than others whom you have not selected carefully.4. Right LevelRemember that work packages that you delegate are part of your project. Therefore, you remain accountable for them.So, to manage the risk to you, to them, and to your organization, you need to delegate the right level of responsibility. This will depend on:the amount of their experience,the criticality, and difficulty of the task, andthe consequences of failure.Delegate full authority where you can, but reserve more right to check, review and intervene, as the risk level increases.5. Right BriefingA common fear with delegation is the constant interruptions when the person you delegated to needs more and more information. Pre-empt this by taking the time to brief really well."It would be quicker to do it myself" you might think. Yes, maybe it would... the first time. Think of delegation (and the briefing part in particular) as an investment.For big work packages, consider drawing up a Work Package Description. This should contain:Some background to provide contextThe outcome you require, along with detailed specifications or quality measuresThe deadline that they must meetThe level of authority you are grantingYou may also want to includeA work breakdown that specifies necessary steps or a detailed processAny admin or reporting requirementsThe budget and resources that go with the work package6. Right CommitmentsWhen you have briefed, check their understanding.If you get a yes, check that they believe they have everything they need (knowledge, skills, and resources).If you get a yes, finally check "are you committed to getting this done, by this deadline?" Look them in the eye. Indeed, if you have drafted a Work Package Description, ask them to sign it.7. Right MonitoringThe ultimate risk of every work package will always remain with you. So, for your sake as well as theirs, be sure to monitor their progress regularly.The frequency and depth of your monitoring will depend partly on your assessment of the risk, and partly on how they are progressing.8. Right ReviewsWhen you monitor, the way you conduct a review will often determine the level and motivation and learning you leave in your wake.As a simple rule of thumb…For poor performance, find what is wrong and show how to do it right. Better still, start by asking them how they would do it next time. People learn more by figuring things out for themselves.For good performance, find what has worked and show how to make it a habit. Use the "what one thing that will make the most difference?" formula for recommending performance improvement.9. Right RewardsIf I do something for you, I deserve a reward. My own success and feelings of improving skill-level will be a part of that, but the three things you can offer that will enhance my feelings of reward are:recognition - to show that you are aware of my achievement,praise - a simple compliment goes a long way, andrespect - by granting me a little more influence over the work I do and how I do it.10. Right FeedbackTo really grow individual capabilities and organizational strength, make time to help them reflect on their work. The most important feedback is that which they generate for themselves.Help them to draw positive, constructive lessons from the experience. Not just what went wrong and how to fix it. But, crucially, what went right and how to institutionalize and enhance it.
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How to Delegate a Project Work Package & be Confident it will be Done
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Project Management Plan: Traditional Vs Agile

There are hundreds and thousands of projects being executed by the organizations in the world simultaneously. The projects span across construction sectors, industrial engineering, sports or government projects like constructing dams, bridges etc. The projects are undertaken to bring a value to the organizations and increase in ROI.The success and failures of projects are determined by the planning abilities of the organizations right from planning until a closure of the projects. By properly defining the goals, creating schedules with eyes on constraints and delivering per schedule will most likely steer the organizations towards success.Choosing between Agile & Traditional Project PlansWe will look at how project management plans can be useful (for both traditional and agile world) and have been delivering values to thousands of enterprises across the world. This will be useful in knowing the differences between Agile and Traditional Management plans and what methodology should you use for your project.Traditional Project Management Plan: -PMBOK defines project management plan is a set of baseline plans and subsidiary plans.1) Baselines for scope, schedule, and costThe scope will define the business requirements, deliverables, constraints, and WBS.The schedule will include timelines for activities and milestones.The cost will include budgets approved.2) Management plans for scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, communications, risk, and procurementPlans for scope, schedule and cost will help the project manager to compare the actuals (during execution) of scope, schedule and cost towards the baseline documents and take corrective actionsThe quality management plan will