Version: 1

Learning Design Standard Product Management

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Table of contents

Revision history ..................................................................................................... 3

Using the Learning Design Standards ................................................................... 3

Intellectual property and moral rights .................................................................... 3

The opportunity ..................................................................................................... 4

Guidance for providers .......................................................................................... 5

Guidance for agencies .......................................................................................... 7

Setting the context ................................................................................................. 7

Jobs, roles and skills ........................................................................................... 10

Overview of product management ....................................................................... 11

Target audience .................................................................................................. 12

Pathways to Product Management...................................................................... 12

Qualifications and certifications ........................................................................... 13

Capabilities needed for Product Management .................................................... 13

Relevant SFIA Skills ............................................................................................ 15

References .......................................................................................................... 16

Key content areas ............................................................................................... 17

Unit 1. Product management in the digital context ......................................... 17

Unit 2. Product management protocols .......................................................... 18

Unit 3. Essential methods and tools ............................................................... 19

Unit 4. Product management in the design and delivery stages .................... 21

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Revision history

Date Version Contact Content 4 May 2018 0.1 Namrata Roy

Chowdhury First exposure draft

20/06/2018 0.2 Ross McGuire Added in SFIA Licensing explanation

21/06/2018 0.2 Ross McGuire Added additional ‘Skills’ as per feedback

21/06/2018 1 Ross McGuire Finalised document version for the DTA

Using the Learning Design Standards

The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) has developed Learning Design Standards (LDS) to describe a capability needed by the Australian Public Service (APS) to help with the digital transformation of government services.

The LDS describes the context, business need, target audience, underpinning capabilities and curriculum for these capabilities. It does not prescribe or mandate a specific learning solution or format to build the capability described. That is left open for providers and sellers to design solutions that meet the specific needs of individual agencies.

This document is for:

Providers and sellers seeking to work with APS agencies to understand the needs of the APS when developing and marketing products.

APS agencies seeking to build capability, to inform their learning & development planning, program development and approaches to market for learning solutions.

All queries relating to this standard should be directed to capability@apsc.gov.au.

Intellectual property and moral rights

Intellectual property in parts of these materials may be owned by the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) Foundation.

The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) holds an extended public sector licence on behalf of all Australian Public Service (APS) agencies covered by the Public Service Act 1999 (PS Act) for the use of SFIA materials. This licence permits certain uses of SFIA materials including the creation and internal distribution of products and services derived from or using significant extracts of SFIA materials. The licence does not extend to commercial use of the materials and does not cover Commonwealth bodies other than agencies under the PS Act.

These materials may only be used by APS agencies in accordance with the terms of the

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extended public sector licence granted to the APSC. No other uses of these materials are permitted. For more information on the APSC SFIA licence contact capability@apsc.gov.au.

The opportunity

The Australian Government is modernising the way it delivers services to citizens. ‘Digital by default’ is the guiding principle. This means many APS agencies will need to engage multidisciplinary teams in the design, development and implementation of digital services as defined in the Digital Service Standard. Product management has been identified as a key skill that will be in high demand for the APS workforce to transform service delivery.

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Guidance for providers

Good learning design

When proposing or developing a solution, it is important to be consistent with contemporary instructional design practices. Adult learning is a continuous process that is not limited to the classroom or formal training activities. Good learning design leverages the ways adults learn all the time through a range of experiences.

The diagram below shows some elements that you could include in a learning program.

Figure 1 - Pathways to learning

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Learning environment

The APS is made up of many different departments and agencies. Each may have their own:

culture

business needs

technical platforms

geographic dispersion

existing level of digital capability and maturity

If your learning solution is intended for broad use across the APS you need to consider how it would apply in different contexts. Any digital solutions you develop need to be able to be deployed on a wide range of platforms.

