Workflow
The stages work passes through, from intake to delivery. When nobody defines them, reporting turns into guesswork.
Self-paced course · Early access
The PPM4Agile Course
The PPM4Agile Course is a self-paced program that teaches the PPM4Agile portfolio operating system in four phases, from portfolio development through evaluation and learning. Each lesson shows a case-study example of the work done well, then has you apply it to your own organization and build your own playbook.
- an introduction plus four phases
- 5 modules
- 74 across the four phases, 5 in the introduction
- 79 lessons
- one page, two blocks per phase
- 8 canvas blocks
- early-access price, paid once
- $497
Outcomes
What will you be able to do?
By the end you should be able to answer four questions about your own portfolio with evidence rather than opinion: what are we doing and why, what are we not doing and why, what will we finish next, and what evidence will prove it delivered value. Each outcome below maps to a decision the course teaches you to make and defend.
Turn strategy into measurable objectives, and choose between competing projects for reasons you can state
Say plainly what the portfolio is doing and what it is not, and protect focus so approved work actually finishes
Shape an approved project into a first release small enough to finish and worth validating
Plan releases your real capacity can carry, with no dependency left without an owner
Keep execution on course across teams, and make release decisions on evidence rather than optimism
Measure delivered value against what was funded, decide what to scale, sustain, or retire, and carry the lessons into the next cycle
What it's built on
Six drivers, four phases
Every portfolio framework Eric has worked in, from PMI to SAFe, Scrum, and Kanban, runs on the same six operational drivers. They are the foundation of the course. On top of them sit four phases: Phase 1, Portfolio Development: The Power of Strategic Focus; Phase 2, Planning; Phase 3, Execution (Build, Test, Validate & Deploy); Phase 4, Evaluation, Value & Learning.
Your playbook ends up mirroring both: the phases, and how each driver works in your own organization.
Meetings
Where decisions get made and blockers get cleared. With the wrong structure, the calendar fills with sessions that feel productive and produce nothing.
People
Who decides, not who holds the title. When that is unclear, the wrong people decide and someone else quietly unmakes it later.
Metrics
What separates program health as evidence from program health as opinion. Ungoverned, they produce a dashboard nobody acts on.
Artifacts
The record of what was decided, by whom, and why. Without them, an argument you settled six months ago starts over from zero.
Tools Pipeline
The systems that hold the work at each stage. Left ungoverned they sprawl, teams work around them, and the reporting your governance depends on stops being true.
Syllabus
What’s inside?
An introduction, then one module per phase. Each phase works through its focus areas, ends with a closeout, and fills two blocks of your Operating System Canvas.
Introduction · 5 lessons
Course Introduction
The portfolio problems the course targets, the four-phase model, the six operational drivers, and how to choose your path through the course.
Phase 1
Portfolio Development: The Power of Strategic Focus
Turn ideas and requests into an approved, prioritized portfolio, with the reasons written down.
Focus areas
- Establishing Goals & Objectives
- Evaluating Opportunities
- Planning & Execution Alignment
- Portfolio Approval & Commitment
Phase 2
Planning
Turn one approved project into a plan someone can actually execute.
Focus areas
- Discovery
- High Level Design
- Resource Planning
- Release Planning
Phase 3
Execution (Build, Test, Validate & Deploy)
Execute the committed slice and finish it, with a real hand-off to operations.
Focus areas
- Coordinated Execution & Dependency Control
- Quality, Validation & Release Readiness
- Deployment & Transition to Operations
Phase 4
Evaluation, Value & Learning
Measure what shipped against the goals it was funded for, then scale, sustain, or retire it.
Focus areas
- Monitoring, Metrics & Operational Visibility
- Improvement Backlog & Prioritized Enhancements
- Value Realization Governance & Portfolio Feedback Loop
- Sustainment, Capability Maturity & 30-60-90 Reinforcement
How it works
How does each lesson work?
Most lessons follow the same rhythm: watch the lesson, complete the download, capture your decision. Each one adds to a playbook you take back to your organization.
