Agile Training in Chicago

Lean is a methodology focused on maximizing value while minimizing waste in processes.

This instructor-led, live training (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level banking and process management professionals who wish to apply Lean and Agile tools to enhance efficiency in managing requirements, projects, and operational processes for government.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand and apply Lean principles in the context of banking processes for government.
• Use Lean tools to optimize requirements gathering and project execution for government.
• Implement and manage Kanban boards for effective workflow management for government.
• Identify and eliminate waste in banking and service-oriented processes for government.

Format of the Course

• Interactive lecture and discussion.
• Extensive exercises and practice sessions.
• Hands-on application of Lean and Agile tools in case-based scenarios for government.

Course Customization Options

• To request a customized training for this course, please contact us to arrange.

This instructor-led, live training in Chicago (online or onsite) is aimed at advanced-level Release Train Engineers (RTEs) who wish to deepen their understanding of their role and enhance their skills for government.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role and responsibilities of a SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE).
• Learn how to facilitate Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and drive continuous delivery in public sector projects.
• Develop skills in planning and executing Program Increment (PI) events for government initiatives.
• Gain expertise in managing risks, dependencies, and impediments within government workflows.
• Acquire techniques to foster relentless improvement and Agile transformation for government operations.

This instructor-led, live training in Chicago (online or onsite) is aimed at marketing executives who wish to understand how to leverage Agile frameworks to optimize growth marketing strategies, develop customer-centric products, and achieve scalable growth for government.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Comprehend the key frameworks used in agile product management for government.
• Evaluate the potential demand for new products and services within public sector contexts.
• Acquire techniques for pricing new products and methods for optimizing value for government use cases.

This two-day course is designed for IT professionals who are interested in utilizing the Waterfall model and exploring how traditional methods, including but not limited to Agile approaches, have addressed its limitations.

The aim of the first day is to provide an overview of these methodologies, enabling participants to determine what might be most suitable for their environment.

The second day focuses on project management techniques and best practices derived from Agile that can be effectively applied in both Waterfall and Agile contexts. This course is tailored to enhance skills and knowledge for government IT professionals, ensuring alignment with public sector workflows and governance.

Training for government provides participants with the knowledge, techniques, tools, and practices necessary for managing projects using Agile methodologies. The core of this training includes an overview of selected Agile approaches, such as the Scrum Framework, Agile Project Management, Lean, Kanban, and others.

This training is designed for individuals interested in implementing Agile methodologies within their organization, including those who are currently involved in projects and project managers who are either implementing or planning to implement Agile approaches in their projects.

The training structure includes a theoretical component, interactive workshops, and practical examples.

Format of the Course

• Interactive lecture and discussion.
• Extensive exercises and practice sessions.
• Hands-on implementation in a live-lab environment.

Course Customization Options for Government

• To request a customized training for this course, please contact us to arrange.

This course is designed to enhance the business analyst role in successfully managing Agile projects for government. Course participants will learn how to effectively collaborate with the Team, Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Customer to facilitate the development process. Participants will also engage in a simulated project to practice common scenarios, ensuring alignment with public sector workflows and governance.

The iSQI Agile Essentials course is an internationally recognized qualification designed for anyone involved in agile projects who wishes to become familiar with working in an agile environment. This includes Project Managers, Quality Managers, Software Development Managers, Business Analysts, Developers, Testers, IT Directors, and Management Consultants. The course is structured into eight sections and guides participants through the lifecycle of an agile project, from release planning and writing user stories to iteration review (showcase) and retrospectives. The first day focuses on key principles (55% theory, 45% exercises), while the second day emphasizes practical application (40% theory, 60% exercises).

Course Objectives

• Understand the principles behind the Agile Manifesto and its approach to software development for government.
• Appreciate the roles within an agile team in a public sector context.
• Learn how to contribute effectively as an agile team member to quantifiable requirements.
• Apply Whole Team quality methods to ensure acceptance criteria are met.
• Recognize the importance of effective Iteration Reviews and how to contribute to continuous improvement through retrospectives.

Agile Software Testing is a series of testing practices that provide feedback on software quality issues in a timely and continuous manner, adhering to the principles of agile development for government projects.

Continuous Integration (CI) refers to all developers within a team merging their work multiple times a day to ensure seamless integration and maintain high standards of code quality for government applications.

This course provides a brief introduction to Agile software testing for government. It covers foundational test concepts within the context of Agile (Scrum) development, using Crispin & Gregory's Agile Testing Quadrants model as a framework to explore contemporary principles and practices of Agile testing.

In this course, participants will master the essential concepts, principles, and techniques of Agile Team Facilitation, critical for leading teams to higher levels of maturity. Effective team meetings and collaboration are vital for success in an Agile environment, and the Agile Team Facilitator plays a pivotal role in guiding teams toward self-organization. Participants will develop the facilitation mindset necessary to design and conduct collaborative meetings, driving teams toward improved results and greater maturity. This course serves as a foundational step towards becoming an Agile Coach, with a focus on both skills development and mindset transformation. Attendees will learn group facilitation tools and techniques to engage participants and achieve desired outcomes in meetings and workshops for government.

