Agile Project Management
Introduction
Business these days requires project managers to be flexible and respond well to change. Agile Project Management is a specific approach to project management that facilitates a collaborative approach to deal with projects that need to introduce change quickly and effectively.
Traditionally a project manager may direct the project team using a ‘command and control’ style, actively directing their team towards the work that must be completed. Agile project management uses a different technique. At the beginning of an Agile project a “high level” plan will be created by the project manager, which is based around basic requirements and a high level vision of the solution. From there on the final project is created “iteratively and incrementally”, with each increment building on the previous increments. Agile Project management also differs in the way that team members create the plans for each increment, rather than the project manager themselves.
Close collaboration between the business or customer and the project team allows the team to understand the details of potentially changing requirements and create and validate an evolving solution accordingly.
What is
Agile Project Management is derived from the longest-established Agile method, DSDM Atern (Dynamic Systems Development Method), and has been developed into this unique certified approach.
The Agile Project Management Foundation and Practitioner training events were launched in 2010 by the APM Group –The course builds on DSDM approaches and differs from other Agile training in that it places Agile within a comprehensive project cycle with a defined syllabus, exams, and an accredited training programme.
The Foundation element concentrates on ensuring that the fundamental concepts and terminology isunderstood. The Practitioner element is more concerned with the application to real life scenarios. This event is delivered as a combined Foundation and Practitioner event over 3.5days.
Benefits
Agile methodologies have been used in software development for years but are now being applied to general project management, offering a flexible process that can change according to customer and organisational needs.
The training event provides an understanding of how to apply approaches such as eXtreme Programming, Scrum and DSDM within a full project lifecycle with defined Phases, Work Products, Roles and Responsibilities and enable delivery of Agile Projects in organisations requiring standards, rigour and visibility around projects, whilst enabling the fast pace, change and empowerment provided by Agile.
- Using Agile Project Management allows projects to respond to changing requirements and ensure that the solutions meet business and customer requirements
- Agile Project Management can be used in conjunction with other corporate processes such as PRINCE2 and ITIL.
- The Agile Project Management certification offers a recognised qualification that will benefit both the individual in career development and organisations in recognising their staff’s skills development.
- Major benefits stem from a greater focus of quality, discipline, working closely with business stakeholders and on delivering on a regular basis.
- The DSDM Atern lifecycle promotes iteration which is essential on projects where there is a need to understand the detail of the final product which will usually be complex or unclear. This also allows for a degree of experimentation and creativity to take place.
- When working in an agile way it is imperative to get customer engagement and involvement at the detailed level (‘at the coalface’), the benefit of which goes without saying.
- To create a robust, fully scalable agile capability – the existing structures of PRINCE2 can be used and integrate DSDM Atern into, and below it.
- DSDM Atern advocates the use of a set of techniques which it regards as best practice in order to achieve a rich communication environment.
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