Agile Extreme Programming (XP)

About this Course

Extreme Programming (XP) is an agile software development framework that facilitates the production of higher quality software, and higher quality of life for the development team.

Extreme Programming is successful because it stresses customer satisfaction, as opposed to delivering everything the customer could possibly want on some date far in the future. The emphasis is on delivering the software in increments that provide the most value to the customer first. Extreme Programming empowers developers to confidently respond to changing customer requirements, even late in the life cycle.

To provide the benefits of this approach, XP emphasizes teamwork. Managers, customers, and developers are all equal partners in a collaborative team. XP relies on a simple, yet effective environment that facilitates the formation of high performing teams. The team self-organizes around the problem to solve it as efficiently as possible.

XP improves a software project in four ways:

• Emphasis on communication between the team and stakeholders
• Simplicity of methodology
• Timely feedback from stakeholders
• Safe and courageous environment within the team

Extreme Programmers constantly communicate with their customers and fellow programmers. The team keeps their design simple and clean. They get feedback by testing their software often. They deliver the system to the customers as early as possible, by focusing on high value functionality in early releases and implementing changes as suggested.

This emphasis on incremental delivery of high value functionality creates an environment where small successes deepens customer and team respect for the unique contributions of all team members.

AGILE/XP is appropriate when a project exhibits the following characteristics:

• The customer is not sure of requirements definition and as such, the requirements are dynamically changing
• Uncertainty due to new technology implementation increases the risks of timely completion of fixed time projects
• The team is small, with a co-located extended development team
• The team has access to technology for automated unit and functional tests

This course integrates LEAN principles, where applicable, with AGILE/XP. Lean is a business methodology, initially used to improve throughput in manufacturing, that is used in Adaptive Project Life Cycles to achieve more predictable delivery, greater efficiency, and a customer-centric mindset

Applying Lean principles to project management facilitates empowerment project team members to better clarity and deliver projects with an emphasis of delivering value to internal and external customers.

This course describes provides a basic understanding of AGILE/XP principles and tools and techniques used in implementing AGILE/XP in a coordinated fashion to ensure successful project outcomes.

Course Outline

This objective of this course is to provide a basic understanding of AGILE/XP principles and tools and
techniques used in implementing AGILE/XP in a coordinated fashion to ensure successful project
outcomes.
The basis for the course is the PMI® (Project Management Institute) PMI Agile Certified Practitioner® 7
Domains:
With an emphasis on understanding and applying the concepts and tools of the domains in an AGILE/XP
environment
The course will cover the following topics:

• Topic 1 – Agile Principles and Mindset

 Learning Objectives – Understanding:

•  Knowledge Work Vs Manual Work projects
•  The AGILE triangle
•  The AGILE Manifesto
•  XP basics
•  Servant Leadership

• Topic 2 – Value Driven Delivery

 Learning Objectives – Understanding

•  What is Value Driven Delivery
•  Common Methods for assessing value in an XP environment
•  Common methods for prioritizing value in an XP environment
•  Incremental delivery
•  Common AGILE contracts
•  Ways to verify and validate value

• Topic 3 – Stakeholder Engagement

 Learning Objectives – Understanding

•  Stakeholder stewardship
•  Ways of establishing a shared vision with stakeholders
•  Stakeholder communications in an XP environment
•  Stakeholder communications in an XP environment
•  Working collaboratively with stakeholders
•  Common Interpersonal skills

• Topic 4 – Team Performance

Learning Objectives – Understanding

•  Why people over process
•  AGILE/XP team roles
•  How to build AGILE/XP teams
•  Creating collaborative workspaces
•  Tracking team performance

• Topic 5 – Adaptive Planning
 Learning Objectives – Understanding

•  AGILE Vs Non-AGILE planning
•  Tools for estimating in an AGILE/XP environment
•  Iteration planning

• Topic 6 – Problem Detection and Resolution

Learning Objectives – Understanding

•  How problems impact a project
•  The cost of change
• Technical Debt
•  Problem detection
•  Managing threats and issues
•  Solving Problems

• Topic 7 – Continuous Improvement
 Learning Objectives – Understanding

•  Kaizen
•  Multiple Levels improvement
•  Continuous Improvement – Product
•  Continuous Improvement – People
•  Retrospectives

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