This 2-day course provides a brief introduction to Agile software testing, designed specifically for government. It covers foundational test concepts within the context of Agile (Scrum) development and uses Crispin & Gregory’s Agile Testing Quadrants model as a framework to explore contemporary principles and practices of Agile testing.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for development teams in the public sector who want to improve their testing practices in an Agile context. It is also suitable for individuals intending to pursue testing as a specific career and serves as a suitable pre-requisite for the iSQI Certified Agile Tester course.

The training offers a comprehensive 360° view on the challenges and opportunities associated with Agile implementation and leading change. It covers various aspects, from fostering an organizational culture that supports Agile practices to transforming work environments, teams, and attitudes. Participants will learn essential tools and techniques for working effectively within these contexts, as well as how to oversee the roles of an Agile Leader and promote Agile thinking.

This training is designed for individuals interested in implementing Agile methodologies within their organizations, including those involved in projects and project managers who are either currently applying or planning to adopt Agile approaches in their work.

The training includes a content section, interactive workshops, and practical examples tailored to enhance understanding and application of Agile principles for government.

Applying Metrics for Predictability equips participants with the tools required to achieve consistent and reliable outcomes. This course will provide attendees with an understanding of the essential metrics needed for accurate forecasting, methods to visualize these metrics through appropriate analytics, techniques to utilize these analytics for making dependable forecasts and assessing risk, and strategies to implement meaningful interventions for overall process improvement for government.

Objective:

To assist Business Analysts in understanding how to efficiently model and validate their business processes and resources to enhance the business agility of their organization based on their target architecture and evolving market needs for government.

This two-day training course is designed to help participants learn how to model their business processes and resources to adapt them to changes in goals, strategies, and impacted capabilities as part of the target architecture. By focusing on key elements of business performance (strategies, tactics, KPIs, business capabilities, etc.), delegates will learn how to develop a vision-centric business process and resource map. Using appropriate BPMN and UML notation tailored to their specific language, they will understand how to adjust these models in response to changing strategies, tactics, and policies for government.

This course aims to provide a deeper understanding of agile and digital methodologies within a governmental context. After examining digital and agile mindsets and behaviors, the course will delve into key agile methods, techniques, and tools, demonstrating their effective application. Additionally, the course will cover the latest guidance on agile practices in the public sector and the primary digital standards for government. Delivery is facilitated through a combination of presentations, exercises, and interactive activities, and can be conducted either in person or remotely.

Objective:

This training course is designed to assist product managers, product owners, business analysts, system architects, and developers in understanding how to efficiently manage requirements from the initial product vision through guiding developers accurately in their implementation. The course emphasizes best practices for government workflows, governance, and accountability.

In detail, this course aims to help product managers better define the value propositions of their products based on strategic objectives and stakeholder needs. Business analysts and product owners will learn how to articulate requirements for the product backlog, identify appropriate epics and user stories, and contribute to value creation. Through interactive case study exercises, participants will gain skills in detailing requirements to ensure correct understanding and prepare system acceptance tests. Utilizing a common and productive UML profile, they will learn to structure requirements effectively to communicate with architects and developers through an iterative requirement gathering process for government.

Audience:

• Product Managers
• Product Owners
• Business Analysts
• Anyone interested in the Requirements Management Process for government

The training equips participants with the knowledge, techniques, tools, and practices necessary for managing IT projects based on methodologies such as Prince2, PMBook, Agile Project Management, Scrum, and MSF, as well as frameworks like CMMI and RUP. It covers the philosophy, organizational structure of project work, roles, and practical approaches to organizing project phases.
During the workshop, participants have the opportunity to learn and practice selected tools and techniques.
This training is designed for individuals interested in implementing project management methodologies within their organizations, as well as IT professionals participating in or managing IT projects. It is particularly relevant for those who are either currently implementing or planning to implement IT project management approaches in their work environments.
The training includes a comprehensive theoretical component, hands-on workshops, and practical examples to ensure a thorough understanding of the material for government use.

This instructor-led, live training in Chicago covers the concepts, tools, and techniques needed to carry out continuous integration of your software projects in an Agile environment for government. Participants engage in a series of hands-on exercises throughout the course to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. Interaction between the instructor and participants is encouraged. Real-world cases are discussed, and specific issues and questions are addressed and resolved in class.

JIRA Software is a robust tool for project management; however, users often focus more on the tool itself rather than the underlying methodology.

This instructor-led, live training introduces participants to the capabilities of Jira and Confluence, emphasizing how these tools can enhance team efficiency in delivering successful projects. Participants will learn how to effectively utilize these tools to manage user requirements, testing, communication, and centralize project information in one location.

