DSDM Consortium Atern Lecturer Candidate Guidelines Version 1.

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1 1.1 2. 2.1 2.2 3.

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................... 3 OBJECTIVE ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 CERTIFICATION OF ATERN LECTURERS................................................................................................................ 4 INITIAL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................................................ 4 THE ATERN LECTURER ORAL EXAMINATION ............................................................................................................... 4 GUIDELINES FOR EXAMINATION CANDIDATES................................................................................................... 5 3.1. 3.2. 3.3 3.4 3.5 APPLICATION ................................................................................................................................................................ 5 ATERN LECTURER ORAL EXAMINATION ....................................................................................................................... 5 ATERN LECTURER REGISTRATION ................................................................................................................................ 6 EXAM CANCELLATION .................................................................................................................................................. 6 ATERN LECTURER RE-CERTIFICATION .......................................................................................................................... 6

4. 4.1 5.

CLARIFICATION OF FOCUS DURING ATERN LECTURER ORAL EXAMINATION ....................................... 7 IMPORTANT NOTES FOR CANDIDATES............................................................................................................................ 7 FURTHER INFORMATION ............................................................................................................................................. 8 DSDM ATERN AWARE SYLLABUS ...................................................................................................... 9

APPENDIX A A.1 A.2 A.3

OBJECTIVE .................................................................................................................................................................... 9 DURATION .................................................................................................................................................................... 9 CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................................................... 9

The Purpose of DSDM Atern................................................................................................................. 9 The Philosophy of Atern ........................................................................................................................ 9 The Principles of Atern .......................................................................................................................... 9 The Atern Process .................................................................................................................................. 9 The Products........................................................................................................................................... 9 The People.............................................................................................................................................. 9 Atern Core Practices (Techniques)......................................................................................................... 9 Other Areas............................................................................................................................................. 9
A.4 EMPHASIS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 DSDM ATERN PRACTITIONER SYLLABUS..................................................................................... 10 APPENDIX B B.1 B.2 B.3

OBJECTIVE .................................................................................................................................................................. 10 DURATION .................................................................................................................................................................. 10 CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................................................. 10

The Purpose of DSDM Atern............................................................................................................... 10 The Philosophy of Atern ...................................................................................................................... 10 The Principles of Atern ........................................................................................................................ 10 The Atern Process ................................................................................................................................ 10 The Products......................................................................................................................................... 10 The People............................................................................................................................................ 10 Atern Core Practices (Techniques)....................................................................................................... 10 Other Areas........................................................................................................................................... 10
B.4 B.5 EMPHASIS ................................................................................................................................................................... 11 PRACTICAL WORK ...................................................................................................................................................... 11

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1 1.1

INTRODUCTION Objective

The DSDM Atern training, accreditation and certification process aims to provide the industry with high calibre professional staff, who are trained and qualified to perform effectively on DSDM Atern projects, following the DSDM Atern method. The DSDM Consortium considers it essential to preserve the quality of the method and is responsible for managing accreditation and certification to those organisations and individuals, demonstrating both a thorough understanding of the method and its practical implementation on DSDM Atern projects. The DSDM Consortium Secretariat maintains a list of accredited training organisations (ATOs), accredited DSDM Atern training courses, and certified DSDM Atern Practitioners, Trainers, Lecturers, Coaches, Examiners, and Consultants. The Information Systems Examinations Board (ISEB) collaborates with the DSDM Consortium on the certification of DSDM Atern Practitioners, Lecturers, Trainers, Coaches, Examiners and Consultants. The APM Group accredits training organisations to deliver DSDM Atern accredited training courses. The ISEB and the APM Group have endorsed the DSDM Consortium accreditation procedures. Certificates are awarded by the ISEB to candidates who are successful in the DSDM Atern examination process for Practitioner, Trainer, Lecturer, Coach, Examiner and Consultant. ISEB awards the certificates for DSDM Atern Practitioners, Trainers, Lecturers, Coaches, Examiners and Consultants. The APM Group awards certificates for DSDM Atern Accredited Training Organisations and DSDM / Atern Foundation examinations. DSDM Atern is now referred to only as Atern throughout this document.

