Agile Planning for Software Products

About this course: This course covers the techniques required to break down and map requirements into plans that will ultimately drive software production. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: - Create effective plans for software development - Map user requirements to developer tasks - Assess and plan for project risks - Apply velocity-driven planning techniques - Generate work estimates for software products

Created by:  University of Alberta

• Taught by:  Kenny Wong, Associate Professor

  Computing Science, Faculty of Science

Basic Info Course 4 of 6 in the Software Product Management Specialization Commitment 4 weeks of study, 1-2 hours/week Language English How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.7 stars Average User Rating 4.7See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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Syllabus


WEEK 1


Module 1: Introduction to Planning



Welcome to the first module! In this module, you will be learning some basic principles that you will need for effective planning. You will start this module off with an introduction to planning. You will then learn about how planning, and the approach you take to planning, can reduce uncertainty in your project. We will then move onto learning how to breakdown a project into small, manageable pieces, and how to organize those pieces. Finally, we will go over the differences between estimates, targets, and commitments. Together, these lessons will build a good base for learning planning techniques at both the release and iteration level.


7 videos, 5 readings expand

1. Video: Specialization Preview
2. Reading: Meet your presenters: Morgan Patzelt
3. Reading: Meet your presenters: Bradley Poulette
4. Video: Introduction to Agile Planning for Software Products
5. Reading: Course Resources: Agile Planning for Software Products
6. Reading: Course Map: Agile Planning for Software Products
7. Video: 4.1.1: Introduction To Planning
8. Video: 4.1.1A: Introduction To Planning
9. Video: 4.1.2: Uncertainty Space
10. Video: 4.1.3: Work Breakdown Structure
11. Video: 4.1.4: Estimates, Targets, and Commitments
12. Reading: Module 1: Supplemental Resources

Graded: Peer Review Assignment: Work Breakdown Structure (Graded)
Graded: Module 1: Assessment (Graded)

WEEK 2


Module 2: Project Planning



Welcome to module 2! Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet with general principles in project planning, let’s talk about some specific ways that you can use to implement those techniques. We’ll first discuss the concepts of story points and velocity, then move into how time boxing can be used to improve your project efficiency. We’ll then introduce the Gantt chart, a basic tried and true method of visualizing project tasks. We’ll finish off with techniques for planning your project at a release level, which will set the stage for iteration planning in the next module.


6 videos, 4 readings expand

1. Video: 4.2.1: Story Points
2. Video: 4.2.1A: Story Points
3. Reading: Discussion: User Story Points
4. Video: 4.2.2: Velocity Estimates
5. Reading: Discussion: Velocity
6. Video: 4.2.3: Time Boxing
7. Video: 4.2.4: Gantt Charts
8. Video: 4.2.5: Release Plans
9. Reading: Release Planning Tips
10. Reading: Module 2: Supplemental Resources

Graded: Peer Review Assignment: Release Planning (Graded)
Graded: Module 2: Assessment (Graded)

WEEK 3


Module 3: Iteration Planning



This module will be focusing on planning techniques at the iteration or sprint level. You will start by looking at various techniques for estimating task time. You will then look at task dependencies in more detail. This will come in handy when you learn two visual planning charts--the Critical Path Method chart, and the PERT chart. Finally, you will learn the process for creating an iteration plan. By the end of this module, you will have the tools you need to plan sprints or iterations for development.


6 videos, 2 readings expand

1. Video: 4.3.1: Estimating Task Time
2. Video: 4.3.1A: Estimating Task Time
3. Reading: Worksheet and Discussion: Calculating Task Time
4. Video: 4.3.2: Task Dependencies
5. Video: 4.3.3: CPM Chart
6. Video: 4.3.4: PERT Chart
7. Video: 4.3.5: Iteration Planning
8. Reading: Module 3: Supplemental Resources

Graded: Peer Review Assignment: CPM Chart (Graded)
Graded: Module 3: Assessment (Graded)

WEEK 4


Module 4: Risk Planning



You’ve made it to the last module, congratulations! Here, we’re going to talk about what can cause projects to fail. We’ll start off by discussing common causes of failures, including anti-patterns. Then, you’ll learn how to assess risks, looking at their likelihood and potential impact on the project. We’ll end on an optimistic note by leaving you with strategies for intervening when risks present themselves and avoiding those risks to begin with.


8 videos, 3 readings expand

1. Video: 4.4.1: Anti-Patterns
2. Video: 4.4.1A: Anti-Patterns - Team
3. Video: 4.4.1B: Anti-Patterns - Development
4. Video: 4.4.1C: Anti-Patterns - Management
5. Video: 4.4.1D: Anti-Patterns - Individual Developers
6. Video: 4.4.2: Common Causes of Failure
7. Video: 4.4.3: Risk Assessment, Likelihood, and Impact
8. Video: 4.4.4: Risk Strategies, Contingency, Mitigation
9. Reading: Discussion: Product Management Techniques
10. Reading: Module 4: Supplemental Resources
11. Reading: Acknowledgements

Graded: Module 4: Assessment (Graded)
Graded: Course Final Assessment (Graded)