Watch the lesson
Each lesson is a narrated presentation covering one part of the framework: what happens there, who decides, and how it connects to the work before and after it.
See it done well
Most lessons show the same work inside the case study, so you know what good looks like before you try it. A few are concept or diagnostic lessons with no case study, and they say so.
Complete the download
Then you do it for your own organization on that lesson’s worksheet from the Student Playbook. This is the slow part, and it is the part that produces something you can use.
Capture your decision
Writing the decision down is what makes it durable. Your decisions become your playbook, and at the close of each phase two of them go on the Operating System Canvas.
What will you have built by the end?
By the end you can say you’ve built a prioritized portfolio of projects, established the resource model to support it, and done the planning to make it go smoothly. You haven’t run it with real people yet, but you understand the mechanics of putting it in place.
That hands-on output is what sets the course apart. Eric has taken trainings, and even led some, where you get the knowledge but not the hands-on how. This one leaves you with an example of having done it, written into your own playbook.
Three ways through
Which path will you take?
The last lesson of the introduction asks you to pick one. Each path has its own map, and the work you submit for review is always your own.
On your own
You are building this for a portfolio you influence but may not control. You do the full decision work and skip most of the team-coordination mechanics. This is the most common path, and the one most exercises assume.
Leading a team
You are taking a group through this, or you are responsible for making the operating system real beyond your own desk. Everything on the solo path, plus the work of coordinating it across teams.
Preparing decisions for a sponsor
You need decisions from someone above you more than you need to build the machinery yourself. Lighter on mechanics, heavier on the decisions that need executive authority, with a one-page brief you can hand to your sponsor.
Instructor
Who built the course?
B. Eric Fullerton
Principal, StudioBE
Eric Fullerton created PPM4Agile after more than 20 years in IT operations, project and program management, consulting at Deloitte, and agile coaching. He works with leaders of public and private organizations that run a lot of IT projects at once, and he leads every engagement himself.
- across IT operations, project and portfolio management, consulting, and agile coaching
- 20+ years
- created by the principal, from the framework he built at Centene
- PPM4Agile
- Eric leads every engagement; big programs add coaches he trains on the same framework
- Principal-led
Course and consulting
Course, consulting, or both?
You do not have to choose one. The course and consulting work together, and each one also stands on its own.
Both at once
Eric consults with your organization while the people in key roles take the course, so they get the end-to-end view and can put what they learn in place alongside him.
Course first, then Eric
Your people take the course and build their playbook. Then you can bring Eric in for a consulting engagement, scoped separately from the course, to look at it, give his read, and help you implement it.
Either one on its own
The course was designed as standalone, self-directed training with tangible outputs for where you work. Consulting stands on its own too, and either one can get you to the same end result.
When is the course alone not enough?
When the people who took it don’t have the authority to change things. Say the people who own and configure the tools are not the people who use them. The users know what they need, and the owners say no. Knowing what to do doesn’t help if you can’t get it done, so it matters who you send and what authority they have.
When does consulting point to the course?
When some people need the whole picture. Eric suggests the course for people in key roles, the ones who need the authority to make changes and bring people together, because it gives them the end-to-end view of the framework. Others get coaching focused on their own role: what should come in to them, and what they hand to the next group.
Can a team take the course together?
Yes, and it works well that way. The course is self-paced and online, with no live classes. Each person enrolls and the course tracks their own progress, while the team works the playbook exercises together, so you come out with one playbook and the same understanding of it. A PMO leadership team, for example, can build one playbook between them, and the “Leading a team” path adds the work of coordinating it across teams. Each purchase is for one named person, so a team buys one seat each, or the organization buys a corporate seat license with a group discount. Get in touch before you buy.
Badges are individual, so each person who wants the Practitioner review submits their own Operating System Canvas, and Eric reviews each one separately. If you want Eric working with your people directly, that is consulting; see course, consulting, or both.
Pricing
What does it cost?
There is one course, and it is not sold by the phase. $497 is the early-access price, paid once. Lessons are being released now, the full course is targeted for the end of 2026, and early buyers get every lesson as it is released.
