Whether you’re a project manager working in a traditional Project Management environment following a certain methodology to get your projects done, or whether you’re in an Agile approach organisation where both Agile approaches (like Scrum) and traditional approaches are followed or a hybrid of both, this article will be of interest to you. It was written by a fellow Project Management Practitioner and blogger, Kevin Lonergan, who has used Agile and non-Agile approaches for managing projects for two decades and is a career long project management professional.
The article discusses the difference between Agile and project management and why, when using Agile, there are times when they are both required. It also shows why Agile is not a PM framework itself and highlights many of the specific reasons why this is. It discusses the difference between product development methods (e.g. Agile based methods) and project management, and shows examples of why the two are not the same.
The article takes a frank view of the real world of projects in business and what is missing in some implementations of Agile.
In today’s digital and disruptive world, executives and organizations are faced with fierce competitive challenges that require them to continuously adapt, or else face the consequences and the stark possibility of not being around for much longer. The same goes for project managers who need to keep abreast with what is happening with Agile methods and philosophies in Project Management in order to keep themselves relevant and employable.
Agile and Lean Practices
Flexible Agile and Lean practices, such as Scrum and Kanban which were once the sole domain of software developers, are uniquely positioned to create business success, and are making significant inroads outside of IT and finding acceptance and support by C Level executives. Organizations need to quickly sense and adapt to external and internal changes to deliver results productively and cost-effectively, without losing sight of the fact that governance is still required.
The quest for success also starts with the right approach to support project delivery, and specific project characteristics and organizational needs should form the basis of selecting the correct approach.
With everyone hopping on the bandwagon to capitalize on training and adoption, combined with so many choices when it comes to approaches, it can be daunting to try and keep abreast of how these practices are evolving, and how and what to choose. PMI have a series of reports which have been geared towards thought leadership, and it is pertinent to note that six reports deal with achieving greater agility.
The reports cover topics such as focusing on the customer, frequent feedback, choosing the right approach and transforming the organization by focusing on people and monitoring progress. Evolving the collaboration between lines of business, changing the culture and assessing the need for cross-functional support are other key aspects to consider when seeking to achieve greater organizational agility.
Career advancement
From a career standpoint, project managers need to keep themselves relevant to be employable and earn a decent wage. PMI’s Pulse of the Profession® research has indicated that stakeholders are pushing to adopt agile practices. Organizations that are agile and responsive to market dynamics, complete more of their projects successfully than those that are not — 75 percent versus 56 percent, according to the research.
It is for this reason that they have included information on agile practices, alongside traditional approaches in the PMBOK® Guide– Sixth Edition, and partnered with Agile Alliance® to create the new Agile Practice Guide. The PMI-ACP® is currently the fastest growing PMI certification, and spans many approaches to agile such as Scrum, Kanban, Lean, extreme programming (XP) and test-driven development (TDD.).
About the Author: Derek Smith has over 24 years of experience in the technology and ICT industry. He has been a CIO for 2 listed companies, and has also managed some of the top outsource operations for 2 of South Africa’s leading service providers. He is currently a Projects Portfolio Manager, Mentor and Coach, and is an advocate and evangelist for Agile philosophies and methods.
Agile is a topic of growing importance within the project management industry, and more project managers are embracing Agile as a technique for managing their successful projects including PMI who is launching an Agile Certification.
Growing Demand For Application Of Agile Practices
A recent statistic which emerged from PMI’s latest Pulse survey is that standardized project management practices result in better project performance. Many project managers who use Agile techniques for managing projects have seen the value of quicker delivery of projects to clients.
PMI research has revealed that 68% of organizations using Agile practices would find value in an Agile certification for project management practitioners. In addition, 63% of hiring managers would encourage their project managers to pursue an Agile certification.
Organisations have reported that the use of the Agile techniques have resulted in the following:
Early and continuous customer feedback – because the customer is continuously involved during development, resulting in an end-product to their satisfaction.
High visibility and influence over the project highlights problems earlier in the project.
Early measurable return on investment – allowing for reporting on defined deliverables early during the process.
Who Should Obtain PMI Agile Certification?
All PM Practitioners currently applying Agile practices in their projects or organizations who are adopting the Agile approach to project management are all excellent candidates for the PMI Agile Certification. Earning the Agile Certification could:
Demonstrate their level of professionalism in Agile practices to employers
Increase professional versatility in both project management tools and techniques
Show their project management leadership capacity by holding a more credible certification than training-only or exam-only based training
PMI serves the project management profession by providing practitioners with a toolbox of selected tools and techniques—and Agile is one of those tools. For example, those who have the PMP® and are working in an organization that is using Agile techniques, the Agile Certification provides an applicable knowledge base of Agile principles and concepts.
Important Dates For Agile Certification Launch
May 2011 – Candidates for the Agile certification will be able to submit an application for the pilot.
August 2011 – Pilot testing is scheduled to begin.
If you have questions that cannot be answered by the information on PMI.org/Agile, please contact PMI Customer Care based in your region:
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Whether you’re a project manager working in a traditional Project Management environment following a certain methodology to get your projects done, or whether you’re in an Agile approach organisation where both Agile approaches (like Scrum) and traditional approaches are followed or a hybrid of both, this article will be of interest to you. It was written by a fellow Project Management Practitioner and blogger, Kevin Lonergan, who has used Agile and non-Agile approaches for managing projects for two decades and is a career long project management professional.