Learning Design StandardProduct Management

Version: 1.1

Table of contents

Revision history.....................................................................................................3Using the Learning Design Standards...................................................................3Intellectual property and moral rights.....................................................................3The opportunity......................................................................................................4Guidance for providers..........................................................................................5Guidance for agencies...........................................................................................7Setting the context.................................................................................................7Jobs, roles and skills............................................................................................10Overview of product management.......................................................................11Target audience...................................................................................................12Pathways to Product Management......................................................................12Qualifications and certifications...........................................................................13Capabilities needed for Product Management.....................................................13Relevant SFIA Skills............................................................................................15References..........................................................................................................16Key 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 historyDate Version Contact Content4 May 2018 0.1 Namrata Roy Chowdhury First exposure draft20/06/2018 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 DTA30/11/2018 1.1 Grant Nicholson Upgrade SFIA references to SFIA7

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 learningdesign@apsc.gov.au.

Intellectual property and moral rightsIntellectual 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.

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These materials may only be used by APS agencies in accordance with the terms of the extended public sector licence granted to the APSC.  No other uses of these materials are permitted.  For more information on the APSC SFIA licence visit the APSC SFIA webpage.

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 providersGood 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.

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Figure 1 - Pathways to learning

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 agenciesCustomising 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 contextBuilding 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 StandardThe 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

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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.

Jobs, roles and skillsMembers 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.

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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 managementA 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 ManagementEverybody 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 certificationsThe 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 ManagementThe 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

Planning and organising• Business modelling

• User-centered design

• User experience design

• Understanding constraints

Professional

• Flexible and

adaptable

• Objectivity

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Knowledge: Skills: Attributes:• Operational management

• Leadership and guidance

Methodologies, procedures 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

• Time management

• Macro/Micro vision

Communication • Collaborating and

partnering

• Conflict resolution

• Stakeholder engagement

Relationships and interpersonal

• Community collaboration

• Collaborating and

partnering

Personal

• Curiosity

• Empathy

• Persuasive

• Analytical

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Relevant SFIA SkillsThe 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 5REQM Requirements definition and

management4

*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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ReferencesThe 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 areasThe 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 manager3. What are the core responsibilities of a

product manager4. Key product management concepts5. Strategy and product lifecycle

management6. Why you need a product manager7. 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 protocolsLearning 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 grooming3. 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 users2. Techniques for observation and task

analysis3. Develop user personas from user

research4. 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 canvas5. Managing P & L (profit and loss)

3.4 User-centred services

Apply user-centred design techniques

1. Building user focus into product plans2. Creating user stories for stakeholders3. Prioritising different feature options4. Storyboarding, wireframes and

prototyping5. 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 architecture3. 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 product2. Analyse results and calculate success

rates3. 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 lifecycle5. 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 product3. Predicting user needs and product

revenue

3.8 Product roadmap

Develop and iterate product roadmap

1. Why a product roadmap2. Identify and define stages in product’s

development3. Involving the delivery team,

stakeholders and user needs4. A framework for pre-launch5. Tools to build a reusable product

roadmap

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Unit 4. Product management in the design and delivery stagesLearning 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 stage3. 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 criteria to determine success of feature

work together closely with the delivery team to ensure product

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Topic title Topic learning objectives Critical content

release is managed efficiently, on schedule, and with limited impact to users

2. Who should join the team in this stage3. 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 stage3. 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 brainstorming solutions based on

data and feedback

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