Scrum.org adds self-paced course on estimation & planning

Scrum.org has added a self-paced training course, Estimation and Planning for Scrum Teams, to its online learning platform, expanding its catalogue of endorsed online training.

The course focuses on estimation, planning and forecasting for product delivery in Scrum teams. Scrum.org says learners are taught techniques to help them make data-driven decisions and produce more realistic forecasts in complex working environments.

Developed with Professional Scrum Trainer Ludwig Harsch and endorsed by Scrum.org, the course examines how empiricism, probability, visualisation and estimation can improve planning and help teams communicate uncertainty to stakeholders.

It also covers the effect of unplanned work and technical debt on delivery forecasting, with the aim of supporting more transparent planning and decision-making in teams using Scrum methods.

Course focus

The training is aimed at Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Developers, Product Managers, Project Managers and people in related roles. It includes interactive activities, reading material and quizzes, alongside examples drawn from workplace scenarios.

Learners can complete the course at their own pace, with no time limit. Scrum.org estimates it takes about four hours in total.

The addition reflects sustained demand for flexible online professional training in software and product development, as companies continue to seek ways to improve delivery planning without relying solely on classroom-based instruction. Self-paced courses have become a common way for workers to build specific skills while fitting study around existing roles.

Forecasting and estimation remain sensitive issues for many software teams, particularly when delivery schedules are affected by changing requirements, technical debt and other unexpected work. Scrum, one of the most widely used agile frameworks, emphasises iterative delivery and adaptation to change, which can complicate traditional approaches to planning.

That tension has helped create a market for training aimed at improving predictability while staying within agile working methods. Scrum.org's latest course is positioned in that space, focusing on practical methods for estimating work and setting expectations around delivery.

Harsch outlined the problem the course is designed to address.

"Many teams lag behind in delivery and they do not know what is getting in their way. This course is designed to help Scrum Teams improve predictability and planning accuracy by mastering agile forecasting techniques that uncover why teams fall behind and how to fix it," said Ludwig Harsch, Professional Scrum Trainer and course creator.

"The course also drives home that delivering value is more important than following a plan, which is a key principle of Scrum," Harsch said.

Broader strategy

Scrum.org says the course forms part of its endorsed training offering, developed with agile specialists and reviewed by the organisation and its instructional designers. The process is intended to maintain consistency across self-paced courses on the platform.

The organisation was founded by Scrum co-creator Ken Schwaber and has built its business around training, certification and professional education tied to the Scrum framework. Its offering spans instructor-led classes, self-paced courses and certification programmes for practitioners at different experience levels.

Dave West, Chief Executive Officer of Scrum.org, said the latest addition reflects demand for estimation techniques aligned with Scrum practice.

"Estimation and Planning for Scrum Teams is a great course for those who want to add proven estimation techniques to their toolkit, embracing empiricism and Scrum," said Dave West, Chief Executive Officer of Scrum.org.

"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 future," West said.