The Agile PMP Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
Why are we here today?
What is Project Management? When will the project be done? How much will it cost? Do we all agree on what done looks like? What are the risks to delivering time and on schedule? How will we mitigate these risks so we can get done
Balancing the Triple Constraints There is a dynamic relationship between time, cost, and scope When one of the three variables change, there is necessarily a change in one or more of the other two Understanding and managing the relationship between these variables the primary job of the Project Manager
Managing Project Scope Project scope is the set of deliverable the project is approved to build Defined at a high level in the business case or project charter Defined in greater detail in a product requirements document or a work break down structure
Managing Project Costs Project cost is the sum of all capital expenditures, contractor expenses, and internal cost of labor Project managers track project expenses in relationship to the budget Responsible for making sure the project is spending money at the right rate and time
Managing the Schedule The project schedule defines when all the deliverables should be completed and who is going to do them The project schedule also defines the sequence of the deliverables and is used to track physical percent complete.
Building the Project Schedule Scope for the project is defined and the size of the deliverables are estimated Deliverables are sequenced and resource needs are calculated Based on the size, available budget, dependencies, and constraints; the project timeline can be calculated
Traditional Waterfall Scheduling
What always happens when we approach the business with our project schedule?
Add more resources (crashing)
De-scope or phase the project
Overlapping Phases (fast tracking)
Traditional Project Constraints Scope is typically the primary driver time and cost are calculated based on the size of the project
So what s new about Agile Project Management?
Primary Agile Project Constraints Scope Time and cost are the real drivers scope has to be able to vary Agile is a framework, a way of looking at product development, that gives the project team the ability to inspect outcomes and adapt accordingly Time scope Cost
A Fundamental Paradigm Shift Not all projects are predictable Market uncertainty drives change The less certain we are about our requirements, the more we need to plan to adapt
Agile is a risk mitigation technique when our assumptions about predictability do not hold
The Cost of Change Cost of traditional change management is too high in many project contexts Change control is bureaucratic and slow We become resistant to change when we should embrace change
How often to we really take process cost into consideration when planning our projects?
Still answering the five questions When will the project be done? How much will it cost? Do we all agree on what done looks like? What are the risks to getting done on time and on schedule? How will we mitigate these risks so we can get done
but taking a difference approach Deliver working product in short cycles Keep the evolving product highly visible Inspect outcomes frequently Change our product or processes as we learn more to ensure acceptable outcomes Do less work up front that is likely to change
and a shift in focus Focus less on predictive up front planning Focus more on delivering value Focus more on collaboration with the business Focus more on engaging the team
Moving away from activity based Project Management toward value based Project Management
Not all value based project management is agile
Proto-Iteration Planning
Iterative Planning
Predictive Feature Based
Agile Project Management
Agile and the PMBOK
Agile and the Process Groups Initiation Planning Execute Monitor Control Closing
The Importance of Language Companies don t change over night People need to bridge the old language to the new Help teams understand new concepts within the old model
Understanding Agile in the context of the PMI knowledge areas
Project Time Define deliverables not activities Strive to reduce dependencies between deliverables Prioritize don t sequence. Work from the top of the list. Estimate based on relative size Releases and iterations always end on time. Time Management Activity definition Activity sequencing Activity resource estimating Activity duration estimating Schedule development Schedule control
Project Cost Cost is defined by your willingness to invest Cost estimates are the product of the team size and project duration Cost Management Cost estimating Cost budgeting Cost control
Project Scope Scope is defined at progressive levels of detail. Plan scope, deal with project realities, and make tradeoffs. Allow room for scope negotiation when planning project scope Collaboration and frequent interaction Scope Management Scope Planning Scope Definition Create WBS Scope Verification Scope Control
Project Risk Business Risk, Technical Risk, and Logistical Risk Risk management is built into the structure of the project Risks are constantly visible and managed through iterations Risk lists, response planning, and mitigation strategies Risk Management Risk management planning Risk identification Qualitative risk analysis Quantitative risk analysis Risk response planning Risk monitoring and control
Project Quality Quality is not an afterthought Test first design Test driven development Continuous integration Continuous testing Quality Management Quality planning Perform quality assurance Quality control
Project Communication Communication planning can be thought of in the traditional sense when looking outside the project team Collocation Information radiators Osmotic communication Communication Management Communications planning Information distribution Performance reporting Manage stakeholders
Project Integration Agile has room for a Charter or a Vision statement Project management plans and approach statements More empowering style of management based on individual accountability Change control is built into the process. Tradeoffs managed in real time. Integration Management Charter Scope statement Project Management Plan Direct and Manage Project Execution Monitor and Control Project work Integrated change control Close project
Project Procurement Agile does not deal much with procurement Approach contracts with adaptability in mind Build relationships based on trust Create win-win agreements Time Management Plan purchases and acquisitions Plan contracting Request seller responses Select sellers Contract administration Contract closure
Project Human Resources Staffing based on available people and willingness to invest Build your team around motivated people Give them what they need to be successful and remove impediments Allow teams to self-organize Human Resource Management Human resource planning Acquire project team Develop project team Manage project team
What Can I Do Today?
Agile Project Management Plans Explain agile processes in the context of an agile project management plan Build agile principles into the project charter or project definition document
Feature Based Deliverables Stop putting activities in your project plan Focus on outcomes what are we going to build? What capabilities need to be in the system by when? Let s start actually Earning Value
Iterative Planning Do detailed planning on iterative cycles Use the data gathered in the planning to do a reality check on your schedule Keep a higher level plan, maybe a milestone plan in a traditional PM tool
Daily Stand-up Meetings Increase visibility Establish a sense of team work and collaboration Shared accountability
Agile PM Model Team Team PM Team Project Manager as the center of the project Team Team Project manager as an enabler Team Team PM Team
Incorporate agile values and principles
Know where you are Know where you are going Know what else you need to do to get there
Great Project Managers take input from reality and deal with it
Resources Traditional Project Management http://www.pmi.org Agile Project Management and Leadership http://www.versionone.com http://www.apln.org http://www.agilealliance.org http://www.scrumalliance.org http://www.dsdm.org http://www.agilemanifesto.org How to contact me email: mike.cottmeyer@versionone.com Blog: http://blog.versionone.com Blog: http://www.leadingagile.com