Agile – Waterfall Project Management Methodologies?

15 April, 2015 by Tim in PM Methods | Comments Off

What is Agile and Waterfall?

Most all IT PM practitioners have heard the terms ‘Agile’ and ‘Waterfall’ as it relates to software (SW) development. Those practitioners involved in SW development will have their own bias either for or against one or both of these SW development methodologies. Notice something here? I said SW development methodologies and not Project Management methodologies. That is because Agile and Waterfall are not Project Management methodologies they are Software Development methodologies.

What are Project Processes?

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI) PMBOK® 5^th Edition “Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements. Project management is accomplished through the appropriate application and integration of the 47 logically grouped project management processes, which are categorized into five Process Groups. These five Process Groups are: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling and Closing.” PMBOK® also indicates that “One can use different methodologies and tools (e.g. agile, waterfall, PRINCE2) to implement the project management framework.” So did I just disagree with myself here? The short answer is no.

While methods such as Agile and Waterfall are established SW development methodologies they cannot be thought of as Project Management ‘Methodologies’. Why? Because a project is much more than conception, development and delivery of a product. Project management methodologies must address all of the 47 project management process groups. This includes such leading items as project portfolio management where organizations decide what projects to include in their portfolio to resource management items as project team member evaluation. Methodologies and the resulting templates and tools required to consistently achieve successful projects are developed (or adapted from other sources) by the organization’s Project Management Office (PMO) and incorporated into a Project Management System.

So What are Project Management Methodologies?

The Project Management System will include (among others) prescribed methods for project financial and schedule tracking, executive and stakeholder reporting, project scope management and resource selection and management. These methods will be common to the organization’s entire project – SW development, IT infrastructure or ERM implementation. And the organization will most likely integrate Agile or Waterfall type SW development methodology into their project management methods. The organization cannot however utilize these methods as the overall methodology for managing SW development projects simply because they do not address all aspects required of the PMBOK® five process groups.

Timothy Knutsen MBA, PMP

©Knutsen Associates, LLC 2015

How Do You Define ‘Project Success’?

20 February, 2013 by Tim in Project Management Plan, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Measure Project Success

From a PM’s perspective my view of project success is the same as my customer’s (project sponsor). It makes little sense for me as a PM to have any different view. And the PMBOK 5th Edition while adding a small definition of ‘Project Success’ (2.2.3) does not stray from what it has said in the past regarding project success.

Under section 4.1.3.1 PMBOK clearly states (and I whole hardly agree):
5th Ed. Pg. 72 – “Project approval requirements (i.e., what constitutes project success, who decides the project is successful, and who signs off on the project),”

What the PMBOK does say is that the project should be measured in terms of scope, time, cost, quality, resources, and risks. While these are logical areas from which to derive project success criteria from they are by no means the only areas. Some organizations might include unique project factors such as end-user acceptance of new computer system or success of a product in the market place.

PMBOK – Project Success

Regarding success and the last baselines as noted in the lastest PMBOK (Sec. 2.2.3, Pg. 35), I really do not have an issue with this especially in projects where the initial scope is ill-defined or has changed radically over the course of the project.

Neither do I have an issue with the responsibility of the sponsor as the primary promoter (Sec. 2.2.1 Pg. 32) of the project and the one responsibility for the organizational value of the project. I find it curious when a PM finds a need to explain the value and worth of a project to the project sponsor. But I will preface this by saying my experience is limited to IT PM in several industries and not for instance (building or other industrial) construction.

Project Success

8 February, 2013 by Tim in PMO | Leave a comment

Project Success – Why do mature organization measure project success against scoped Quality, Schedule & Budget?

Support of strategic plan

The simple answer is strategic plan. For organizational survival and consistent growth all activities of the organization including project success must be linked directly to support of the strategic plan. Or the organization has no reason to perform the activity. This is what separates the high performing organization from the average organization. It makes no difference if the organization is for profit, non-profit or a charity, all organizational activities must have a direct and recognizable link to the strategic plan. This holds the same for operational and project activities. The Association for Strategic Planning (ASP; http://www.strategyplus.org/index.shtml) explains in their “How to Create a Balanced Scorecard” (http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/TheNineStepstoSuccess/tabid/58/Default.aspx) how the organization must be aligned (Step Eight: Alignment) throughout the organization down to the business unit, team and finally the individual. It is this linkage that provides alignment around the organizational strategy. It is the accountability that follows the implementation of objectives and measures with ownership at each level that provides the required alignment to successfully implement the strategic plan.

Organization Project Management

To ensure projects the organization undertakes are linked to the strategic plan there must be a level of coordination throughout the organization. Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) presents Organizational Project Management (OPM) as the tool for linking management of projects, programs and portfolios throughout the organization. Portfolio management is a critical key in linking project activities to the strategic plan. According to PMBOK: “A portfolio refers to projects, programs, subportfolios, and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives.”

