Estimating in Agile

Don’t get left behind…

Agile, by definition, is iterative and elaborative but that does not mean that you don’t need to plan or provide estimates for the work involved. In fact, it is essential that you develop appropriate estimates for the project phase you are in, deliver the work, reflect on your planned versus actual achievements, and update estimations frequently to ensure you maintain confidence in delivery.

This course will provide participants with a solid understanding and experience of working with various agile estimating styles and techniques that will improve your chances of delivering projects on-time.

Course Objective

This course is based on the Estimating in Agile pocketbook, produced by DSDM^®. Although focussing on DSDM^®, the information in the pocketbook, and therefore the content of this course, is applicable to any of the agile approaches. The objectives of the course are to:

• Give practical support to those working with estimates on agile projects
• Understand various estimating tools and techniques that support an agile way of working
• Enable estimators to take account of risk when developing estimates

Course Content Summary

What is an Estimate? The Agile Estimating Approach
Agile estimating principles.

Estimating Style and Techniques
Estimating styles, techniques and the principles of Expect Change and Uncertainty and Take Ownership.

Estimating Practices
Story points, velocity and tracking progress against Estimates.

Estimating through the Project Lifecycle
Pre-Project, Feasibility, Foundations, Evolutionary Development; Post-Project.

Successful completion of this workshop will enable participants to:

• Run estimation sessions using a range of estimating styles and techniques, such as T-shirt sizing and planning poker
• Effectively estimate and plan work using story points and velocity
• Use prioritisation techniques to manage work
• Use risk-based techniques to manage contingency and to indicate the level of confidence in presented estimates
• Identify which estimation style(s) and technique(s) to use across the lifecycle of the DSDM process model