Live Webinar – September 12th 2012, 12:00-1:00 PM EDT
Offered by ASPE (REP 2161) 1 Category A PDU – Free PDU
This is a 1 hour seminar and attendees will be awarded 1 PDU for participating

As Agile grows, people who learned about it at a 5th, 6th or 7th degree of separation from the “founding fathers” of Agile sometimes see it as process or a science type method. That sentiment about Agile isn’t 100% incorrect, but the reality is that Agile is much more at its core. It is based on a core perspective from which process/methods flow out. It is about seeing the world, conducting yourself, working in a team, and doing actual work the Agile way.

Sounds like a cult, right? Well, in some cases it is. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If a “utopian” work environment is something you are looking to be a part of, Agile can possibly take you there.

Remember the four basic values:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

If done right you can gain high morale and develop a highly productive work environment (maybe even utopian depending on your perspective). The interesting thing about these values though, is that they pretty much run counter to how we currently conduct business, and how human beings naturally think, act and react.

In this presentation you will learn about the methods around these four basic values and learn about the change management challenges that come with agile adoption.

Russ will touch on:

• What Scrum means,
• How to conduct an iteration,
• What is a task board,
• How to do a proper retrospective,
• How planning is handled in Agile
• Government adaption of agile and use our experience with the VA as a semi-case study on Agile in government, and
• Finally, the topic of certification will be reviewed with a detailed discussion of both Scrum Alliance certification programs and the new PMI-ACP credential.

This session will give you a working knowledge of agile and allow you dig deeper into its methods and practices with a solid, foundational understanding. We will also discuss Federal government policies and procedures and how those are impacted by agile deployment.

Presenter: Russ Fletcher (LinkedIn profile) is a seasoned IT executive with broad business experience. For nearly 20 years Mr. Fletcher has been consulting with, improving or leading technical businesses or IT departments with an eye toward making IT a competitive advantage and a strategic strength. Using humor mixed with real-world experience, Russ’ training classes and follow-on consulting help his teams succeed and improve dramatically

Click to register for Agile Primer for Government Managers