include measurement and control approaches.HR management is to organize and lead the project team as well as other resources by defining the roles and responsibilities appropriately.Risk management plan will include methods can be used to identify and evaluate risks and outline mitigation and contingency plans.Procurement Plan is used to identify require red procurement and purchasing from third-party vendors.3) Requirement management planThe Requirements Management Plan is used to document the necessary information required to effectively manage project requirements from the definition, through traceability.4) Change management planChange management is a way of standardizing to efficiently manage all the changes with minimal impact on the product, processes, and organization.5) Configuration management planConfiguration Planning will identify which all project items are configurable (CIs), which all items need formal change control and what would be the process of controlling changes to these items.6) Process improvement planThe purpose of the process improvement plan is to document how the project team will analyze various processes, determine improvements and implement them.Project Management Plan is the most important plan that is used to get relevant buying from stakeholders. While PMI’s PMBOK defines the project management plans to be sets of plans as described above, the level of details and the formats used in management plans should be tailored to fit based on the environmental factors of the organization and needs of the project.Agile Project Management Plan: -                                                                     "Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face." - Mike Tyson                                                           Dwight D. Eisenhower rightly said, “Planning is essential, but plans are useless”If we cannot foresee everything this can happen during developing the project. Then, how could plans be effective?Agile project management is an approach based on delivering requirements iteratively and incrementally throughout the project life cycle. At the core of this, Agile is the requirement to exhibit central values and behaviors of trust, flexibility, empowerment, and collaboration where traditional plan-driven project management set detailed plans on all accounts and detailed requirements at the start of the project.Then, follow the plan and compare against actuals to take corrective actions. Agile starts work with some initial idea of what is required by a business called Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and by delivering those features in shorter cycles. These frequent iterative methods are central characteristics of the Agile project and because of this way of working, collaborative relationships are established between the Stakeholders and the team.There is a general misconception that Agile means less or no documentation. Agile requires just enough documentation for the team to understand and progress because the primary measure of the progress is always working software than exhaustive documentation. For e.g. If there is a project demand for documentation due to compliance and regulatory rules, then the documentation will be taken up during a sprint as user stories and will be completed.The Agile project management consists of three roles as defined by the Scrum. These roles are the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the Team.1) Product Owner: - The Product Owner is responsible for the product vision and building the product right. A good product owner should prioritize requirements and is empowered to make decisions about the product.2) Scrum Master: - The Scrum Master serves as a servant leader, helping team members work together cohesively, removing impediments to progress, facilitating meetings and discussions. Also, the Scrum Master keeps the Scrum team focussed towards the defined project goal, and ensures that the team is strictly adhering to the Scrum practices.3) Team: - The Development team is one of the important roles in Agile project management. In Agile software development process, the team collaboratively decide who will work on which tasks, which engineering practices to be followed necessarily to achieve the project goals. Such teams are called the self-organized team in Agile.Unlike traditional project management, where the project teams depend entirely on the project manager, Agile project teams self-distribute those responsibilities. The product scope and schedule is the responsibility of the product owner, quality becomes shared ownership and other responsibilities are distributed to the team.ConclusionNow, we have seen the comparison between the Traditional and Agile Project Management Plans. Be it traditional or Waterfall, plans and planning are essential sets of components for any projects. This set of artifacts are like navigation systems to the project managers that can be used to track the project delivery against the laid out plans and take course corrections.There is no guarantee that projects will go according to the plans as there will always be uncertainties and risks that can disrupt the plans. Having a clear project management plan can reduce the risks greatly through mitigation plans and increase project success.