Consistent measure of project efforts

To ensure that projects achieve the desired result towards the strategic objective requires each project is measured and evaluated on a regular basis. This also requires that all projects must utilize consistent measurement criteria suitable to the organization’s environment. PMBOK suggest that the success of the project will be measured within the constraints of scope, time, cost, quality, resources and risk which are agreed upon at the start of the project. I will simplify this list to the measurable criteria of Quality as determined by the scope, the agreed Schedule and allocated Budget or cost established at the start of the project. Each project will have its unique Quality or scope which will drive the schedule and budget. It is the monitoring of each of these quantifiable and measurable criteria that provides the organization the means to assess the success of the project and its eventual contribution to the linked strategic goal.

Efficient use of organizational resources

The consistent measure of the projects against similar criteria will ensure the organization utilizes resources most efficiently and to their maximum level. It is the rare organization that will withstand waste of resources – human, financial or physical. Since the organization acquires and allocates resources to support the organization’s mission and related strategic goals it is imperative that projects are as efficient as possible in utilizing the assigned resources.

PMO maturity

What can or will drive this move towards project measurement and the resultant project success? The answer according to me is a ‘Mature PMO’. A mature PMO is one that understands the linkage between ‘projects’ and the strategic plan. More importantly the ‘organization’ drives the PMO to achievement of successful projects. To reach the level of a mature PMO the organization must be driven at the most senior level to a linkage between all activities the organization undertakes. This requires the PMO to establish a methodology that measures all projects equally. The only way an organization can achieve this equality is a consistent measurement of Quality, Schedule and Cost.

Remote Project Management

1 February, 2013 by Tim in Project Management Plan | Leave a comment

Remote management of project teams is not only possible but it is fast becoming a norm for multi-national organizations in this digitalized world. For the past five to six years I have successfully managed technology projects with globally dispersed team for various clients with team members in many different time zones and with multiple cultures to accommodate. Mindset and effective use of technology is the key to successful management of these projects. With these types of projects the PM is the proverbial center piece who needs to make time to individually understand the needs, both on a cultural and technology basis, for each team member. While requirements and scope are key to any successful project these become critical with global teams especially when team members are not dedicated to a single project.

For remote project management to work the PM needs to draw out silent team members. How this is accomplished will vary depending on the team dynamics. As a US Midwesterner with a deep baritone voice I seem to have an accent that is not easily understood by all team members. Hence I will use both voice and text during meetings. Critical issues need to be in writing before discussions so all can have a chance to discuss locally and understand the facts before discussion with the entire team. In the sense of what a communications plan is for – that is determine communications methods/frequency for the project’s various stakeholders I would say no it is not. What are key are communications channels and methodology tailored to the various project teams member’s needs. This does not say the communication plan is not important but how communication is facilitated especially in live meetings is critical.

A few key points I always cover:

Communication plan must lend itself to the needs of the remote team members. Especially in regards to time of day. Some regular meetings might be rotated depending on the team’s preference. Above all else holding regular calls is critical to keep all team members synced with project progress and issues.
Communication medium / methods need to be reviewed and adjusted to accommodate all members. This will include but is not limited to voice, live document sharing, central document storage, and chat rooms, live video, formal and ad-hoc reports. The project base language must also be considered but from my experience when accommodating three plus languages, English will be the standard.
Project schedule deliverables takes more thought if the team is working around the world and sub-teams are dependent on other sub-teams. For instance having a team in India idle on a Tuesday because they are waiting for a predecessor from a sub-team in San Francisco scheduled to deliver on a Monday is not good for project efficiency.
Project calendar is critical when working with remote dispersed teams. Understanding the availability of all team members and utilizing member specific calendars is critical for task scheduling.

Indifferent project ‘sponsor’

24 January, 2013 by Tim in Project Initiation | Leave a comment

I was perusing the latest copy of Project Management Institute’s monthly journal PM Network (Jan-2013) and ran across Pique Performance pg. 23 “How do you excite an indifferent project sponsor?”. There were four respondents to this question all of whom I will assume are very well experienced in the project management profession and qualified to offer an onion.

What struck me was the opening paragraph of the first three respondents:

“I show the relevancy of the project and how it will help the sponsor. People normally think that a sponsor is motivated for him or herself. Not always.”
“Sponsors don’t always realize the importance of the project. To get them excited, show how the project is good for the company.”
“I sell the project from the very beginning to get the stakeholder excited. The sponsor must feel that he or she will gain something valuable as a result of the project.”

The fourth opened with:

“You shouldn’t have to excite the project sponsor if the right sponsor was chosen in the first place. The sponsor should be supportive and see the value in the project.”

