With markets and customer needs constantly changing, organizations need information and evidence that helps them adapt quickly to new challenges and opportunities so that they can deliver greater value and achieve true business agility. Yet often organizations that use Agile product development techniques use traditional management approaches, expecting leaders to set firm long-term goals and manage progress toward them with dashboards of static metrics.
That is why Scrum.org created the Evidence-Based Management™ (EBM) framework which is an Agile approach to help leaders guide their teams toward continuously improving customer outcomes, organizational capabilities, and business results. EBM focuses on customer value and intentional experimentation to systematically improve an organization’s performance and achieve their strategic goals.
Course Overview
In the Professional Agile Leadership™ – Evidence-Based Management (PAL-EBM) one day* course, participants learn what EBM is and how to apply it through hands-on, activity-based learning. Through a series of exercises participants learn techniques that support a more agile mindset:
- Use empiricism to set and achieve strategic goals, managing the unknown and complexity through experimentation and by adapting goals along the way
- Create a cultural environment using clear goals, appropriate measures and trust to enable self-management and autonomy
- Shift the conversation away from measuring progress purely through team performance metrics, toward a focus on customer-centricity and improving customer outcomes
- Drive operational improvements by using four Key Value Areas (Unrealized Value, Current Value, Time to Market, and the Ability to Innovate) as lenses for evidence-based decision-making
View the different Focus Areas covered within this class and others. You can download the course datasheet for offline reading.
*When offered in-person, this course is generally delivered in one day. When offered as a Live Virtual Class, the course may be broken up into more, shorter days.
Course Learning Objectives
- Understand the essential aspects of goals and measures and how they influence behaviors and an organization’s culture and values
- Help organizations embrace empiricism as a leadership approach. Using experimentation to incrementally steer toward the organization’s goals
- An appreciation for how goals and trust act together to enable autonomy, transparency, and value delivery
- Correlate market leadership and sustainability to curiosity, adaptation, and empiricism
- Understand how to use EBM and its KVAs to focus measurements on improving market value and operational capabilities
Who Should Attend this class?
PAL-EBM is for professionals in leadership roles (including executives, managers, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, coaches, and consultants) who:
- Are responsible for the success of their product delivery programs or Agile transformations and are seeking a means to measure and demonstrate that success
- Are looking for a framework that identifies improvement areas that increase their business agility, including their time to pivot to meet new challenges and deliver customer value
- Want to help their organization embrace empiricism and experimentation to find solutions for complex problems (where more is unknown than known or the situation changes rapidly)
- Want to articulate goals and measures in a way that fosters self-management and empower their teams to understand the connection between their work and the value their organization is providing and customer is receiving
- Want to be more effective in how they measure success by using Agile measures rather than traditional measurement models (including the use of velocity)
Attendees should have read the Evidence-Based Management Guide, have an understanding of Agile practices and a desire to move away from traditional, plan-driven ways of working and measurement models, however they do not need specific experience with Scrum. Our Professional Agile Leadership Essentials course helps leaders understand how to best support their Agile teams and is ideal preparation for PAL-EBM, but is not a prerequisite. Our Professional Scrum Product Owner and Professional Scrum Product Owner – Advanced courses teach Product Owners how to deliver value and can be a great complement to the PAL-EBM course.
PAL-EBM Assessment & Certification
All participants completing this course will receive a password to attempt the Professional Agile Leadership – Evidence Based Management (PAL-EBM) assessment. The PAL-EBM assessment is comprised of 40 multiple choice questions that must be completed in 60 minutes. The industry-recognized PAL-EBM certification requires a minimum passing score of 85%. PAL-EBM class participants who attempt the PAL-EBM assessment within 14 days of receiving their free password and do not score at least 85% will be granted a 2nd attempt at no additional cost.
Venue Location
This is a Live Virtual Remote/Online Course. The course is specially designed to run online and includes frequent breaks and an hour for lunch.
The format and structure of the course remain the same and we cover all the same material and topics as if you were attending in person.
Attendees will interact throughout, joining in discussions and taking part in group exercises. Lessons are broken down into short sections followed by a break to allow regular time away from the screen.
Full details on how to participate will be sent to you by email shortly before the class.
Live Virtual Class Requirements:
- Computer with an internet connection, Microphone, Speakers & Webcam.
- Free install of Zoom.
- We can assist you with the set up if required.
- The trainer will be available before the course starts to offer assistance.