The PPM4Agile Course
The whole framework, end to end. It is holistic, so it is sold that way.
$497USD, one time
- Access to the online training: the introduction and all four phases
- The case study, where the same material is put into practice
- The Student Playbook, which you fill in for your own organization as you go
- Forms and templates you may use and adapt inside your own organization
- Every lesson as it is released, through the finished course
Prices in USD. You sign in or create a StudioBE account first, then pay securely through Stripe; the course opens in your account as soon as payment completes. Full refund within 14 days if no phase badge has been issued; see the Terms of Purchase. Bringing a team through it together? Ask about a corporate seat license and its group discount.
Want Eric’s eyes on your playbook before you finish? That is consulting, scoped separately from the course: he reviews it at points you agree up front and points out gaps before they reach your organization. Start with a Clarity Session.
How is this different from certification training?
Certification training teaches a framework’s vocabulary and prepares you for an exam about it. The material is accurate, and it is a good place to start. This course starts where it stops: it teaches a set of portfolio decisions and has you make them inside your own organization. You see each one done well in a case study, apply it to your own portfolio, and write the result into your own playbook.
You finish with an Operating System Canvas: one page, eight blocks, holding the decisions your portfolio runs on. Two are filled at the close of each phase. There is no exam, and the course works alongside Scrum, SAFe, Kanban, or whatever your teams already run. The Practitioner credential, when it launches, will review what you built for your own portfolio, not test what you remembered about a framework.
| Compared on | The PPM4Agile Course | Typical certification training |
|---|---|---|
| What you leave with | Your own playbook and a one-page Operating System Canvas, built for your portfolio | A certificate |
| How it is assessed | No exam. The optional, paid Practitioner review (coming) reads the work you built | An exam on the framework |
| Framework | Works alongside Scrum, SAFe, Kanban, or whatever your teams already run | Tied to one framework and its vocabulary |
| How you learn | A case study shows the work done well, then you do it for your own organization | Slides and class exercises, usually on generic examples |
| Renewal | Nothing expires and there is no renewal fee | Renewal fees and continuing-education credits are typical |
How does the credential work?
The credential is coming; it is not live yet. It has two levels, and there is no exam at either one.
- Phase badges. Four free badges, issued automatically as you finish each phase’s lessons. They mark progress, not an assessment.
- PPM4Agile Practitioner. Hold all four phase badges, then submit your completed Operating System Canvas, built from your playbook. Eric reviews it against six published criteria and sends written feedback with a short recorded walkthrough. It is paid separately from the course, and it is the one part of the course Eric does personally.
The phase badges are Portfolio Building, Planning and Story Mapping, Execution and Governance, and Value and Learning.
The review checks your canvas against six published criteria, which test whether it is measurable, traceable to your strategy, and backed by evidence. Enrolled learners see the full wording, so you can check your own canvas before you submit. You can generalize anything confidential.
The decisions it asks you to make come from Eric’s 20+ years in project, program, and portfolio management, public and private. Real constraints, like fixed budgets and oversight rules, are treated as inputs to plan around rather than reasons the system cannot apply.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the course for?
People who work at the portfolio and program levels: PMO leaders, program managers, agile coaches, and project managers moving into governance roles. Scrum masters and anyone else who runs or coordinates the model benefit too, because an organization needs several people in different roles who understand the whole framework before it can put one in place.
Testers and developers can take it too. They can focus on the phase where they work, then take that part of the playbook back to their group.
You don’t need a mature PMO or executive authority; one of the three paths is built for people who have responsibility without formal authority. It is built for people working in, or moving to, agile delivery. It doesn’t teach the basics of sprints, WIP, and iterative delivery, so some familiarity helps. It is the wrong buy if you only want a certificate for a résumé, if you want a tool implementation guide, or if you want a framework you can copy without making any decisions of your own.
How is the course structured?
Five modules, 79 lessons: an introduction, then one module per phase (the syllabus above shows each one). It is self-paced, with no cohort and no start date, so you set the speed. Each lesson is only a few minutes long. Our estimate is about 4 hours of video and about 24 hours of hands-on work on your own portfolio; at 3 to 4 hours a week, that is roughly 6 to 10 weeks. The hands-on part depends on your organization, so yours may run shorter or longer.
