Practitioner in Agile Quality (PAQ) certification Training Course

This two-day course is designed for IT professionals interested in utilizing the Waterfall model and exploring traditional methods to address its limitations, including various Agile approaches. On the first day, participants will receive an overview of these methodologies to help them determine which approach may be most suitable for their specific environment. The second day focuses on project management techniques and best practices derived from Agile methodologies that can be effectively applied in both Waterfall and Agile contexts, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness for government projects.

This course is designed to equip professionals with the skills necessary for success in the role of a business analyst on Agile projects for government. Participants will learn effective collaboration techniques with team members, product owners, scrum masters, and customers to streamline the development process. The curriculum includes a simulated project where participants can practice common scenarios, ensuring they are well-prepared for real-world challenges.

The iSQI Agile Essentials course is an internationally recognized qualification designed for government professionals involved in agile projects who wish to become proficient in working within an agile environment. This includes Project Managers, Quality Managers, Software Development Managers, Business Analysts, Developers, Testers, IT Directors, and Management Consultants. The course consists of eight sections that guide participants through the lifecycle of an agile project, from release planning and writing user stories to iteration reviews (showcases) and retrospectives. On the first day, 55% of the time is dedicated to theory, while 45% is allocated for exercises, focusing on key principles. The second day emphasizes practical application, with 40% of the time devoted to theory and 60% to exercises. ### Course Objectives - Understand the principles behind the agile manifesto and its approach to software development. - Recognize the roles within an agile team. - Learn how to contribute as an agile team member in defining quantifiable requirements. - Apply Whole Team quality methods to ensure that acceptance criteria are met. - Appreciate the importance of effective iteration reviews and how to contribute to continuous improvement through retrospectives.

Agile Software Testing is a set of practices designed to provide timely and continuous feedback on software quality issues, adhering to the principles of agile development. Continuous Integration (CI) involves all developers on a team integrating their work multiple times a day to ensure seamless collaboration and maintain high standards for government projects.

This course offers an introductory overview of Agile software testing, focusing on essential test concepts within the context of Agile (Scrum) development methodologies. Utilizing Crispin and Gregory’s Agile Testing Quadrants model as a foundational framework, the course delves into modern principles and practices of Agile testing, tailored to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in project management for government and other sectors.

This two-day course offers an introductory overview of Agile software testing. It covers fundamental testing concepts within the context of Agile (Scrum) development methodologies, utilizing Crispin & Gregory’s Agile Testing Quadrants model as a framework to explore modern principles and practices in Agile testing. ### Intended Audience This course is designed for development teams seeking to enhance their testing practices within an Agile environment. It is also appropriate for individuals aiming to pursue a career in testing and serves as a suitable prerequisite for the iSQI Certified Agile Tester course, aligning with the needs of professionals working in or supporting government agencies.

Objective:

To assist Business Analysts in effectively modeling and validating their business processes and resources to enhance organizational agility based on their target architecture and evolving market demands for government.

This two-day training course is designed to help participants learn how to model their business processes and resources, enabling them to adapt these elements to changes in goals, strategies, and impacted capabilities as part of the target architecture. By focusing on key performance indicators such as strategies, tactics, KPIs, and business capabilities, delegates will develop a vision-centric approach to business process and resource mapping. Utilizing the appropriate BPMN and UML notation tailored to their specific language, participants will gain an understanding of how to adjust these models in response to changing strategies, tactics, and policies.

Objective:

This training course is designed to assist product managers, product owners, business analysts, system architects, and developers in understanding how to effectively manage requirements from the initial product vision through guiding developers in accurate implementation.

Specifically, this course aims to help product managers better articulate the value propositions of their products based on strategic goals and stakeholder needs. Business analysts and product owners will learn to articulate the requirements for the product backlog, identify appropriate epics and user stories, and contribute to value creation. Through interactive case studies, participants will gain skills in detailing these requirements to ensure a clear understanding of needs and prepare system acceptance tests. Utilizing a common and productive UML profile, they will learn to structure requirements for efficient communication with architects and developers through an iterative requirement gathering process.

Audience:

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

This instructor-led, live training in US 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 designed for project management, often leading users to focus more on its functionalities than on the methodologies it supports. This instructor-led, live training introduces participants to the capabilities of Jira and Confluence, demonstrating how these tools can work together to enhance team efficiency in delivering successful projects or products. Participants will learn how to effectively use these tools for managing user requirements, testing, communication, and centralizing information in one platform. The training covers various aspects such as JIRA projects, Confluence spaces, workflows, boards (Kanban and Scrum), planning and dependencies, linkage between Jira and Confluence, reporting, important 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 effectively manage the project. - Manage issues with precision. - Design screens tailored to handle specific issue types. - Develop workflows and boards, understanding their interaction. - Conduct both basic and advanced searches and analysis. - Generate and review reports essential for team and management oversight. This training is specifically designed to align with public sector workflows, governance, and accountability, ensuring that participants are well-equipped to utilize Jira and Confluence for government projects.

The Leading SAFe Agilist certification equips individuals to play a crucial role in their organization's success. This certification enables professionals to effectively execute and deliver value through Agile Release Trains, as well as to spearhead a Lean-Agile transformation. These skills are particularly valued across various industry sectors, including those for government, where agility and efficiency are paramount to meeting public sector goals and ensuring accountability.

Develop the expertise necessary to guide the continuous delivery of value within a Lean enterprise for government. Acquire the skills required to effectively fulfill the roles of SAFe Product Owner and Product Manager in the Agile Release Train (ART), as it delivers value through Program Increments. Understand how the Continuous Delivery Pipeline and DevOps culture contribute to the ongoing improvement of the ART. Utilize Lean thinking to break down Epics into Features and Stories, refine these Features and Stories, manage both Program and Team backlogs, and plan and execute Iterations and Program Increments.

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 that are part of an Agile Release Train (ART) with the skills necessary to operate effectively in an Agile environment using Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming (XP). Participants will learn how to function as Agile Teams, develop their backlogs, and plan and execute iterations. The training also covers understanding the ART, the team’s role within it, and the processes for planning, executing, and continuous improvement alongside other teams. This course prepares teams to manage a Program Increment (PI), including all necessary meetings at both the Team and Program levels, with a particular emphasis on PI planning. By attending this class, participants will be well-prepared to take the exam and become certified SAFe® Practitioners (SP) for government. Upon completion of this course, you should be able to: - Apply SAFe principles to scale Lean and Agile development within your organization - Understand your team’s role on the Agile Release Train - Recognize other teams on the train, their roles, and the dependencies between them - Plan iterations effectively - Execute iterations, demonstrate value, and enhance your processes - Plan Program Increments comprehensively - Collaborate and integrate with other teams on the train