About The Trainer
Simon Kneafsey is a Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) with Scrum.org & TheScrumMaster.co.uk. He is on a mission to simplify Scrum for 1 million people. Simon has 25+ years of industry experience and has been using Scrum since 2005. He has already helped 25,000+ people with training. His learning resources at TheScrumMaster.co.uk have helped a further 500,000+ people. He can help you too!
Simon’s courses come highly recommended with 950+ personal LinkedIn recommendations. He is 5-star rated on Trustpilot & Google. His clients include Google, NASA, the United Nations, Amazon, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Roche and many, many more.
You can read more about Simon Kneafsey on LinkedIn, TheScrumMaster.co.uk and you can contact him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there still spaces available on this course?
If you can see the ‘Register’ button at the top of the page then there is space available.
How do I take the assessment?
The fee includes up to 2 attempts at the assessment, which is taken online in your own time following the course. Further details are listed above.
What are the course hours?
Courses hours are listed at the top of the page.
Can I attend from my country?
Yes. Everyone is welcome at all of our courses. You can attend from anywhere!
Can I attend on a different date?
Yes. We run courses regularly and you can find all our upcoming dates on our public course page.
Why learn with TheScrumMaster.co.uk?
- We have helped 25,000+ people learn Scrum since 2012.
- We have 950+ LinkedIn recommendations and are 5-star rated on Trustpilot & Google!
- We provide extensive practice assessments to ensure you gain certification.
- We provide an eLearning version of the course for reference and revision.
- Join our Community for ongoing coaching, events & resources.
- Join our Affiliate program and earn free courses.
- Receive regular chances to attend another course at no cost.
How many people will attend?
Our courses are kept small to ensure a premium experience.
How should I prepare for the course?
The only preparation required is to read the Scrum Guide. We provide a range of free additional resources to help you learn more in advance if you wish.
I’m not sure if I have enough experience to take the course. What should I do?
Email us at [email protected] and we will advise you.
Can I claim PMI PDU credits for attending the course?
Yes. You can claim 7 PDU’s for each day of the course.
Do you offer discounts?
We usually offer discounts for group bookings, not for profit organisations and hardship cases. Find out more at our Discounts page.
Can I pay via Credit/Debit card?
Yes. Please click the ‘Register’ button at the top of the page, then select the ‘Register now and pay via Credit Card’ option.
Can I pay via Invoice?
Yes. Please select the ‘Register now and pay later via Invoice’ option when you register. Find our company information and contact us to request a quote or invitation letter.
Do I need to pay VAT?
For Live & Online Courses, VAT is added if you are in the UK. VAT will not be added if you are in the EU or the rest of the world.
For In-Person Courses, VAT is added if the course is taking place in the UK or EU.
Where can I find your course booking policies?
Visit our course policy page.
Where can I find more answers to common questions?
Visit our full FAQ page for more answers to frequently asked questions.
Where can I contact the trainer with further questions?
Email us at [email protected].
Course Feedback
“He’s a phenomenal teacher of Scrum techniques and articulated the Scrum concepts professionally with classic real life examples. Simon has complete mastery about Scrum Framework and proficiently teaches on how it applies in Complex Projects. I think Simon is the best Scrum Trainer out there and I highly recommend him for all your Scrum Training needs”
Praisewin Dinakar. Sr. Staff Software Engineer at Motorola
“I have been lucky enough to attend the Professional Scrum Master presented by Simon. I spent a lot of time searching for, and finding a good course presented by an experienced tutor. Simon lived up to his online profile for professional knowledge and experience and this ensured his course that I attended was both insightful and practical.
Chris Hall. Lead Software Engineer and Scrum Master at Kingfisher IT Services
“If there is one man who knows about Scrum – it is Simon Kneafsey. Buckle up and hold tight as Simon will take you through everything you need to know about Scrum. Engaging, entertaining and drawing on both theory and practice, he is the only man for all your Scrum training needs.”
Davin Mac Ananey. Head of Online / Senior Digital Professional
“How to teach about being a Scrum Master while acting as a great Scrum Master? That’s what Simon did. Experienced, precise with excellent communication skills.”
Josep F. Barranco. Scrum Master at King
“Simon clearly has a mastery of what he teaches and made the course both enjoyable and simple to follow with real-world examples and good use of visuals. Simon has deep knowledge of Scrum and Agile frameworks having previously run leading edge projects prior to becoming a trainer. If you’re serious about Scrum, I recommended you attend one of Simon’s courses.”
Arun Malhotra. Engagement Leader at Pegasystems


