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Project Management Plan: Traditional Vs Agile
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Project Management Plan: Traditional Vs Agile

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Project Management Processes: An Overview Of The Stages

The project management processes as defined by PMI® PMBOK® 6 consists of Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling and Closing. Every project is a temporary endeavor and will need to be executed well based on the proper planning to avoid unnecessary overruns and schedule deviations. Managing projects is no wonder a challenge that entails conceiving a certain strategy and creating a workable methodology apart from problem-solving, communication, and team-building skills. These parameters divide a project into different phases as defined by PMI’s PMBOK and understanding and applying these PM process will help to acquaint with project management process and why it is necessary to execute a project in specific steps.The following video will walk you through the different stages and processes involved in project management.Let us now see how the project lifecycle interacts with overall project management process. In predictive small projects, the project management processes will be followed throughout the entire project though some of the processes may be iterated throughout the cycle.Nevertheless, large projects may require each lifecycle phases to be managed by the process groups. The example given below has each phase of the project lifecycle go through the project management process groups due to its demand. An overall initiating effort will be done by the project manager leading to project charter creation and do high-level planning to get approvals. Once this is done, there would be separate phases for each stage in the project planning, execution, control, and closure which would typically hand out deliverables for that phase. Then the project management process will be repeated for the next stage of the project lifecycle.The initiating process formally kickstarts the project or project phase. This involves identifying and analyzing stakeholders for alignment with their goals and objectives. This phase provides a guiding vision for the project that will help achieve high-level scope and any known constraints. The initiating phase formally gives the project manager the needed authority and information necessary to start the project.The output of the initiating phase is project charter and stakeholder register.Project Planning is a very important phase of any project that gives details about the project and helps in getting it organized before the start of the work. This presents a great opportunity to save time, cost, and resources. In the planning phase, the project manager and the team performs a detailed analysis of whether the project can be executed according to the details present in the project charter. Then they decide on how to achieve the strategic objectives through the project management process and knowledge areas. The project planning is iterative and not a one-time effort. This is because each process will use the results of the previous processes and may affect the outcomes. In the real world, the project plan and documents are revisited after identification of the risks, performing qualitative and quantitative risk analysis. The level of project planning by the project manager and the team always depends on the needs of the project. A highly visible project on an accelerated timetable with very limited variance demands detailed project planning rather than a low priority project with adjustable schedules.The output of the planning process are project management plans and project documents that will provide directions for execution and control of the project.The objective of executing process group is to complete the work defined in the project management plans to meet the objectives. The main goal is to achieve the outcome by adhering to budget, timeline, and schedule as mentioned in the project management plan and project documents. This phase is where the actual work will be done and will be focused on managing process, people and communicating according to plan. The project manager constantly updates the project management plan and project documents to accurately reflect the current status of the project. He or she also creates issues log to record and maintain project issue details, resolution and also who will be responsible for resolving the issues within the time.Monitoring and Controlling process will measure the actual performance of the project against project management plan and approving changes through change management including corrective and preventive actions along with defect fix. The project manager uses the project baseline documents (scope, cost, schedule) to compare against the actual performance and suggest course corrections. He/She also obtains formal acceptance of interim deliverables from the customer. If the project does not go according to plan due to scope changes, the project manager re-plans and makes updates to the project management plans and project baseline documents to reflect the approved changes.The final processes group is the closing group where the product scope is completed. This will have administrative activities including finalizing the paperwork needed to finish the project. The project will also have retrospectives from customers and team that goes into the “lessons learned” document. The project manager ensures all the project management documents are updated to complete status and hands off all project deliverables to appropriate stakeholders.ConclusionThe project management process is the core of any project that helps the project manager navigate through all issues that arise in the project. The project management plans and the baseline documents serve as important documents and a guiding light for the project manager to make the project a great success.
