Project Management Agile and Lean Approaches Syllabus

Agile and Lean Approaches syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Agile and Lean Approaches in Project Management, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Agile Foundations

   3 topics

   • The Agile Manifesto
   • Agile vs. Predictive Mindset
   • Empirical Process Control (Transparency, Inspection, Adaptation)
2. 2

   Lean and Kanban

   3 topics

   • Lean Thinking
   • Kanban Method
   • Little's Law and Flow Metrics
3. 3

   Agile Estimation and Planning

   3 topics

   • User Stories
   • Relative Estimation
   • Release and Iteration Planning
4. 4

   Other Agile Frameworks

   4 topics

   • Extreme Programming (XP)
   • Feature-Driven Development (FDD)
   • Crystal Methods
   • Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)
5. 5

   Scaling Agile

   4 topics

   • Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
   • Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS)
   • Disciplined Agile (DA)
   • Scrum of Scrums

Agile and Lean Approaches flashcards for Project Management

25 of 60 cards from the Agile and Lean Approaches deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In what year was the Agile Manifesto published, and by how many people?

   It was published in 2001, authored by 17 software developers at a meeting in Snowbird, Utah.

2. State the four values of the Agile Manifesto.

   1) Individuals and interactions over processes and tools; 2) Working software over comprehensive documentation; 3) Customer collaboration over contract negotiation; 4) Responding to change over following a plan. The items on the left are valued more, though the items on the right still have value.

3. How many principles support the Agile Manifesto, and what is the first one?

   There are 12 principles. The first is: 'Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.'

4. According to Agile principles, what is the primary measure of progress?

   Working software (a working product) is the primary measure of progress.

5. What does the Agile principle say about the preferred timescale for delivering working software?

   Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference for the shorter timescale.

6. Contrast the predictive (waterfall) mindset with the agile (adaptive) mindset regarding requirements and change.

   Predictive fixes scope up front and treats change as costly deviation, delivering value at the end. Agile assumes requirements evolve, welcomes change even late in development, and delivers value incrementally throughout.

7. In a predictive life cycle, what is typically fixed and what varies, compared to an agile (adaptive) life cycle?

   Predictive: scope is fixed while cost and schedule are estimated/variable. Agile: cost (resources) and time (iteration length) are fixed while scope is variable and negotiated each iteration.

8. On which types of projects is a predictive approach preferred over agile?

   When requirements are well-understood, stable, and low in uncertainty/change, and the work is well-defined with proven methods—favoring detailed up-front planning.

9. What are the three pillars of empirical process control?

   Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation.

10. Define 'Transparency' as a pillar of empirical process control.

    Significant aspects of the process must be visible to those responsible for the outcome, using a common standard and shared definition (e.g., a shared 'Definition of Done').

11. Define 'Inspection' in empirical process control.

    Users/stakeholders frequently inspect artifacts and progress toward goals to detect undesirable variances, though inspection should not be so frequent that it impedes the work.

12. Define 'Adaptation' in empirical process control.

    If inspection reveals that aspects deviate outside acceptable limits, the process or product being processed must be adjusted as soon as possible to minimize further deviation.

13. What is empirical process control, and why is it used in agile?

    It is process control grounded in observation and experimentation (knowledge from experience) rather than detailed up-front prediction. It is used because complex, uncertain work cannot be reliably predicted, so teams inspect and adapt frequently.

14. Name the five principles of Lean Thinking as articulated by Womack and Jones.

    1) Define Value (from the customer's view); 2) Map the Value Stream; 3) Create Flow; 4) Establish Pull; 5) Pursue Perfection (continuous improvement).

15. In Lean, what is 'muda' and what are the categories of waste?

    Muda means waste—any activity that consumes resources without adding customer value. Classic categories (from manufacturing) include overproduction, waiting, transportation, over-processing, inventory, motion, and defects (often summarized 'TIMWOOD').

16. What are the two pillars of the Toyota Production System that underlie Lean?

    Just-in-Time (produce only what is needed, when needed) and Jidoka (automation with a human touch / building in quality and stopping to fix problems).

17. What does 'Kaizen' mean in Lean thinking?

    Kaizen means continuous, incremental improvement—everyone in the organization continually seeks small improvements to processes.

18. What kind of scheduling method is the Kanban Method, and what does 'Kanban' mean?

    Kanban is a pull-based (pull system) scheduling method for managing flow. 'Kanban' is Japanese for 'signboard' or 'visual signal/card.'

19. List the core practices/principles of the Kanban Method.

    1) Visualize the workflow (Kanban board); 2) Limit Work in Progress (WIP); 3) Manage flow; 4) Make process policies explicit; 5) Implement feedback loops; 6) Improve collaboratively (evolve experimentally).

20. Why does Kanban limit Work in Progress (WIP)?

    Limiting WIP reduces multitasking and context-switching, exposes bottlenecks, shortens cycle time, and creates a pull system where new work is started only when capacity frees up—improving flow and throughput.

21. How does the Kanban Method differ from Scrum regarding cadence and roles?

    Kanban is a continuous-flow system with no prescribed fixed-length iterations, no required roles, and continuous delivery; Scrum uses fixed-length sprints, defined roles (Scrum Master, Product Owner, Developers), and delivers at sprint boundaries.

22. State Little's Law as used in flow/queueing.

    $$L = \lambda W$$ where $L$ is the average number of items in the system (WIP), $\lambda$ is the average arrival/throughput rate, and $W$ is the average time an item spends in the system (lead time).

23. Write Little's Law in the form commonly used for Kanban flow metrics (WIP, throughput, cycle time).

    $$\text{WIP} = \text{Throughput} \times \text{Cycle Time}$$ equivalently $\text{Cycle Time} = \dfrac{\text{WIP}}{\text{Throughput}}$.

24. Using Little's Law, if a team has an average WIP of 20 items and a throughput of 4 items per day, what is the average cycle time?

    $$\text{Cycle Time} = \frac{\text{WIP}}{\text{Throughput}} = \frac{20}{4} = 5 \text{ days}$$

25. Define the flow metrics 'lead time,' 'cycle time,' and 'throughput.'

    Lead time: total elapsed time from a request being made (or committed) until it is delivered. Cycle time: time from when work actively starts on an item until it is completed. Throughput: number of items completed per unit of time.

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