Project Management Lifecycle
At Loyola University Chicago (LUC), our project management methodology is based on the latest edition of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). We then adapted the PMBOK guidelines to be aligned with our “best fit” approach to project management. For more information on PMBOK guidelines, please visit www.pmi.org.
Manage Project Communications and Manage Project Risks are key activities that start at the beginning of the project and continue throughout the entire Project Management Lifecyle. They are not specifically aligned with any one project phase, but are in use from the beginning. Effective Communication Management is important to ensure that the sponsors, stakeholders and team members are aware of the status of activities. Managing and mitigating risks are significant activities for the project manager.
Agile - Another Tool for your Project Management Toolkit
What is Agile, and how is it different than Waterfall?
An Agile approach to a project is one the team agrees to follow throughout a project to best respond to changes and adapt quickly. There are several forms of Agile. The two most popular are Scrum and Kanban.
The Agile manifesto is a group of 4 values that help guide the principle and practices within the various Agile methodologies.
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.
Agile project management approaches are better suited for exploratory projects for which the project result or the work to be completed is not well defined. Agile project management has requirements and documentation gathered just-in-time, and work completed in cycles, with feedback from customers being collected frequently. Changes to the requirements are handled through the iterative planning process many Agile frameworks employ.
In Waterfall or traditional project management, the end goal of a project or the work necessary to complete the project is known with a lower degree of uncertainty. Waterfall project management has work completed in sequential/linear stages, starting with thorough planning and documentation; changes to requirements have a greater effect on timelines, and customer feedback is gathered at the end of phases.
When to use Agile Methodologies?
When working on projects to implement or develop new or innovative software, processes, documentation, or specialized research.
Common traits for projects best suited for Agile methodology are:
- The desired outcome is difficult to specify
- Requirements and risks are unidentified
- Flexibility in changes for project requirements
What is Kanban?
Kanban was produced through the lens of lean manufacturing and has been applied to Agile settings. Kanban has been adapted to flow-based projects and processes focused on knowledge work.
Characteristics of Kaban:
- Planning ongoing
- Continuous workflow
- Similar-sized tasks
- Teams/Roles can be adjusted as necessary
- Changes are accepted as needed
- The backlog is maintained by determining near-term goals
Why use Kanban?
Kanban is dubbed the “start-where-you-are” approach as the implementation of this methodology. It is less prescriptive and lends itself well to operational or well-defined work. The tenants of respect for the team and stakeholders, having open conversations with the goal of flexibility to adopt changes, deliver value, drive improvement, and reduce waste.
What is Scrum?
Scrum was produced through the need for a framework to contend with the long lead times often associated with software development projects where requirements gathered during project initiation can vary drastically from the expected results.
Characteristics of Scrum:
- Scrum Board
- Iterative
- 4 central ceremonies (Scrum, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective)
- Estimation of effort
- Cross-functional team
- Changes accepted incrementally
- Prioritized backlog
- Blockers handled immediately
Why use Scrum?
A project team would use the Scrum framework when shorter feedback cycles are needed to develop or implement a phase or entire project. The team wants to realize value more quickly during the beginning stages of the project by homing in on delivering incremental improvements toward a shippable product at the end of each sprint. Another benefit of Scrum is that blockers (i.e., problems, issues, impediments) are identified and resolved more quickly, as this is a focus of the team.
Want to learn more?
Please join the PMO team in their next EMERGE Training.
Learn the Basics of Scrum with a free 45-minute Training | PMI
Agile Essentials | Agile Alliance
What Is Scrum: A Guide to the Most Popular Agile Framework (scrumalliance.org)
References
https://www.agilealliance.org/agile101/the-agile-manifesto/
Paraphrased from the Agile Practice Guide from PMI & Agile Alliance
At Loyola University Chicago (LUC), our project management methodology is based on the latest edition of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). We then adapted the PMBOK guidelines to be aligned with our “best fit” approach to project management. For more information on PMBOK guidelines, please visit www.pmi.org.
Manage Project Communications and Manage Project Risks are key activities that start at the beginning of the project and continue throughout the entire Project Management Lifecyle. They are not specifically aligned with any one project phase, but are in use from the beginning. Effective Communication Management is important to ensure that the sponsors, stakeholders and team members are aware of the status of activities. Managing and mitigating risks are significant activities for the project manager.
Agile - Another Tool for your Project Management Toolkit
What is Agile, and how is it different than Waterfall?
An Agile approach to a project is one the team agrees to follow throughout a project to best respond to changes and adapt quickly. There are several forms of Agile. The two most popular are Scrum and Kanban.
The Agile manifesto is a group of 4 values that help guide the principle and practices within the various Agile methodologies.
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.
Agile project management approaches are better suited for exploratory projects for which the project result or the work to be completed is not well defined. Agile project management has requirements and documentation gathered just-in-time, and work completed in cycles, with feedback from customers being collected frequently. Changes to the requirements are handled through the iterative planning process many Agile frameworks employ.
In Waterfall or traditional project management, the end goal of a project or the work necessary to complete the project is known with a lower degree of uncertainty. Waterfall project management has work completed in sequential/linear stages, starting with thorough planning and documentation; changes to requirements have a greater effect on timelines, and customer feedback is gathered at the end of phases.
When to use Agile Methodologies?
When working on projects to implement or develop new or innovative software, processes, documentation, or specialized research.
Common traits for projects best suited for Agile methodology are:
- The desired outcome is difficult to specify
- Requirements and risks are unidentified
- Flexibility in changes for project requirements
What is Kanban?
Kanban was produced through the lens of lean manufacturing and has been applied to Agile settings. Kanban has been adapted to flow-based projects and processes focused on knowledge work.
Characteristics of Kaban:
- Planning ongoing
- Continuous workflow
- Similar-sized tasks
- Teams/Roles can be adjusted as necessary
- Changes are accepted as needed
- The backlog is maintained by determining near-term goals
Why use Kanban?
Kanban is dubbed the “start-where-you-are” approach as the implementation of this methodology. It is less prescriptive and lends itself well to operational or well-defined work. The tenants of respect for the team and stakeholders, having open conversations with the goal of flexibility to adopt changes, deliver value, drive improvement, and reduce waste.
What is Scrum?
Scrum was produced through the need for a framework to contend with the long lead times often associated with software development projects where requirements gathered during project initiation can vary drastically from the expected results.
Characteristics of Scrum:
- Scrum Board
- Iterative
- 4 central ceremonies (Scrum, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective)
- Estimation of effort
- Cross-functional team
- Changes accepted incrementally
- Prioritized backlog
- Blockers handled immediately
Why use Scrum?
A project team would use the Scrum framework when shorter feedback cycles are needed to develop or implement a phase or entire project. The team wants to realize value more quickly during the beginning stages of the project by homing in on delivering incremental improvements toward a shippable product at the end of each sprint. Another benefit of Scrum is that blockers (i.e., problems, issues, impediments) are identified and resolved more quickly, as this is a focus of the team.
Want to learn more?
Please join the PMO team in their next EMERGE Training.
Learn the Basics of Scrum with a free 45-minute Training | PMI
Agile Essentials | Agile Alliance
What Is Scrum: A Guide to the Most Popular Agile Framework (scrumalliance.org)
References
https://www.agilealliance.org/agile101/the-agile-manifesto/
Paraphrased from the Agile Practice Guide from PMI & Agile Alliance