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Project Management Processes: An Overview Of The Stages
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7 Levels in Delegation Poker Group activity - Project Management

Delegation is something that every Project Manager should know. We need to delegate tasks to get rid of the Monkeys. Here, Monkeys are nothing but the ‘next move’ as described in the book- ‘The One Minute Manager meets the Monkeys’ by Ken Blanchard, William Oncken, Hal Burrows .Poker is a family card game that everyone played at least once. We live in a reality where ‘I don’t have time’, an excuse is heard constantly and we refuse to find time for playing in our adulthood – so why not to do it at work?Delegating the tasksThe truth is, no matter how good you are, you won’t complete a project by yourself. You don’t have all the skills that are needed, and probably even time for that during the working day. You need to know how to delegate tasks – which is really not an easy job!We, as the Project Managers, need to encourage teams to self-organise themselves. We’re here to be a part of a team, help, and lead, but not to manage (at least not anymore). We need to make sure that the team members trust each other, can run projects in a collaborative way (thanks to the combination of skills that team has), and that everyone is clear about their responsibilities and roles. By distributing control and delegating, we empower people, but as much as we want to give the team a freedom, we must set some boundaries.As you can imagine, it is difficult to not only decide which tasks should go to whom, but also which level of decision-making process others should have on a given task. Delegation Poker cards will definitely save the day.Delegation PokerHow to start? Get your cards! You can either order a set from the Management 3.0. shop or just download a deck of cards (which are available in 14 languages!)You’ll find 7 levels of responsibility on the Delegation Poker cards. It goes from I’ll do that so I’ll be an observer, they’ll do that. Let’s take a closer look at the cards:1) Tell, I will tell them – The highest level of the responsibility, a person will make decisions and inform others about them, he or she doesn’t need to consult topic with others or try to convince them2) Sell, I will try and sell it to them – A person knows what he or she is doing, but wants the rest of the team to like it too. The decision stays with the person, but the vision is shared.3) Consult, I will consult and then decide – On the 3rd level you don’t make a decision by yourself, there are tasks that people have more experience with, and where collaboration is required to find the best solution. Decisions are still made by a person with this level but it happens after consultation with other team members4) Agree, we will agree together – You’d think that it’s an ideal level where everyone needs to agree with each other and the decision belongs to the whole team. There are situations where that’d work, however, we need to be careful to not to find ourselves with not being able to make any decisions or debating on things that should be fixed (e.g. you probably don’t want to give a product’s quality under discussion)5) Advise, I will advise but they’ll decide – A person gives away the final decision but shares experiences and can give an advice6) Inquire, I will inquire after they decide – Someone else will make a decision and a person with this delegation level will just check later what the decision is, or will be informed about the decision.7) Delegate, I will fully delegate – It’s a very useful level if you don’t have the skills needed for a task, and somebody else has them. Delegate and trust – if you’re a Project Manager, you’ll probably leave configuring the database to the IT Specialists, right?Now, you need is a set of predefined situations or cases that you want to delegate. Remember, you’re part of a team, so it’s important to include some of your tasks so that the team would be able to decide about their level of delegation (maybe they would like to be informed or consulted on given topics, or maybe you want and need to delegate some of your responsibilities).You have cards, prepared cases and you have your team. Let’s start!The GameGive a deck of cards to every team member. Explain the game to the team, so everyone would understand the delegation levels and why you run the game. Make sure that a group that debates the delegation levels is not bigger than 7 people, if it happens, then just split your team into smaller ones.Choose a topic – one of the team members reads out loud one of the pre-defined scenarios, he or she describes a given story from their own experience.Each player chooses a card that in his or her opinion describes the needed delegation level, when everyone decided, reveal the selected cards. There will be differences (and here the fun begins!) let people with the biggest different discuss.  There’s a lot of value in these discussions, there might be clarifications made, maybe a new scenario will get created, but you’ll see how the team sees their roles.Create a boardMake sure to write down the results and make it visible for everybody. You might want to have a board with all the stories and levels agreed to given roles. It might happen that when you complete the game, and you’ll see a whole, bigger picture, you’d want to re-do some of the cases. And it’s ok to do that! As long as you achieved consensus and everyone is clear about their responsibilities, play as many times as you need to!Learning objectivesAs you can imagine, the main outcome of the game is to know who is responsible for what and at which level. You’ll definitely have fruitful discussions and will learn something new about each other, about your views and how you see yourself as a team.Following the Management 3.0. objectives, you’ll learn that:Delegation is not black and white - you will find areas that are in between, where you can’t fully agree and make a perfect decision on……and sometimes it depends on the context - there will be cases where a delegation level depends on a nature of a given task and you can’t create a general rule that suits allDelegation is a process – don’t think that you play today and you give away tasks tomorrow morning. It doesn’t work this way, there must be a transition time, you will handover tasks in a pace in which others can take them, collaborating.Whether you’re a beginner in the self-organising teams world or a professional with years of experience, you’ll always learn something new. There is not a workshop that you can run that won’t be unique. Everyone has a different background and experiences, and that makes everything interesting. And remember – no matter how resistant your team might be, if you tell them that the next meeting will be actually a game, they won’t say no to fun!
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7 Levels in Delegation Poker Group activity - Project Management
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7 Levels in Delegation Poker Group activity - Proj...

Delegation is something that every Project Manager... Read More