Scrum.org launches new course on stakeholder collaboration

Scrum.org has added a new self-paced training course on stakeholder collaboration to its online learning platform.

The course, called Effective Stakeholder Collaboration for Scrum Teams, was developed with Professional Scrum Trainers Glaudia Califano and David Spinks of Red Tangerine. Scrum.org has endorsed the course and listed it alongside its other self-paced offerings.

Scrum.org said the course targets people working within Scrum Teams, including Scrum Masters, Product Owners and Developers. It also targets people who want to develop collaboration skills for product development settings.

Course format

Scrum.org said the training uses interactive activities alongside reading, videos and quizzes. The course content uses real-world scenarios, according to the organisation.

The company said students work through the material online and set their own pace. It placed no time restriction on completion. Scrum.org said the course takes around five hours to finish and provides a certificate of completion.

The new course forms part of Scrum.org's programme of endorsed self-paced courses. The company said it expects to release more endorsed courses.

Stakeholder focus

Scrum.org positioned the course around collaboration between Scrum Teams and people outside the team who influence product work. The organisation referenced product vision, priorities and outcomes as areas that often involve stakeholders.

It said the course addresses skills, mindsets and techniques linked to trust, alignment and shared ownership across stakeholder groups. Scrum.org also highlighted exercises that ask learners to practise collaboration strategies.

Califano and Spinks framed the course as a response to a perceived gap in training materials for Scrum roles.

"There are a lot of courses available that focus on the accountabilities of the Scrum Master, Product Owner and Developers, yet there is little guidance on how the people fulfilling these accountabilities effectively collaborate with stakeholders. We designed this course to fill this gap and to reflect the reality Scrum Teams face every day. This includes conflicting priorities, unclear expectations, and complex human dynamics," said Glaudia Califano and David Spinks, Co-Creators, Effective Stakeholder Collaboration for Scrum Teams.

Practical techniques

Scrum.org said the course guides students through techniques for identifying and segmenting stakeholders. It also said the programme covers behaviours, motivations and communication styles.

The organisation said learners review approaches for adapting collaboration strategies to different contexts and levels of complexity. It also highlighted empathy-driven practices. Scrum.org said these practices can surface needs, goals and pain points that teams can miss when they focus on stated product requirements.

Dave West, CEO of Scrum.org, said stakeholder collaboration remains a recurring issue for Scrum Teams.

He said, "Achieving effective stakeholder collaboration is a common challenge that Scrum Teams face every day. Building relationships and communicating with key stakeholders is crucial and this new course teaches some very effective ways to build trust as a way to foster that much needed collaboration. We are very excited to endorse this new course and add it to our platform of self-paced training courses. We are looking forward to releasing more endorsed courses in the near future."

Endorsed courses

Scrum.org said endorsed training courses come from Agile experts who work with Scrum.org on the course design. It described the courses as self-paced learning experiences focused on real-world skills and confidence.

The organisation said it reviews, updates and approves the materials. It also referenced involvement from its instructional designers as part of its quality process.

Scrum.org said it was founded by Scrum co-creator Ken Schwaber and operates as a mission-based organisation. It offers instructor-led training, self-paced courses and certification, according to the company. Red Tangerine describes its work as coaching, consulting and training in Agile and Lean practices.

Scrum.org said it expects to add more endorsed self-paced courses to its platform in the near future.