Standards of compliance

The APS will require all digital learning solutions to be compatible with the following standards:

Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) Digital Service Standard

Web content accessibility guidelines version 2.0 AA compliance level

Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) Information Security Manual Standards

Learning Design Specification standard

Learning environment

The APS is made up of many different departments and agencies. Each may have their own:

culture

business needs

technical platforms

geographic dispersion

existing level of digital capability and maturity

If your learning solution is intended for broad use across the APS you need to consider how it would apply in different contexts. Any digital solutions you develop need to be able to be deployed on a wide range of platforms.

Standards of compliance

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The APS will require all digital solutions to be compatible with the following standards:

Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) Digital Service Standard

Web content accessibility guidelines version 2.0 AA compliance level

Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) Information Security Manual Standards

US Government Usability Guidelines Usability.gov

Guidance for agencies

Customising content

Agencies may extend, reduce or change the content of this LDS.

Agencies should highlight these changes so that providers can readily adapt their learning solutions to meet your agency needs.

Setting the context

Building the digital capability of the Australian Public Service

The Australian Government is progressing a digital transformation agenda to revolutionise the way it delivers services. Australians are more mobile, more connected and more reliant on technology than ever before. The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) is leading this transformation in order to improve how the Australian Government delivers services online.

As part of the digital transformation agenda, the APSC and the DTA are jointly delivering the Building Digital Capability Program. One of the main activities of this program is the identification of digital capability shortfalls and the definition of learning programs to build capability in those areas.

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The Digital Service Standard

The Digital Transformation Agency guides government service modernisation through the Digital Service Standard (‘the Standard’). The Standard helps digital teams to build services that are simple, clear and fast.

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The multidisciplinary digital delivery team

The Digital Service Standard suggests the ideal multidisciplinary team to design, build, operate and iterate a digital service. This team includes core (permanent) roles as well as extended roles that you can bring into the team when needed. People may perform one or many roles, depending on their capability and the workload.

Figure 2 - The digital delivery team

The capabilities defined by the Learning Design Standards relate to the roles in a digital delivery team. An agency will be able to use the LDS to define an effective team that meets their specific agency requirements for digital transformation.

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Jobs, roles and skills

Members of multidisciplinary teams may perform many roles in their jobs. Each role has expectations of skill, behaviors and knowledge. You can verify these through relevant qualifications and certifications.

Figure 3 - Role composition

This Learning Design Standard only addresses learning outcomes for professional skills and knowledge. A person who has done training also needs to put it into practice. This allows them to gain experience and become effective. Individual agencies will determine how they manage experience.

Providers may wish to provide certifications that verify the learning outcomes specified in this LDS, but these are not mandated. It is up to individual agencies to decide if they want certification.

Individual agencies will define jobs according to their needs. Jobs may involve one role only, though it is becoming more common for multidisciplinary teams to have job fluidity. Members may perform many roles according to their capabilities and the needs of the team.

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Overview of product management

A product manager works with the team to create the vision for the product, and sets daily priorities to fulfil that vision and ensure the team delivers. They are the owner of the product backlog and responsible for prioritising user stories, attending daily stand ups and accepting stories when they’re delivered. Product managers are on hand to answer product questions from the delivery team and work closely with user researchers, to make sure the product is meeting user needs.

They manage a product through the design and delivery phases and have a deep knowledge of product management techniques. Throughout the process, the product manager will also bring in and oversee any changes that may be needed to make the process more effective. Within a digital service delivery team, this skill is predominantly performed by product manager.

Figure 4 - An overview of the product strategy and lifecycle management

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Target audience

Primary

Employees who bring some leadership skills and are responsible for providing insights into user experience and user needs to inform the overall design, development and performance of a product and or improvement of digital services.

APS employees with academic qualifications in relevant disciplines who are seeking to apply

and further extend their skills in digital product management or Australian Government context.

Secondary

Employees within a multidisciplinary service delivery team performing related activities to design, develop and improve user-centred services.