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2. 2.1

CERTIFICATION OF ATERN LECTURERS Initial Requirements

The DSDM Secretariat holds a list of certificated Atern Lecturers. Atern Lecturers must be associated with a DSDM Academic member organisation. This ensures that all Atern Lecturers are up-to-date with the latest information on DSDM and the current version (Atern). An Atern Lecturer may apply to be certificated as follows: 1. Submitting an Atern Lecturer Application form, together with a CV detailing his/her lecturing experience. Any supporting commercial experience should also be detailed on the CV. 2. If the application is approved, the candidate will be invited for an oral examination lasting 45 to 60 minutes. These examinations will take place on the same dates as scheduled DSDM Practitioner examinations. 2.2 The Atern Lecturer Oral Examination

The objective of the Atern Lecturer oral examination is to assess the candidates ability to deliver DSDM accredited Academic courses. The candidate will be expected to demonstrate the following (based on the current version of DSDM Atern): The ability to explain Atern concepts accurately and clearly, without reference to notes, slides or manuals. The scope of questioning during the oral exam will relate directly to the syllabus for accredited Atern courses. The ability and willingness to use examples and analogies to relate Atern theory to Atern in practice. The ability to resolve misunderstandings of Atern concepts. The ability to sell the concept and benefits of Atern. The ability to organise, monitor and support Atern practical work. The ability to assess the students understanding of Atern.

All oral examinations are voice recorded. The DSDM Consortium reserves the right to place an observer at the oral examination. The observers role is to assess the examiners, NOT the candidate.

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3.

GUIDELINES FOR EXAMINATION CANDIDATES

The Atern Lecturer certification process involves two stages: Stage 1. Stage 2. 3.1. Application to the DSDM Secretariat with CV. Oral Examination

Application

The candidate should apply to the DSDM for certification, by submitting: 1. The completed application form (available from the DSDM website). 2. A CV clearly showing his/her training/ lecturing experience, together with any commercial experience, where applicable. Provided the candidate meets the entry criteria, s/he will be invited for an oral examination. All submission and examination dates, together with examination fees, are available from the DSDM website.

3.2.

Atern Lecturer Oral Examination

This section describes the oral examination process for those candidates wishing to gain the Atern Lecturer Certificate. The purpose of the oral examination is to confirm the candidates ability to deliver any of the accredited DSDM courses in an academic environment. Candidates should be prepared to describe, answer questions and train on any of the topics included in the syllabus of the accredited courses (see Appendices A and B for syllabus and then refer to DSDM manual for full detail). During the oral exam, candidates are expected to use real-life examples and/or analogies to illustrate Atern theory. (This should happen without prompting from the examiners, since this is the style of training needed to put across Atern effectively.) The examples may be based on the experience of others, and on case studies, where direct personal experience is limited. During the exam, candidates may use the whiteboard / flip charts provided as necessary, for better demonstration of their training abilities and to illustrate concepts. However, candidates may not bring any pre-prepared material into the exam. The candidate is not allowed to consult the DSDM Manual or any other manuals, books or notes during the Atern Lecturer oral examination. The Atern Lecturer examination is candidate led. This means the onus is on the candidate to demonstrate his/her ability and to volunteer practical examples and/or analogies. During the
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exam, examiners may describe typical training scenarios (example If you were running a course where <problem> how would you?), or set questions based on real delegate/student questions or roles (example If I were the <role> how would you convince me that ..?. However, examiners will not use role play or attempt to trick, sidetrack or mislead the candidate. The oral examination lasts between 45 and 60 minutes, and is carried out by two independent DSDM Examiners, at least one of whom will be a certified DSDM Trainer. All oral examinations are voice recorded. The DSDM Consortium reserves the right to place an observer at the oral examination. The observers role is to assess the examiners, NOT the candidate. At the end of the oral examination, the candidate will be asked to wait outside the examination room, for a short time, whilst the examiners make their decision. The candidate will then be informed of the outcome. If the candidate has met the required standard, s/he will receive a letter usually within one week. ISEB will issue the Atern Lecturer certificate, usually within one month. If the candidate has not met the required standard, he or she will be given feedback. If the candidate chooses, this may be given verbally. Feedback is always contained in the letter sent from the DSDM Consortium, usually within one week. 3.3 Atern Lecturer Registration

