This course covers the techniques required to break down and map requirements into plans that will ultimately drive software production.
Offered By
About this Course
Learner Career Outcomes
60%
40%
18%
What you will learn
Create effective plans for software development
Map user requirements to developer tasks
Assess and plan for project risks
Apply velocity-driven planning techniques
Skills you will gain
Learner Career Outcomes
60%
40%
18%
Offered by

University of Alberta
UAlberta is considered among the world’s leading public research- and teaching-intensive universities. As one of Canada’s top universities, we’re known for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Module 1: Introduction to Planning
Welcome to the first module! In this module, you will be learning some basic principles that you will need for effective planning. You will start this module off with an introduction to planning. You will then learn about how planning, and the approach you take to planning, can reduce uncertainty in your project. We will then move onto learning how to breakdown a project into small, manageable pieces, and how to organize those pieces. Finally, we will go over the differences between estimates, targets, and commitments. Together, these lessons will build a good base for learning planning techniques at both the release and iteration level.
Module 2: Project Planning
Welcome to module 2! Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet with general principles in project planning, let’s talk about some specific ways that you can use to implement those techniques. We’ll first discuss the concepts of story points and velocity, then move into how time boxing can be used to improve your project efficiency. We’ll then introduce the Gantt chart, a basic tried and true method of visualizing project tasks. We’ll finish off with techniques for planning your project at a release level, which will set the stage for iteration planning in the next module.
Module 3: Iteration Planning
This module will be focusing on planning techniques at the iteration or sprint level. You will start by looking at various techniques for estimating task time. You will then look at task dependencies in more detail. This will come in handy when you learn two visual planning charts--the Critical Path Method chart, and the PERT chart. Finally, you will learn the process for creating an iteration plan. By the end of this module, you will have the tools you need to plan sprints or iterations for development.
Module 4: Risk Planning
You’ve made it to the last module, congratulations! Here, we’re going to talk about what can cause projects to fail. We’ll start off by discussing common causes of failures, including anti-patterns. Then, you’ll learn how to assess risks, looking at their likelihood and potential impact on the project. We’ll end on an optimistic note by leaving you with strategies for intervening when risks present themselves and avoiding those risks to begin with.
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM AGILE PLANNING FOR SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
It is excellent course in terms of the knowledge that I gain. However the multiple choice questions are a little bit default to understand. It is look like that you are examining our English skill :)
Great Agile techniques to learn from this course !! Useful for those who want to brush up on their product management skills as well as those who want to launch themselves in this career stream.
Really good course. I enjoyed the concise and informative lectures. The presenters are awesome. Special thanks for the accompanying reading materials and links to supplemental resources!
What I very appreciate from this course that we get feedback from your mistake so can learn from it. That's why it suitable for newbie or professional and programmer or non programmer.
About the Software Product Management Specialization
In this Software Product Management Specialization, you will master Agile software management practices to lead a team of developers and interact with clients. In the final Capstone Project, you will practice and apply management techniques to realistic scenarios that you will face as a Software Product Manager. You will have the opportunity to share your experiences and learn from the insights of others as part of a Software Product Management

Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
Is financial aid available?
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.