Elevate your role as a value driver in a Lean-Agile enterprise with our SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager training. This course is designed to empower you with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively define and deliver products and solutions that delight customers and achieve business outcomes. You will learn to operate at the intersection of business, technology, and customer needs, mastering the critical skills required to manage the Program and Team Backlogs, prioritize work, and collaborate with teams within an Agile Release Train (ART). This training is your gateway to becoming an indispensable leader in your organization's Agile transformation journey, ensuring that your teams are always working on the highest-priority initiatives.

Our comprehensive curriculum provides a deep dive into the Product Owner and Product Manager roles within the Scaled Agile Framework. You will engage in hands-on activities, real-world simulations, and case studies to solidify your understanding of how to lead successful Product Backlog management, participate in PI Planning, and execute with precision. This course is perfect for professionals who are looking to enhance their ability to communicate with stakeholders, foster a shared vision, and guide their teams toward continuous value delivery. By the end, you'll be fully equipped to champion the customer's voice and drive the success of your products at enterprise scale.

Duration: 10 days

Target Audience:

• Product Owners
• Product Managers
• Business Analysts
• Agile Product Managers
• Product Line Managers
• Product Marketing Managers
• Portfolio Managers
• Program Managers
• Anyone responsible for defining and managing product backlogs
• Individuals preparing for the SAFe POPM certification

Objectives:

• Understand the Product Owner and Product Manager roles in SAFe
• Master the responsibilities within a SAFe enterprise
• Learn to write epics, capabilities, features, and stories
• Understand how to apply Lean-Agile principles to the product life cycle
• Participate effectively in Program Increment (PI) Planning
• Learn to manage and prioritize the Program and Team Backlogs
• Discover techniques for continuous exploration and customer collaboration
• Understand the role of Continuous Delivery Pipeline and DevOps
• Gain skills in coordinating with other teams on an Agile Release Train
• Prepare for the SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager certification exam

Course Modules:

Module 1: The Product Owner and Product Manager Role in SAFe

• Differentiating between the Product Owner and Product Manager roles
• The PO/PM's connection to the SAFe House of Lean
• The responsibilities of a PO/PM in an Agile Release Train
• The Lean-Agile mindset for product professionals
• The PO/PM as a champion for the customer

Module 2: Connecting to the Customer

• The importance of continuous customer feedback
• Techniques for customer research and discovery
• Understanding user personas and customer journey maps
• Using Design Thinking to create innovative solutions
• The role of continuous exploration in SAFe

Module 3: The Agile Release Train (ART)

• Understanding the structure of an ART
• The key roles and events within an ART
• How the PO/PM collaborates with the Release Train Engineer
• The importance of synchronization and alignment
• The PO/PM as a member of the ART team

Module 4: Understanding the Program Backlog

• The relationship between the Vision, Epics, Features, and Stories
• How features are defined and managed
• Connecting features to business value
• The role of the Program Kanban system
• Prioritizing features using Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)

Module 5: PI Planning Readiness

• Preparing the Program Backlog for PI Planning
• How to define and communicate the business context
• The role of the PO/PM in preparing the team
• The importance of a well-defined Product Vision
• Creating draft Features and dependencies for the PI

Module 6: Executing PI Planning

• The agenda and flow of a PI Planning event
• The role of the PO/PM in breakout sessions
• Communicating the business context and objectives
• Facilitating the creation of team PI Objectives
• Resolving dependencies and risks during the event

Module 7: Managing the Team Backlog

• The relationship between the Program Backlog and Team Backlog
• How to refine and elaborate stories
• The importance of acceptance criteria
• The PO/PM's responsibility for the Team Backlog
• Using the Team Kanban to manage workflow

Module 8: Story Writing and Elaboration

• Writing effective user stories and acceptance criteria
• The INVEST model for good stories
• The role of the PO/PM in story estimation
• Splitting large stories into smaller, manageable pieces
• Techniques for continuous story refinement

Module 9: The Continuous Delivery Pipeline and DevOps

• The components of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP)
• The role of the PO/PM in the CDP
• How DevOps practices support product delivery
• Understanding Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment
• The importance of value stream mapping

Module 10: Executing the Program Increment (PI)

• The role of the PO/PM in Sprint Planning and Daily Scrums
• The importance of synchronization within the ART
• Attending the Scrum of Scrums to resolve dependencies
• The PO/PM's role in the System Demo
• Getting and giving feedback during the PI

Module 11: The Product Manager as a Leader

• Building a strong product vision and roadmap
• Engaging stakeholders and managing their expectations
• The role of the PO/PM in the Solution Train
• Leading with influence, not authority
• Fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration

Module 12: Agile Product Management

• The importance of short, frequent feedback loops
• Using metrics to drive product decisions
• The role of the PO/PM in the Inspect & Adapt event
• Continuous learning and improvement
• The PO/PM's connection to the Solution Intent

Module 13: SAFe and Lean Portfolio Management (LPM)

• How the PO/PM contributes to LPM
• The role of the Portfolio Kanban system
• Connecting strategic themes to features
• Understanding the flow of work from strategy to execution
• The PO/PM's responsibility to manage capacity and demand

Module 14: Value Management

• Understanding the concept of value streams
• How to measure business value
• The role of the PO/PM in ensuring business outcomes
• The importance of economic decision-making
• Maximizing the value delivered by the ART

Module 15: The PO/PM and the Solution Train

• The role of the Solution Management team
• How PO/PMs collaborate on a Solution Train
• The importance of Solution context and Solution Intent
• Understanding the Pre-PI Planning event
• Executing with the Solution Train

Module 16: Certification and Professional Growth

• A comprehensive review of key SAFe POPM concepts
• Preparing for the certification exam with practice questions
• Building a personal development plan for your role
• The importance of staying current with SAFe updates
• Leveraging the SAFe community for ongoing support

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 10 working days before commencement of the training.