THE FIRST STEP IN LEARNING to become an Agile Project Manager is to learn the fundamentals of Agile, which includes understanding not only the mechanics of how an Agile project based on Scrum works but also the principles behind it at a deeper level, so that you can go beyond just implementing it mechanically, by the book.

Chapter 2 – Agile History and the Agile Manifesto:

Agile is based on the values and principles expressed in the Agile Manifesto that was originally created in 2001. The values and principles in the Agile Manifesto were a reaction to many of the existing project management approaches at that time that were perceived to be overly prescriptive, bureaucratic, and not very effective in a software development environment where the level of uncertainty is typically very high.

Chapter 3 – Scrum Overview:

Scrum has become, by far, the most widely used Agile methodology in the United States and is rapidly being used in other areas of the world as well. In fact, Scrum is so widely used that it means Agile to many people, just as “Coke” is sometimes used generally for carbonated soda drinks.

• Although Scrum is most heavily used in a software development environment, it provides a framework that can easily be adapted to a wide range of projects not limited to software development.
• An understanding of how Scrum works is essential for any Agile Project Manager since it embodies all the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto.

Chapter 4 – Agile Planning, Requirements, and Product Backlog:

Probably the most important area of any Agile process, and the area that is most significantly different from traditional plan‐driven projects, is the area of how planning is done and how requirements are defined and managed. An understanding of these differences is probably one of the most critical areas for an Agile Project Manager to have. This chapter provides an overview of Agile planning. It will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 15.