This presentation discusses the "Delphi" and "Wideband Delphi" estimation techniques, first pioneered by the Rand Corporation in the 1940s. The modern incarnation of these methods is called "Planning Poker." It is the dominant estimation technique used in agile and Scrum-based software projects, but can be used for any kind of project. We will cover the origins of the Delphi techniques, the reasons for using it in Scrum projects, the level of granularity appropriate for the technique, and what to do with the numbers afterward.

Our Speaker: Kevin Thompson, Ph.D., has a doctorate in Physics from Princeton University, and extensive background in managing software development projects.

When: Tuesday August 17th from 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Where: Tacit Knowledge 394 Pacific Street – 4th Floor, San Francisco
For more details and to register, go to www.bayapln.org

More about Kevin Thompson:

Kevin Thompson, Ph.D., is a Senior Instructor and Consultant for cPrime, a company that provides training and consulting services in Project management. He has a doctorate in Physics from Princeton University, and extensive background in managing software development projects. Dr. Thompson helps companies make the challenging transition to agile development, by working with development teams and business stakeholders to define and implement the right process for their business.

Dr. Thompson has Project Management Professional (PMP), Scrum Master (CSM), and Scrum Professional (CSP) certifications.

A little blurb on the topic of "Delphi and Planning Poker", e.g. what it's about, etc.

Projects take time to complete. Their duration directly impacts the cost and schedule, which means that the ability to estimate accurately is important.

Unfortunately, estimation can be difficult and imprecise. It can also be confusing---many techniques are available, but without a clear guide about which to use, beleaguered we can be tempted to throw up our hands and pick a rough guess out of the air.

This presentation discusses the “Delphi” and “Wideband Delphi” estimation techniques, first pioneered by the Rand Corporation in the 1940s. The modern incarnation of these methods is called “Planning Poker.” It is the dominant estimation technique used in agile and Scrum-based software projects, but can be used for any kind of project.

We will cover the origins of the Delphi techniques, the reasons for using it in Scrum projects, the level of granularity appropriate for the technique, and what to do with the numbers afterwards.