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Follow on Google News |  The Benefits of Pragmatic Agile Project Management"Pragmatic Agile" is the evaluation & transition to Agile best practices using current methods, systems and practices of a business, rather than replacing existing – potentially valuable – processes & methods that exist in an enterprise.
By: Arras People It is RADTAC's approach to transforming project management practices that is "pragmatic" rather than "prescriptive" In 2001, the Agile Alliance formalised the Agile Manifesto that encapsulates the guiding principles of 'Agile' methods. 10 years on, and Agile practices and frameworks have evolved considerably, through trial, practise and application. No longer are “Scrum” and other Agile frameworks the new kids on the block and now, for the first time, we are truly seeing a move towards Enterprise-wide Agile implementation. With this comes the requirement for everyone involved in project and program management to understand and consider the value of Agile to their organisation and as part of their own Continuous Professional Development. With experience across the full suite of Lean and Agile frameworks, RADTAC has developed a pragmatic approach to the application of these methods across a wide range of businesses. Agile Expansion RADTAC believes that the case for Agile is now proven. Agile has escaped the confines of the technical community from whence it originated, and is now on the business agenda of all forward-looking companies. The challenge now is how to successfully expand Lean and Agile into this wider business community – and to do this so as to deliver on the promise of improved project delivery – in terms of time, cost and quality. To do this, the wider business community, including project management professionals in particular, needs to understand and embrace Agile. They also need, however, to understand the practical considerations and complexities of these new approaches; and the very real challenges that those working in traditional environments face when trying to utilise them. Against this ever-changing background, today’s project management professional needs to understand how to apply Agile approaches effectively. The Case for Pragmatic Agile Agile methods have evolved and now include many approaches – Scrum, Extreme Programming, Lean and Kanban, the Open Unified Process and DSDM to name but a few – each embracing the principals of the Agile Manifesto, similar but different. Being "similar but different" has caused some confusion for organisations when considering a move towards Agile, with individual suppliers and consultants each prescribing their preferred Agile method. To sidestep this confusion, from the beginning we took the pragmatic view that the appropriate Agile methods should be selected in discussion with the client’s business, and will work best when introduced alongside the existing practices of the business, rather than used to replace those practices in a single transformation step. In essence evolution and not revolution, working with the business to deliver change that is sustainable, not just implemented when the consultants are on site. This approach enables the client and the business to adapt and evolve to a position where Agile may be applied as appropriate to the needs, personnel and culture of their specific environment. RADTAC describes this as "Pragmatic Agile" – an approach that applies practices that are Pragmatic and not Dogmatic; Progressive and not Prescriptive. No Assumptions With Pragmatic Agile, we recognise that Agile methods may not be appropriate in every circumstance, and that not all client Business and Project Managers may be open to the idea of using Agile for the delivery of their projects. Pragmatic Agile makes no assumptions as to the best delivery method for a project, but enables and encourages clients to discuss, select and apply those Agile and traditional best practices that will deliver to the specific environment of their business. Uniquely, Pragmatic Agile also recognises that the client may require, or need, to continue with traditional project delivery methods alongside contemporary Agile project methods – perhaps for the maintenance of legacy systems themselves. Pragmatic Agile allows for this practical inevitability, without compromising Agile project delivery. ‘Pragmatic Agile’ does not encourage ‘method wars’. Rather, it recommends a practical blend of agile frameworks that work together in today’s organisational environment, integrated into the current practices that work. Once this baseline is established, the whole programme or organisation delivery capability can be evolved together. RADTAC Pragmatic Agile Model The RADTAC Pragmatic Agile model integrates an appropriate framework of Agile and non-Agile methods, either proprietary or in house (if they work then continue to use them) to optimise delivery, and with the appropriate elements of each method applied - pragmatically and dynamically. It is generally recognised that Agile can enable individual development teams to deliver high-quality, effective products. However, the co-ordination and management of turning those developments into projects and delivering the benefits expected from an integrated programme / portfolio of change remains costly and difficult – without the pragmatic application of Agile Project Management. So, to deliver the promise of Agile to the entire project and therefore to the business, the industry needs a Pragmatic Agile framework that includes appropriate best practices for both Project Management and software development: In essence we need to establish the ‘glue’ to bond “best practice” delivery and management methods together, to meet the requirements of the client business, and to enable Agile and non-Agile elements and/or projects to co-exist, to interrelate – and to deliver value. Pragmatic Agile is the 'glue', and can be delivered through common Agile frameworks such as Scrum, eXtreme programming, Lean, Kanban, DSDM or the Open Unified Process. Conclusion The case for Agile methods is proven, having evolved through practice over the last fifteen or more years - from the definition of approaches such as XP and DSDM in the mid-'90's, creation of the Agile Alliance in 2001 and the Scrum Alliance in 2004 through the emergence of Lean and Kanban to the APMG’s new Agile Project Management certification in 2010. By their very nature, Agile methods will continue to evolve, and such evolution should be embraced as an opportunity for improvements and further benefits. Many large corporate organisations have trialled Agile approaches; with too many concluding that Agile either does not suit their existing practices and procedures or that it is just too difficult to implement in a single step, or large environment. Therefore to remedy this, the route to the successful transition to Agile – and the recognition of the significant benefits that may be achieved through such a transition – needs to take account of existing systems, methods and priorities, to include them where appropriate and to avoid unnecessary large, single steps. Peter Measey & David Hicks are the founders and co-owners of RADTAC, a leading Agile services company now on the Arras People Training Directory @ http://www.arraspeople.co.uk/ # # # Project Management Recruitment Specialists, focused on programme management, project management and project support. End
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