Agile Foundations with Scrum and Kanban: Choosing the Right Framework Course
1Summary
Before a team can run Scrum or Kanban well, someone has to decide which one actually fits the way the team works - and that choice gets made badly more often than it should. This course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy starts from that decision point rather than a textbook definition, then builds attendees' understanding of both frameworks side by side so the choice is informed rather than accidental.
Participants go deep into the Scrum framework - roles, ceremonies and artifacts - and then into Kanban's visual workflow, board design and work-in-progress limits. Estimation and metrics are taught as shared skills that apply to both approaches, and the course closes with case studies that show how real organisations have adopted, scaled and sometimes combined the two.
2Objectives and target group
- Compare Agile principles against traditional project management to see where each approach actually helps.
- Apply the full Scrum framework - roles, ceremonies and artifacts - to real sprint cycles.
- Build and manage a Kanban board with realistic work-in-progress limits.
- Estimate work using story points and velocity, and track it with burndown, cumulative flow and cycle time.
- Recognise the common obstacles to Agile adoption and how cross-functional teams overcome them.
- Decide, based on case evidence, whether Scrum, Kanban or a hybrid fits a given team.
Target Audience
- Project managers, team leads and coordinators moving to Agile
- Product Owners, Scrum Masters and Agile coaches
- Business analysts and developers on Agile projects
- Professionals strengthening their Scrum and Kanban knowledge
- Organisations adopting or piloting Agile practices
3Course Content
Module 1: Scrum or Kanban? Starting With the Decision, Not the Definition
- What problem Agile actually solves compared to Waterfall
- The Agile Manifesto's principles in plain terms
- A first look at how Scrum and Kanban differ in practice
Module 2: Scrum Framework in Depth
- Roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team
- Ceremonies: Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-up, Review, Retrospective
- Artifacts and backlog refinement
Module 3: Kanban Essentials
- Visualising workflow and building a Kanban board
- Setting and respecting work-in-progress (WIP) limits
- Continuous flow versus sprint-based delivery
Module 4: Estimating and Measuring Progress in Both Frameworks
- User stories, story points and Planning Poker
- Velocity, burndown and burnup charts
- Cumulative flow, lead time and cycle time for Kanban teams
Module 5: Making Agile Work in a Real Team
- Common challenges when adopting Agile
- Building cross-functional teams and stakeholder buy-in
- Scaling Agile practices across departments
Module 6: Practice, Case Studies and Choosing Your Approach
- Group simulations comparing Scrum and Kanban outcomes
- Real-world examples from different industries
- Deciding which framework - or hybrid - fits your team