The DSDM Secretariat will enrol successful Atern Lecturer candidates on the DSDM List of Certified Atern Lecturers. A similar list will be retained by ISEB. Accredited Atern Lecturers may also choose to have their name published on the DSDM web site DSDM Certified Practitioners page. 3.4 Exam Cancellation

In the event of the candidate cancelling their examination, the full examination fee is payable. 3.5 Atern Lecturer Re-certification

The initial Atern Lecturer certificate is issued for three years from the date of the Lecturer examination. After three years, the candidate must renew their certificate. Atern Lecturers must attend a DSDM Masterclass before their certification expires in order to maintain their certified status. Masterclass events are held at frequent intervals (typically 3 per year), for further information contact the DSDM Secretariat. This is seen as key to keeping Atern Lecturers up-to-date with the latest thinking on DSDM Atern in the commercial world, and to minimise the gap between academic training and the commercial arena. In exceptional circumstances, a certified Atern Lecturer who cannot attend a Masterclass in the foreseeable future (for example, where a Lecturer who is living and working outside Europe is working to deliver Atern training into an area where no DSDM administrative support exists) may be permitted to maintain their certification via an alternative route. Each case will be decided by formal submission to the DSDM Consortium Board on a case by case basis, where an appropriate alternative to Masterclass attendance will be approved which will demonstrate the Atern Lecturers accurate and current DSDM knowledge.
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There may be a nominal charge for issuing a new Atern Lecturer certificate. In general, there may also be a nominal charge for attending a Masterclass event, but this is waived where facilities can be organised free of charge. Where Atern Lecturer certification has lapsed, because the 3 year deadline has passed, it will be necessary to re-apply and re-take the Atern Lecturer examination. For further information contact the DSDM Secretariat. Please note an Atern Lecturer is only certified to deliver accredited DSDM training in the academic arena, and is NOT eligible to deliver accredited DSDM training in the public / commercial sector. 4. CLARIFICATION OF FOCUS DURING ATERN LECTURER ORAL EXAMINATION

4.1 Important notes for candidates Although training delivery in the real world is generally supported by slides, nevertheless Atern Lecturer candidates are still expected to know their Atern. There are several reasons behind this: When candidates ask questions or ask for clarification, the appropriate slide will not always be the one on display. An Atern Lecturer needs to be able to explain from his/her knowledge. S/he will also need to expand beyond what is summarised on a slide, fluently and without reference to written material. To be effective, Atern training must be related back to real Atern project experience, project examples, case studies and/or analogies. To be credible, the Atern Lecturer must be able to switch between Atern practical examples and accurate Atern theory. Running Atern training is much more than working through a series of slides. The Atern Lecturer is also the ambassador for Atern, and therefore his/her knowledge of Atern needs to be detailed and accurate. Frequently discussions and explanations or even detailed project scenarios are raised during breaks or other sessions, away from the classroom. It is vital that the Atern Lecturer can talk through problems, propose solutions etc. without the aid of props, slides or the Manual. If the information given is inaccurate, or the Atern Lecturer does not know the answer without looking it up first, s/he loses all credibility with the students. Following on from training, students may later be going forward for personal DSDM certification. His/her knowledge of Atern, gained from the Atern Lecturer, will be tested. It must therefore be accurate, and clearly explained. Misapprehensions and misunderstandings must be picked up and corrected before the end of training. Otherwise, in the case of a candidate later failing a DSDM exam, sub-standard or inaccurate training could potentially become the basis of an appeal.

