Course Overview
This course explores agile and adaptive project management frameworks designed for complex, dynamic, and uncertain environments. Students will examine the foundational principles of the Agile Manifesto and apply Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, and hybrid methodologies to real-world project scenarios. Emphasis is placed on iterative planning, team empowerment, continuous improvement, and stakeholder collaboration. Students will also explore scaling agile practices across enterprise environments and the transition from traditional to adaptive methods.
Learning Outcomes
•Explain the Agile Manifesto principles and contrast adaptive vs. predictive project management approaches.
•Apply Scrum roles, ceremonies, and artifacts to manage iterative project delivery.
•Implement Kanban systems to visualize workflow and optimize team throughput.
•Design adaptive planning frameworks for projects with high uncertainty and changing requirements.
•Scale agile methodologies using frameworks such as SAFe, LeSS, or Disciplined Agile.
•Facilitate agile ceremonies including sprint planning, retrospectives, and backlog refinement.
•Evaluate hybrid project management approaches for mixed methodology environments.
Weekly Schedule & Assignments
Week Topic Assignment Guide / Instructions
Week 1 Introduction to Adaptive Project Management
Agile vs. Waterfall Comparison Paper
Research and compare Agile and Waterfall methodologies across five dimensions: planning, flexibility, risk, team structure, and documentation. Write a 2-page comparison paper with a concluding recommendation for a specific project type.
Week 2 The Agile Manifesto & Principles
Manifesto Principles Application Exercise
Select any five of the 12 Agile Principles. For each, write a 150-word explanation of how it would apply to a specific project scenario of your choice. Submit as a structured reflection document.
Week 3 Scrum Framework: Roles & Responsibilities
Scrum Team Role Analysis
Define the responsibilities of the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team. Create a RACI matrix for a Scrum team on a 10-week software project. Include a 1-page narrative on effective role boundaries.
Week 4 Scrum Artifacts: Backlog & Burndown
Product Backlog Development
Create a Product Backlog with a minimum of 20 user stories for a provided scenario (e.g., a mobile application). Prioritize using MoSCoW. Write acceptance criteria for five stories. Submit as a formatted backlog document.
Week 5 Scrum Ceremonies & Sprint Planning
Sprint Plan Simulation
Using your Product Backlog, plan a two-week sprint. Select stories totaling 40 story points. Define a Sprint Goal. Create a Sprint Backlog and a sprint burndown chart template. Write a 1-page sprint planning narrative.
Week 6 Kanban Methodology
Kanban Board Design & Analysis
Design a Kanban board for a real or hypothetical work process with at least five stages and WIP limits. Analyze a provided Kanban data set: calculate lead time, cycle time, and throughput. Write a 1-page improvement recommendation.
Week 7 Adaptive Planning & Story Mapping
User Story Map
Create a User Story Map for a product or service of your choice. Organize stories by user activities across the horizontal axis and prioritize vertically into three release slices. Submit the story map with a 1-page planning narrative.
Week 8 Agile Estimation Techniques
Estimation Exercise: Planning Poker
Estimate the 20 user stories in your backlog using Planning Poker (story points). Document the rationale for five contentious estimates. Submit the estimated backlog and a 1-page reflection on estimation challenges and best practices.
Week 9 Team Dynamics & Servant Leadership
Team Health Assessment & Action Plan
Assess a current or past team using the Spotify Team Health Check model (or equivalent). Identify three health areas needing improvement. Write a 2-page servant leadership action plan addressing each identified area.
Week 10 Retrospectives & Continuous Improvement
Sprint Retrospective Facilitation Guide
Design a retrospective plan for a 5-person Scrum team completing its fourth sprint. Select one retrospective format (e.g., Start/Stop/Continue, 4Ls, Mad/Sad/Glad). Write a 2-page facilitation guide including timing, materials, and follow-up actions.
Week 11 Scaling Agile: SAFe, LeSS & DAD
Scaling Framework Comparative Analysis
Compare SAFe, LeSS, and Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) across five criteria: structure, scalability, roles, planning cadence, and adoption complexity. Write a 3-page analysis recommending one framework for a large enterprise scenario.
Week 12 Hybrid Project Management Approaches
Hybrid Methodology Design
Design a hybrid project management methodology for a provided scenario (e.g., a government IT modernization project). Identify which elements are predictive and which are adaptive. Justify your design in a 2-page methodology brief.
Week 13 Agile Risk Management
Agile Risk Response Plan
Identify 10 risks for an agile project scenario. For each risk, describe how Agile practices (e.g., iteration, transparency, retrospectives) mitigate the risk. Write a 2-page risk response plan in agile language.
Week 14 Agile Metrics & Performance Measurement
Agile Metrics Dashboard
Design an Agile metrics dashboard for a Scrum team. Include velocity, burndown, cycle time, defect rate, and team satisfaction. Use provided sprint data to populate the dashboard. Write a 1-page commentary on what the metrics indicate.
Week 15 Capstone: Adaptive PM Simulation Review
Adaptive PM Final Case Study
Analyze a comprehensive agile project case study (provided). Evaluate the team’s use of adaptive practices, identify failures, and propose a corrected approach. Write a 5-page case study analysis including lessons learned and recommendations.
