PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Course Outline

• A Project or Business as Usual?
• An Overview of PRINCE2®
• An Introduction to Agile
• Blending PRINCE2® and Agile
• What to Fix and What to Flex
• Agile Behaviours and the PRINCE2® Principles
• Agile and the PRINCE2® Themes
• Agile and the PRINCE2® Processes
• Focus Areas
• Course Complete

PRINCE2 Agile® Practitioner Course Outline

Module 1: Understand basic concepts of common Agile methods       

• Explain the differences between projects and BAU (Business as usual)
• Describe agile and its common approaches, how and why Agile approaches have developed and where they are used
• Describe the history of Agile, it’s contrast to the waterfall way of working and how the Agile Manifesto fits in
• Describe the different levels of Agile maturity and well-known Agile frameworks
• Describe behaviours, concepts and techniques that characterize Agile
• Define the PRINCE2 Agile® view of ‘Agile’
• Describe Kanban, the Kanban method and its six general practices, including the use of Cumulative Flow Diagrams (CFDs)
• Describe the core concepts of Lean Start-up
• Describe the use of workshops
• Describe how to transition to Agile
• Define Scrum theory and explain the nature of the Scrum team, Scrum events, Scrum artefacts and Sprints

Module 2: Understand purpose and context for combining PRINCE2® and Agile

• Describe the complementary strengths of PRINCE2® and the Agile way of working
• Define who can benefit from using PRINCE2 Agile® and in what contexts/situations
• Define the make-up of PRINCE2 Agile® (frameworks, behaviours, concepts, techniques, focus areas)
• Explain the eight ‘guidance points’
• Explain how PRINCE2® controls and governance can enable Agile to be used in many environments
• Describe what a typical PRINCE2® ‘project journey’ looks like in an Agile context

Module 3: Apply and evaluate focus areas to a project in an Agile context

• Explain the purpose and use of the Agilometer throughout a project
• Describe the six sliders used on the Agilometer, explain their significance and how to improve them
• Describe in detail requirements terminology, decomposition and prioritization, including MoSCoW and Ordering
• Explain how requirements prioritization is used
• Explain the rich communication focus area, its importance and its key techniques
• Explain how to manage frequent releases and the benefits of ‘failing fast’

Module 4: Fix and flex six aspects of project in an Agile context

• Describe how to use the ‘hexagon’ in relation to the six aspects of project performance
• Explain the use of tolerances in terms of what to ‘fix’ and what to ‘flex’ in relation to the six aspects of project performance
• Describe in detail each of the five targets that underpin the use of the hexagon
• Explain why the ‘fix and flex’ approach is good for the customer

Module 5: Apply or tailor PRINCE2® principles, themes, processes, and management products to a project in an Agile context

• Describe in detail the five PRINCE2 Agile® behaviours (Transparency, Collaboration, Rich Communication, Self-Organization, Exploration)
• Explain that Agile needs to be incorporated in all seven PRINCE2® processes and all seven themes but that the amount appropriate to each will vary depending on the project context
• Describe the two common Organization roles of Scrum master and Product owner
• Explain how to adjust roles, including the use of specialist roles, and the options for team organization in a project
• Define the make-up of a typical delivery team
• Describe servant leadership, its use and importance
• Describe how to define Working Agreements
• Describe quality setting techniques including ‘definition of done’ and the use of acceptance criteria
• Describe quality testing, quality checking and management techniques
• Describe approaches to planning and typical planning techniques
• Describe approaches to risk and how Agile concepts mitigate many typical risks
• Describe how blending PRINCE2® with Agile approaches controls, responds to, and minimizes the impact of change, including risk management and configuration management
• Describe how empowered self-organizing teams handle change dynamically within set tolerances
• Describe common feedback loops and their importance
• Describe progress monitoring techniques including use of ‘work in progress’ boards, burn charts, information radiators
• Describe in detail Agile techniques that may apply to each PRINCE2® process including Cynefin
• Describe how to flex the ‘Direct a Project’ stage and the benefits of collaborative working
• Describe how to ‘manage by exception’ with emphasis on empowerment, quantity of deliverables, rich information flows and value of deliverables
• Explain why PRINCE2® ‘stages’ may not be required, including the use of timeboxes and Scrum of scrums
• Describe typical output mechanisms when ‘Controlling a Stage’ and ‘Managing a Stage Boundary’
• Describe the use of retrospectives and how to make them effective
• Describe approaches to managing product delivery including Scrum and Kanban
• Explain how to define Work Packages, Product Descriptions, quality criteria and tolerances
• Give guidance on behaviours, risk and the frequency of releases
• Explain how to manage stage boundaries and the similarities between a stage and a release
• Explain how to assess quantity, quality and benefits of stage deliverables
• Explain how to effectively close a project, including evaluation of the use of Agile
• Describe how to tailor PRINCE2® products, including Work Packages, Highlight Reports and Checkpoint Reports
• Describe in detail Agile techniques that may apply to each PRINCE2® theme including requirements, defining value and user stories
• Describe guidance on the use of contracts
• Describe PRINCE2 Agile® delivery roles
• Explain how to use the Health Check
• Describe the fundamental values and principles of Agile
• Outline tips for the PRINCE2 Agile® project manager

• Improved position in the job market and career progression within project and programme management by being at the forefront of Practitioners achieving the new PRINCE2 Agile qualification
• An internationally-recognised qualification, which will demonstrate your ability to apply best practice approaches to managing any and every kind of project – no matter the size or scale
• A broad understanding of all of the key agile concepts and how these blend seamlessly into the PRINCE2 methodology
• Earlier return on investment and ‘flow-based’ working for greater efficiency
• Improved communication by encouraging the use of common terminology across PRINCE2 and agile disciplines
• Clear definition of how agile can govern a project’s delivery, whilst PRINCE2 governs projects as a whole

This certification is aimed at current and aspiring project managers or professionals who manage projects. It is also relevant to other key staff involved in the design, development and delivery of projects, including: Project Board members (e.g. Senior Responsible Owners), Team Managers (e.g. Product Delivery Managers), Project Assurance (e.g. Business Change Analysts), Project Support (e.g. Project and Programme Office personnel) and operational line managers/staff.

Prince2 Agile Foundation Exam Format

• Objective testing
• One-hour multiple-choice paper
• 50 questions with a pass mark of 55%
• Closed book exam.

Prince2 Agile Practitioner Exam Format

• Objective testing
• 50 questions each worth one mark
• 30 marks or more required to pass out of 50 questions: 60% pass mark
• Two-and-a-half hours’ (150 minutes) duration, no additional reading time
• Open book exam. Candidates may use the official printed hard copy of the PRINCE2 Agile^® Guidance. The manual may be annotated and tabulated but no sticky notes and loose leaf papers containing additional notes will be allowed

PRINCE2 Agile Foundation Exam Prerequisites:

There are no formal pre-requisites for the PRINCE2 Agile Foundation exam. However, knowledge of either project management or Agile delivery will help.

PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner Exam Prerequisites:

PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner exam, you must have one of the following certificates:

• PRINCE2 Foundation
• PRINCE2 Practitioner
• PRINCE2 Agile Foundation
• Project Management Professional® (PMP)
• Certified Associate in Project Management® (CAPM)
• IMPA Level A® (Certified Projects Director)