Pathways to Product Management

Everybody has a different work history and career path. The following roles are some of the more common roles people may have had in their career before coming to the current role;

● Marketing

● Business Management

● Business Analyst

● Project Managers

● Product Design

● Systems Design

● Web Design

● Computer Science

● Mechanical Engineering

● Communications and Marketing

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Qualifications and certifications

The following qualifications are relevant to the capability described in this LDS:

● Marketing

● Business management

● Business analyst

● Project managers

● Product design

● Systems design

● Web design

● Computer science

● Mechanical engineering

● Communications and marketing

Capabilities needed for Product Management

The following list of skills, knowledge and behaviours (attributes) are the expected minimum set expected for someone to perform this role effectively. At the conclusion of the learning identified in this LDS, it is expected that an individual will possess the capabilities described below, though they may require experience of these in a workplace setting in order for the learning to be fully embedded.

Knowledge: Skills: Attributes:

Organisational context

• Government frameworks

and processes

• DTA Digital Service

Standard

• Operational management

• Leadership and guidance

Methodologies, procedures

Planning and organising

• Business modelling

• User-centered design

• User experience design

• Understanding constraints

• Time management

• Macro/Micro vision

Professional

• Flexible and

adaptable

• Objectivity

Personal

• Curiosity

• Empathy

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Knowledge: Skills: Attributes:

and standards

• User focus

• Agile working

• Problem ownership

• Product ownership

• Strategy ownership

• Research techniques

• Analytics

• Facilitating decisions and

risks

• Product lifecycle

perspective

Tools

• Collaboration tools and

techniques

Theory and theoretical

• System thinking

Communication

• Collaborating and

partnering

• Conflict resolution

• Stakeholder engagement

Relationships and

interpersonal

• Community collaboration

• Collaborating and

partnering

• Persuasive

• Analytical

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Relevant SFIA Skills

The Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) is a global standard that defines Digital and other ICT related skills. A person possessing the following SFIA skills at the levels indicated would be capable of performing the role described by this standard.

Code Skill Applicable Levels

Caveats*

PROD Product management 5

REQM Requirements definition and management

4

*Caveats are identified components of a SFIA skill that are not explicitly required for the current role. For the purpose of this Learning Design Standard the SFIA description should be read as though the caveated components were not included in the SFIA skill description.

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References

The reference list below provides locations for sources referred to in this standard so that readers can easily locate and use them if required.

● Design Council UK

● DTA Digital Service Standard

● Clerverism

● EDX

● Academyxi

● General assembly

● Brainmates

● Product Manager HQ

● Greylock Partners

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Key content areas

The following table outlines key content areas that need to be addressed.

Unit = area of learning. Topic = component of area of learning.

Unit 1. Product management in the digital context

Learning objective: Describe the purpose and context of product management

Topic title Topic learning objectives

Critical content

1.1 Transforming government digital services

Describe the role of product management in meeting the Digital Service Standard

1. The Australian Government’s Digital

Transformation Agenda

2. Product management in APS in the

digital transformation of government

services

1.2 Introduction to product management

Explain product management fundamentals

1. Define what is a ‘product’

2. Definition of a product manager

3. What are the core responsibilities of a

product manager

4. Key product management concepts

5. Strategy and product lifecycle

management

6. Why you need a product manager

7. What a product manager doesn’t do,

e.g. write code, (engineering) sign deals

(business development)

8. The do’s and don’ts for product

managers, including:

coordinate key decisions based on team input

negotiate disagreements and maintain progress

don’t try to build what you think is right

don’t expect that the team will execute orders blindly

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Unit 2. Product management protocols

Learning objective: Apply protocols in the design and development process

Topic title Topic learning objectives

Critical content

2.1 Project management

Describe the importance of project management

1. Principles and the applications of agile

methodologies

2. Sprint planning and backlog grooming

3. Challenges for product managers

2.2 Managing digital products

Recognise the importance of managing digital

1. Understanding application programming

interface and web applications

2. How to manage development teams

2.3 Stakeholder communications

Explain how to effectively communicate with stakeholders

1. Structuring presentation

2. Techniques and processes to pitch to

stakeholders

2.4 Risk Manage risk to design safe and secure services

1. Identify the risks associated with

implementing new products and

features

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Unit 3. Essential methods and tools