Once an Atern Lecturer is accredited, s/he may be called upon to run any of the accredited DSDM academic courses. Therefore during the oral exam s/he needs to demonstrate knowledge in all syllabus areas. However, Atern Lecturer candidates will NOT be asked questions about the make-up of the course syllabus for the accredited courses. (Course syllabus is handled via the Course Accreditation process)
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5.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Please contact the DSDM Consortium Secretariat for any further information on Atern or DSDM personal Certification and the APM Group for Atern Training Organisation Accreditation. All queries and applications should also be made to the following addresses: DSDM Consortium Secretariat Henwood House Henwood Ashford Kent TN24 8DH Tel: +44 (0)1233 611162 Fax: +44 (0)1233 633148 Web : http://www.dsdm.org Email: certification@dsdm.org The APM Group Limited Sword House Totteridge Road High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP13 6DG Tel: +44 (0) 1494 452 450 Fax: +44 (0) 1494 459 559 Web: www.apmgroup.co.uk Email: servicedesk@apmgroup.co.uk

For further information about ISEB, please visit: www.bcs.org.uk/iseb or contact customer services on +44 (0)1793 417424

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APPENDIX A A.1 Objective

DSDM ATERN AWARE SYLLABUS

To increase awareness of DSDM Atern, for delegates with no previous knowledge. It is likely that participants on this event could include business and technical staff at all levels of seniority. The emphasis can be varied according to the target audience, but the following topics must be covered in all cases. At the end of this training, delegates should have a rounded understanding of all the component parts of Atern and how they work together to support Atern as a whole.

A.2

Duration

1 day (approx. 7 hours)

A.3

Contents

The Purpose of DSDM Atern

What is Atern? Positioning of Atern within Agile Why use Atern? The Benefits of Atern

The Philosophy of Atern The Principles of Atern The Atern Process

The Framework and Life Cycle When to use Atern? (and the consequences of choosing Atern)

The Products The People

The Team Structure Roles and Responsibilities (inc. empowerment and essential skills)

Atern Core Practices (Techniques)

Facilitated workshops Timeboxing MoSCoW prioritisation Modelling and Prototyping Iterative Development)

Other Areas
Agile requirements Testing, Quality and Maintainability Project Management and Control (including Risk, Estimating and Measurement, Configuration Management)

A.4

Emphasis

This event should emphasise : The Philosophy, Principles, Process, Products, Practices and the People
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APPENDIX B B.1 Objective

DSDM ATERN PRACTITIONER SYLLABUS

To provide training in the Atern framework and give guidance on how the delegates skills might be applied on an Atern project. It is aimed at those intending to take an active role in an Atern project team. At the end of this training, delegates should have a detailed understanding of all the component parts of DSDM Atern and how they work together to support Atern as a whole, together with limited practical experience of Atern. The emphasis can be varied according to the target audience, but the following topics must be covered in all cases.

B.2

Duration

3 days, of which approximately 1.5 days should involve practical work on skills development.

B.3

Contents

These are the same as Atern Aware, but should be covered in significantly more detail on this course.

The Purpose of DSDM Atern

What is Atern? Positioning of Atern within Agile Why use Atern? The Benefits of Atern

The Philosophy of Atern The Principles of Atern The Atern Process

The Framework and Life Cycle When to use Atern? (and the consequences of choosing Atern)

The Products The People

The Team Structure Roles and Responsibilities (inc. empowerment and essential skills)

Atern Core Practices (Techniques)

Facilitated workshops Timeboxing MoSCoW prioritisation Modelling and Prototyping Iterative Development)

Other Areas
Agile requirements Testing, Quality and Maintainability Project Management and Control (including Risk, Estimating and Measurement, Configuration Management)

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B.4

Emphasis

This event should emphasise : The Philosophy, Principles, Process, Products, Practices and the People Practical experience of Atern

B.5

Practical Work

The Atern Practitioner course should include practical work, covering the following: Communication Skills, Team Working, Collaboration and Fact Finding Presenting Models, Being Constructive and Taking Criticism Participating in Workshops Planning and Time Management MoSCoW Prioritisation Negotiating and Obtaining Consensus

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