Do I need SAFe, Scrum, or another framework first?
No particular framework is required. PPM4Agile works at the portfolio level and is neutral about what your teams run, so it references Scrum, SAFe, or whatever you already use where those meet portfolio decisions. It is built for people working in, or moving to, agile delivery, and it doesn’t teach the basics of sprints, WIP, and iterative delivery. Read the framework overview for the full picture.
What do you get besides the lessons?
The lessons are narrated presentations, and the work happens in the downloads that go with them: the case study bundle, which follows the work through every phase; the Student Playbook worksheets; the templates for each phase; the map for the path you chose; the one-page brief you can hand to a sponsor; the Operating System Canvas; and the Course Library Index, which tells you where everything lives.
In your account, the course player keeps a note and a checklist for each page and tracks what you have finished.
Is there a certificate or a credential?
A credential is coming; it is not live yet. It is not a certification and has no exam, on purpose: it looks at work you built, not what you remembered. It has two levels. Four free phase badges are issued automatically as you finish each phase, and they mark progress. PPM4Agile Practitioner is earned by submitting your completed Operating System Canvas, which Eric reviews against six published criteria, with written feedback and a short recorded walkthrough. That review is paid separately, and no price is set yet.
The outcome is Meets, Meets with notes, or Not yet. Not yet comes with specifics and one free resubmission. Nothing expires and there is no renewal fee.
The badges are StudioBE’s own. They are not affiliated with PMI or Scaled Agile, and the course does not award PDUs. See the Terms of Purchase for the review fee and the reasons a badge can be revoked.
Is the course finished? Can I start right away?
The course is in early access. Enroll and it opens in your StudioBE account as soon as checkout completes, with the lessons released so far; new lessons appear as they are released, and the full course is targeted for the end of 2026. Early buyers get the early-access price: $497, in US dollars and paid once. If you would rather talk it through first, get in touch or book a Clarity Session and mention the course.
Can I use the forms and templates at work?
Yes, and that is the point. You may use and modify the Student Playbook, the templates, the forms, and the Operating System Canvas inside your own organization, and share your filled-in versions with your colleagues.
Two limits: a consultant who buys the course can’t use the forms with paying clients, and nobody can teach the PPM4Agile four-phase model to others. The Terms of Purchase spell it out.
How long do I have access, and what about updates?
For as long as the course is offered. If it is ever retired, you get 90 days’ notice and can download your materials. The course is revised often, and every update within the current edition is included. A future major edition may be sold separately, but nothing you already bought is ever taken away.
What if it is not right for me?
You can get a full refund within 14 days of purchase, as long as no phase badge has been issued to you. A refund ends your access and revokes any badges. The details are in the Terms of Purchase.
Can my employer pay for it?
Yes, and it makes no difference at checkout. Most people in a corporate setting pay with a company card, which works like any other card. Each purchase is for one named person, so if several of you are enrolling, your organization can buy a corporate seat license instead. If it has to pay another way, get in touch and we will sort it out with you.
Why not just send our staff to a certification class?
Certification is the starting point, not the ending point. The classes from PMI, the Scrum Alliance, and SAFe teach good material, and Eric holds PMI, Scrum Alliance, and Scaled Agile certifications himself. But you can teach someone to bake a cake and they still won’t know why the cake fell when it came out of the oven. Knowing why comes from experience, and the course is built around the decisions that experience teaches.
Do I need the course if we hire Eric?
Not necessarily. Each one stands on its own, and they work well together. When Eric consults, he often suggests the course for people in key roles who need the end-to-end view, while others get coaching focused on their own role. You can also take the course first and bring Eric in to review your playbook and help put it in place. See course, consulting, or both for the options, or start with a Clarity Session to work out which fits.
Ready to run the loop on your own portfolio?
See pricing and enroll
Not sure which fits? The 60-minute Clarity Session is where Eric helps you choose: consulting, the course, or both.