Unreliable estimates are one of the most common reasons agile teams lose stakeholder trust — sprints slip, roadmaps shift, and "agile" becomes an excuse for missed dates instead of a way to deliver value predictably. The Agile Estimating and Release Planning Training Course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy tackles this problem directly, giving attendees the estimation techniques, forecasting tools, and planning discipline that traditional methods rarely deliver.

Participants work through story points, affinity estimation, and planning poker to sharpen team alignment, then move on to building product roadmaps and release plans that stay tied to real business objectives. The course also covers iteration planning, backlog grooming, capacity planning, and velocity tracking, so teams can forecast workload accurately and keep every sprint focused and productive. Practical examples throughout reinforce how to prioritise user stories, forecast releases, and keep stakeholders informed at every stage. By the end, attendees can apply agile planning with the confidence, flexibility, and delivery discipline their teams and organisations need.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, attendees will be able to:

• Distinguish agile planning principles from traditional planning methods and apply them in real project situations.

• Use agile estimation techniques — including story points, planning poker, and affinity estimation — to produce more reliable forecasts.

• Build product roadmaps and release plans that stay accurately tied to business goals.

• Run efficient iteration planning processes, including backlog grooming and sprint planning.

• Track and improve team velocity and capacity planning, and prioritise and manage user stories, for sustainable and optimal team performance.

• Forecast releases and communicate expectations to stakeholders with confidence.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

• Team Leaders and Software Development Professionals involved in project estimation

• Product Owners working on backlog and release planning

• Project Managers operating in an Agile or hybrid environment

• Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches looking to strengthen their planning techniques

• Anyone wishing to apply Agile methodologies to deliver projects successfully

How Will Attendees Benefit?

• A solid, practical grasp of agile planning principles, paired with more accurate and reliable estimation using story points, planning poker, and affinity estimation.

• The ability to develop and maintain product roadmaps and release plans consistent with business objectives and customer needs.

• Better team synchronisation through hands-on practice with sprint planning, backlog grooming, and iteration planning.

• Greater transparency through burn-down charts and velocity tracking, plus the confidence to discuss estimates and delivery timelines with stakeholders.

• Higher overall productivity through clear, flexible, and realistic capacity planning techniques.

• Stronger decision-making and prioritisation skills using proven frameworks for user story management and change adaptation.

Module 1: From Guesswork to Reliable Estimates

• Agile principles and mindset, and why agile planning outperforms traditional planning

• Agile vs. Waterfall estimation

• Story points and relative sizing

• Planning poker and affinity estimation

• Estimating spikes and technical tasks

Module 2: From Vision to Product Roadmap

• Vision and goal setting

• Defining epics and themes

• Aligning the roadmap with business strategy

Module 3: Turning the Roadmap into Releases

• Setting release goals

• Estimating scope and timelines

• Risk management in release planning

Module 4: Running the Sprint Cycle

• Backlog grooming and prioritisation

• Sprint planning meetings, and setting sprint goals and tasks

• The INVEST model for story quality

• MoSCoW and Kano prioritisation techniques

Module 5: Tracking Capacity and Velocity

• Calculating team capacity

• Tracking and improving velocity

• Handling changes and interruptions

Module 6: Forecasting Releases and Keeping Stakeholders Aligned

• Burn-down and burn-up charts

• Communicating progress and changes

• Transparency and collaboration in Agile