Resources

First a definition of sponsor from PMI’s PMBOK 5^th edition:

Sec. 2.2.1 Pg. 32

Sponsor. A sponsor is the person or group who provides resources and support for the project and is accountable for enabling success. The sponsor may be external or internal to the project manager’s organization. From initial conception through project closure, the sponsor promotes the project. This includes serving as spokesperson to higher levels of management to gather support throughout the organization and promoting the benefits the project brings. The sponsor leads the project through the initiating processes until formally authorized, and plays a significant role in the development of the initial scope and charter.

What’s the Problem?

While this is only a portion of the PMBOK description it provides the points I want to make. What I have learned from many years in the profession is that if you are assigned a project that has a sponsor who seems non-engaged you have no project. If the project sponsor needs to be shown the value of the project I really wonder how the project and sponsor got together in the first place? While I am certain the first three respondents to this question were sincere, it appears from their answers that they are used to having to promote a project to the organization. Or that the respondents are confusing ‘(all other) stakeholders’ with ‘project sponsor’.

What I think should happen

What I have learned, sometimes painfully over my career, is that for project success, support and cheerleading for a project must come from the organizational executive staff. This means that the sponsor already has a vision of the ‘value’ of the project and understands what the project needs to deliver to the organization. If you have a project in need of an engaged sponsor you have an organization that is immature in the concept of professional project management.

Why All Projects Need a Project Charter

23 January, 2013 by Tim in Project Initiation | Leave a comment

Project charter purpose

According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) the project charter is the starting point for all other project activities. PMBOK describes the project charter as “a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.” The key point in this statement is ‘authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.’ This is the only real point as without organizational resources you have no project. And it is why creation of this document is so crucial to any project’s – large or small – ultimate success. A project might range in complexity from simple internal project such as standup and install a replacement file server to large complex project such as design and construct the Trump Tower in Chicago. Each is a ‘project’ since it is a temporary activity which has a beginning and an end. And to be successful each requires the development of a project charter which reflects the desired output of the project sponsor.

Without the charter, which as we already know is a ‘document’; we really do not know what the sponsor is expecting to receive from the project. And if we do not at the bare minimum possess a very high level of understanding of what the project sponsor is expecting from the project we are on the path to failure. The project charter will be the foundation for the project scope and will be the determiner as to the final project quality. Since the project charter is the overall guiding document for the project the project sponsor needs to have a significant role in the development of this document.

Drivers

The key input to the project charter is the Statement of Work (SOW). For external projects a contract would normally be executed for the SOW. The main input for the SOW is the business case or business need of the requesting organization. The business case has a direct link to the organizational strategic plan and will describe the sponsor’s required output of the project. Business drivers will be linked to an organizational goal(s) and can cover a need for a single functional group or for the entire organization. For complex projects the business case will described in a separate document(s) and will be one of the many documents supporting the need and detailing the benefit that will be realized from the project. For simpler projects the business case might be included as part of the SOW.

Even for smaller projects a business need or case should be developed to provide a rational basis for managing the overall organizational project portfolio. As with the strategic plan, all project business cases should have a built in review process to ensure the project is 1) meeting the original needs of the business case and 2) that the business case remains relevant to the strategic plan. Other inputs could factor into project charter such as service level agreements (SLA’s) found in IT outsourcing contracts, environmental factors such as government regulatory (such as FDA, EPA, or FAA) and the organization’s marketplace. The project charter will also be influenced by internal factors such as standard operating processes (SOP’s) and the maturity of the organization in regards to project management. The existence or lack of a Project Management Office (PMO) will also have a major bearing on the project charter. The analysis of the organizational project portfolio and approval of projects to support the strategic plan will be managed at the senior level of the organization. The PMO in mature organizations will dictate the format of and required inputs to the project charter and will lead to a higher level of project success throughout the organization. Outputs of the project charter at a minimum need to include the project justification, high level requirements, summary budget and schedule, and the sponsor’s ‘measurable’ project objective(s).

What the project charter drives

The project charter is the initiation point for the project and directly drives the creation of the project management plan and resultant subsidiary plans. The project charter is the document that provides the level of understanding between the requestor – internal functional area(s) or external customer — and the performing group. In order to develop the project’s baseline scope, schedule and cost and collect the project requirements we need to have a clear reference as to the sponsor’s needs. Without this information the project team is simply guessing at what is required for the project objectives. Considerable organizational resources can and most likely will be wasted if this crucial step is skipped or not fully understood.

What you should conclude

Without a clear documented charter a project will always be in a state of justifying its existence and searching for clear sponsor to navigate the organizational bureaucracy. The project will have no means to claim that objectives have been met and that the project supports the organization’s strategic plan. A project without a clear charter will not be able to measure progress against objectives or milestones. ‘Charterless’ projects will have a higher tendency to finish over budget and behind schedule or be terminated without realizing any ROI to the organization.