Agile Estimating and Planning - Dallas

Date	Apr 10, 2008	Location	Dallas
Start time	8:30 AM	Taught by	Mike Cohn
End time	16:30 PM	Price	$600

Planning is important, even for agile projects. Unfortunately, we've all seen so many worthless plans that we'd like to throw planning out altogether. The good news is that it is possible to create a project plan that looks forward six to nine months that can be accurate and useful. Too many teams view planning as something to be avoided and too many organizations view plans as something to hold against their development teams.

In this session you will learn how to break that cycle by learning and practicing skills that will help create useful plans that lead to reliable decision-making. You will leave with a solid understanding of and experience at agile release planning and iteration planning. We will look at various approaches to estimating including unit-less points and ideal time. The course will describe four techniques for deriving estimates, including how to use the popular Planning Poker technique. We will look at techniques to create a plan that dramatically improves the project's chances of on-time completion.

Onsite Availability

Don’t see a date and location you like? Want to train a team or department without the hassle of travel? This course is available for onsite delivery. Contact Mike Cohn at (720) 890-6110 or by e-mail at mike@mountaingoatsoftware.com.

PMPs: This course counts for 8 Professional Development Units (PDUs).

Participants Will Learn

The importance of estimating size and deriving duration
The differences between story points and ideal time
The advantages of an abstract measure of size
Techniques for estimating
When and how to re-estimate
How and when to perform release and iteration planning
Tips for communicating about estimates and plans

Download a PDF brochure with additional information.

Who Should Attend

This course is equally suited for managers, programmers, testers, or anyone involved in estimating or planning a project. Participants will be able to return to their jobs with specific recommendations and actions they can perform to improve their current plans and projects.

Dallas

Classes in Dallas will be held at the Adam's Mark Hotel. The Adam's Mark offers a wide spectrum of dining & entertainment options ranging from Players Sports Bar to Bagels on Bryan coffeehouse to Pearl Street Café. Their signature restaurant, Chaparral, serves artistically-presented, New World specialties and Dallas' best steaks in the surrounds of spectacular city views. A full-service health club and sauna as well as indoor and outdoor pools complement 1,840 full-amenity guest rooms and luxurious suites. They are connected to Plaza of the Americas, an extensive shopping complex featuring an indoor ice skating rink.

This course is also available onsite. For information Contact Mike Cohn