Learning objective: Apply methods and tools to the design process

Topic title Topic learning objectives

Critical content

3.1 User research and analysis

Apply research and analysis techniques

1. Tools and techniques to establish users

2. Techniques for observation and task

analysis

3. Develop user personas from user

research

4. How to analyse growth and engagement

using qualitative and quantitative

methods

3.2 Product validation

Recognise the product potential

1. Establishing an idea that fits with the

product and meets user needs

2. Marketing viability and potential success

rate

3. The importance of building minimum

viable product (MVP)

4. MVP development for product and user

needs

3.3 Building business models

Identify the components of a business model

1. Understand the different types of

business models

2. Articulate business plans with a

framework

3. Components and types of a business

model

4. Build a business model canvas

5. Managing P & L (profit and loss)

3.4 User-centred services

Apply user-centred design techniques

1. Building user focus into product plans

2. Creating user stories for stakeholders

3. Prioritising different feature options

4. Storyboarding, wireframes and

prototyping

5. Usability testing and experience Maps

3.5 Information architecture

Describe the applications of information architecture

1. Introduction to information architecture

2. The role of users, goals and contexts of

information architecture

3. Planning information architecture on

user scenarios

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Topic title Topic learning objectives

Critical content

3.6 Product testing Apply product testing techniques

1. Identify metrics and KPIs for product

2. Analyse results and calculate success

rates

3. Practice applications of evaluation

techniques, e.g. Heuristic evaluation

4. Define new design tests using scenarios

planning, e.g. paper prototyping

5. What is fidelity and how should it

change throughout the product lifecycle

5. Key testing methods and developing

test program, e.g. A/B & multivariate

testing

3.7 Financial modelling

Identify revenue and user needs

1. How to develop a financial model

2. Approaches for launching a new product

3. Predicting user needs and product

revenue

3.8 Product roadmap

Develop and iterate product roadmap

1. Why a product roadmap

2. Identify and define stages in product’s

development

3. Involving the delivery team,

stakeholders and user needs

4. A framework for pre-launch

5. Tools to build a reusable product

roadmap

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Unit 4. Product management in the design and delivery stages

Learning objective: Apply product management techniques to all delivery stages

Topic title Topic learning objectives

Critical content

4.1 Discovery Apply product management techniques in discovery stage

1. What are the outcomes of this stage,

e.g:

goal, ideation and high level concept

work with user researchers to gain a deeper understanding of user needs

gain a perspective of the product landscape to define an ecosystem, and redesign user journeys

tools to create a product vision based on those findings and to deliver a measurable benefit, e.g. customer journey maps, user personas

test and evaluate the ideas to ensure its potential to deliver and return on investment e.g. financial model, marketing plan, product concept and risk assessment

2. Who do you need to run this stage

3. When do you move to the alpha stage

4.2 Alpha Apply product management techniques in alpha stage

1. What are the outcomes of this stage,

e.g:

hypothesis and test

tools to articulate the product and service feature sets to the delivery team and stakeholders, e.g. prototypes

conduct usability tests and obtain feedback on the entire user experience from well-defined users

improve upon solutions if necessary, and develop a list of

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Topic title Topic learning objectives

Critical content

criteria to determine success of feature

work together closely with the delivery team to ensure product release is managed efficiently, on schedule, and with limited impact to users

2. Who should join the team in this stage

3. When do you move to the beta stage

4.3 Beta Apply product management techniques in beta stage

1. What are the outcomes of this stage,

e.g:

bring users to test out fixes or provide feedback on the support experience as you make improvements

regression testing on solved issues

achieve legitimate user acceptance

establish the minimum feature set for a launch

manage and educate the business and users for the launch, e.g. market strategy, value propositions and product positioning

2. Who should join the team in this stage

3. When do you move to the live stage

4.4 Live Apply product management techniques in live stage

1. What are the stages of this stage,

including:

as a product goes live, you should be game-planning the next iteration

plan for improvement with the entire team

create an opportunity assessment for the business case and vision of future versions

additional testing

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Topic title Topic learning objectives

Critical content

brainstorming solutions based on data and feedback