The training covers topics such as JIRA projects, Confluence spaces, workflows, boards (Kanban & Scrum), planning and dependencies, Jira/Confluence integration, reporting, essential fields and custom fields, issue types, screens, and filtering.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Create a Scrum or Kanban project
• Configure Jira to manage projects effectively for government
• Manage issues efficiently
• Build screens tailored to handle different issue types
• Create workflows and boards, and understand their interactions
• Perform basic and advanced searches and analysis
• Generate and review reports necessary for the team and management

The PAQ course is a three-day experiential training program designed to prepare participants for practical exam scenarios, focusing on developing skills that can be directly applied in their professional roles.

The examination format involves a hands-on assessment where candidates are provided with a product backlog release, which includes user stories and associated design documentation. Additionally, the application will contain seeded defects. Candidates will receive clear instructions on the expectations for the practical assessment and will have the opportunity to create the necessary work products. Each practical assessment will include 1 or 2 scenario-based questions requiring written answers (up to 5 questions in total), covering a range of competencies. These written responses, along with the solutions to the product backlog release, will be evaluated by an independent assessor. The assessment duration is 2.5 hours.

This training program is specifically tailored to enhance the capabilities of professionals for government roles, ensuring alignment with public sector workflows and governance standards.

Training programs for government enable participants to acquire knowledge, techniques, tools, and practices in project management. These programs are grounded in the most respected international standards and best practices, including Traditional Project Management and Agile methodologies. The training is enriched by the personal experience and practical business insights of the instructor. The curriculum incorporates elements from selected methodological approaches such as PRINCE2®, PMBoK® Guide, AgilePM®, and SCRUM®.
The training is designed for government personnel interested in implementing project management approaches within their organizations, individuals participating in projects, and project managers aiming to enhance efficiency.
The training includes a comprehensive theoretical component, interactive workshops, and practical examples.

Training equips participants with the knowledge, techniques, tools, and practices necessary for conducting projects using Traditional Project Management methods such as PRINCE2, as well as Agile methodologies like Kanban and Scrum. The foundation of this training is built on proven project management approaches: PRINCE2, Agile Project Management, Scrum, and Kanban.
This training is designed for individuals interested in implementing these project management methodologies within their organizations,
as well as those currently involved in projects or project managers aiming to enhance the effectiveness of their project management practices.
The training includes a comprehensive theoretical component, hands-on workshops, and practical examples.
Participants are prepared for certification through a simulated exam, and they have the opportunity to take the actual examination.
Successfully completing the exam at the end of the training enables participants to earn the AgiPrince2Agile Foundation international certification, enhancing their credentials for government project management roles.

This Leading SAFe Agilist certification equips you to play a crucial role in your organization’s success. The certification enables you to effectively execute and deliver value through Agile Release Trains, as well as to spearhead a Lean-Agile transformation. These skills are highly valued across various industry sectors, including for government applications.

Develop the expertise to guide the delivery of continuous value in a Lean enterprise for government. Gain the skills to effectively perform the role of a SAFe Product Owner and Product Manager within the Agile Release Train (ART) as it delivers value through Program Increments. Understand how the Continuous Delivery Pipeline and DevOps culture contribute to the relentless improvement of the ART.

Leverage Lean thinking to break down Epics into Features and Stories, refine these Features and Stories, manage Program and Team backlogs, and plan and execute Iterations and Program Increments for government.

The "SAFe® Product Owner/Product Manager with POPM Certification" is a two-day course that enables participants to acquire the skills necessary for effective value delivery management in a Lean-based enterprise. Participants will learn about Agile Release Train (ART) principles, Program Increment planning, writing Epics, and how to effectively fulfill the roles of Product Owner and Product Manager. The course also covers topics related to Continuous Delivery Pipeline and DevOps culture, enabling participants to integrate effectively into processes and continuously improve ART.

This two-day course teaches the Lean-Agile principles and practices of the Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) for government.

You will learn how to execute and release value through Agile Release Trains, build an Agile Portfolio, and lead a Lean-Agile transformation at enterprise scale. The curriculum is tailored to align with public sector workflows, governance, and accountability requirements.

This training will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the Lean-Agile mindset and how to apply SAFe principles and practices to support Agile teams, programs, program portfolio management, and coordinate large Value Streams in a government context. Attending this class prepares you to take the exam and become a certified SAFe® Agilist (SA). Associated Certification: SAFe Agilist (SA)

This two-day course is designed to equip teams who are part of an Agile Release Train (ART) with the skills needed to operate effectively in an Agile environment using methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, and XP. Teams will learn how to function as Agile Teams, develop their backlogs, and plan and execute iterations. The curriculum covers understanding the ART and each team’s role within it, along with planning, executing, and continuously improving processes in collaboration with other teams.

This class prepares participants to manage a Program Increment (PI), including all necessary meetings at both the Team and Program levels, with a particular emphasis on upcoming PI planning. By attending this course, participants will be well-prepared to take the exam and earn certification as a SAFe® Practitioner (SP).

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Apply SAFe principles to scale Lean and Agile development in your organization for government

• Understand your team’s role within the Agile Release Train

• Identify all other teams on the train, their roles, and the dependencies between them

• Plan and execute iterations effectively

• Demonstrate value through iteration execution and improve your processes

• Plan Program Increments comprehensively

• Integrate and collaborate with other teams on the train