BCS Systems Development Essentials using Agile

Overview Learning objectives What you'll learn Key facts Course syllabus FAQs What our customers say Get in touch

Course overview

The BCS Practitioner Certificate in Systems Development Essentials provides a structured introduction to the disciplines that support successful software and systems delivery. Covering requirements discovery, development lifecycles, modelling, architecture and quality practices, the course helps you understand how development activities fit together across a project. The knowledge gained can help you contribute more effectively to solution delivery, improve collaboration with stakeholders and support better development outcomes.

Systems development knowledge for delivery professionals

This course is designed for professionals involved in software and systems delivery who want a broader understanding of development practices and approaches. Delivered over three days, it explores how requirements are identified, development work is organised and quality is maintained throughout delivery. The course supports career development by building knowledge that can be applied across a wide range of development and solution environments.

Learning objectives

Understand development team functions
Analyse business requirements
Define system specifications
Evaluate lifecycle models
Select appropriate delivery approaches
Understand development methodologies
Assess roles and responsibilities
Apply quality review techniques
Understand architecture concepts
Evaluate development support tools

What you'll learn

This course develops your understanding of the techniques used throughout the systems lifecycle. You’ll learn how systems development fits within wider solution development, including how to interpret business requirements and translate them into clear systems requirements. The course also covers how a selected development method is structured, including its activities, deliverables, roles and team responsibilities.

Development lifecycles

Examine a range of lifecycle approaches used within systems development, including sequential, phased and iterative models. You’ll learn how different characteristics influence delivery and how lifecycle selection can affect planning, governance, risk management and project outcomes.

Systems investigation

Develop your knowledge of the requirements discovery techniques used to understand business needs and stakeholder expectations. Topics include information gathering, requirements definition and documentation approaches that help establish a clear foundation for successful development work.

Methods and modelling

Methods and modelling help bring structure and clarity to systems development. You’ll learn how development methods guide project activity and support consistent ways of working. You’ll also explore how models can be used to represent processes and system behaviour, making it easier to analyse requirements.

Architecture and design

Learn about the different architectural perspectives that contribute to successful solution delivery, from enterprise-level considerations through to solution and infrastructure design. You’ll also examine how design decisions can influence implementation and long-term support requirements.

Quality assurance

Discover the techniques used to evaluate quality throughout development. This includes reviews, inspections, testing-related activities and other assurance practices that help organisations deliver solutions that meet requirements and support business objectives.

Development support tools

Gain an understanding of the tools that support development teams throughout the delivery lifecycle. Topics include lifecycle management, configuration control, version management and software tools that assist with development and testing activities.

What's included

Accredited training for BCS Practitioner Certificate in Systems Development Essentials
BCS Practitioner Certificate in Systems Development Essentials exam
Guidance from our experienced trainers

Key facts

Certification

BCS Practitioner Certificate in Systems Development Essentials.

Who it’s for

Suitable for professionals involved in systems development and solution delivery activities.

Prerequisites

There are no formal entry requirements for this certification.

Exam information

One-hour open-book written examination based on a business scenario, with 15 minutes reading time. The pass mark is 50%.

Optional extras

Pass Protect exam insurance

Pre-course

No mandatory pre-course study is required for this course.

Course syllabus

Dive into the detail of the course by looking at the syllabus below.

Systems development roles and responsibilities
- Identify the roles and responsibilities within system development and implementation
- Characteristics of these roles
- Team structure

Architecture
- Different levels of architecture – Enterprise, Business, Solution, Infrastructure
- Inputs at Enterprise level
- Inputs at Solution and Infrastructure level
- Impacts of design decisions

Systems development lifecycles
- Waterfall
- V Model
- Incremental or phased delivery
- Spiral or iterative
- Advantages and disadvantages of each approach
- Selection of an appropriate approach based on defined characteristics

Development practices
- Bespoke development
- Evolutionary / agile
- Prototyping
- Component based development
- Software package solutions

Methods
- Structure and content of a chosen representative method
- Explain how these models can be used to depict the logical and physical aspects of a system
- Roles and team structures within the chosen method
- Products within a chosen method

Systems investigation
- Fact finding approaches
- Functional requirements definition
- Non-functional requirements definition
- Documenting system requirements
- Human aspects of systems investigation and introducing change

System design, deployment and maintenance
- Controls and security
- Verification and validation
- Interface design
- Design principles and constraints (legal, ethical, financial)
- Different types of implementation
- Sign off and deployment
- Post implementation reviews
- Different types of maintenance and support

Quality assurance
- Definitions of quality
- Requirements driven testing
- Types of walkthroughs and inspection
- Post project reviews
- Service Level Agreements

CASE, CAST, Application Lifecycle Management tools
- Software support for systems development
- Features of CASE and CAST tools
- Features of Application Lifecycle Management
- Lifecycle coverage
- Configuration and version control

FAQs

The BCS Practitioner Certificate in Systems Development Essentials provides an understanding of the practices that support successful systems delivery. Designed for professionals involved in software and systems projects, the course helps you understand how solutions move from investigation and design through to development, testing and quality assurance.

What is the BCS Practitioner Certificate in Systems Development Essentials?

The BCS Practitioner Certificate in Systems Development Essentials is focused on the core disciplines that underpin systems development. It covers development lifecycles, systems investigation, modelling, architecture, quality assurance and development support tools, helping you understand how successful systems are delivered and maintained.

Who is this systems development course for?

This course is suitable for anyone involved in systems development or solution delivery activities. It’s particularly relevant for professionals who work with requirements, development, testing, architecture or implementation activities and want a broader understanding of how these disciplines work together throughout the development lifecycle.

How can this certification help me in my role?

This certification helps you build a clearer understanding of how effective systems development works in practice. By strengthening your knowledge of delivery approaches and quality requirements, the course can help you contribute with greater confidence across the development lifecycle and work more effectively with technical and business stakeholders.

Does the course cover Agile systems development?

Yes. The syllabus includes Agile and evolutionary development approaches alongside other development practices. You’ll examine different ways of organising and delivering development work and understand how various approaches can be applied in different delivery environments.

Will I learn about software development lifecycles?

Yes. Understanding development lifecycles is a key part of the course. You will explore approaches including Waterfall, V Model, phased delivery and iterative development, together with the factors that influence lifecycle selection.

What our customers say

"I am very satisfied with the course! The trainer, having obviously lots of experience in the area, explained the material very well. Brilliant job! It was intense, but with good energy and I've learned a lot. Thank you!"

Oksana Sawicka, TSG Learner

"Great experience with Steve and TSG. The course was insightful and delivered by a great teacher, his ability to put real world scenarios to every point really allows the course to be understood in detail."

Samuel Bryant, TSG Learner

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