Project Management for Agile Projects

Introduction The Project Management Job Day to day administration Managing the process Managing external relationships

Introduction The External Context Still based on a waterfall view of projects  “On time / on Budget”  “Manage to the Plan” Use success criteria that consistently fail  “80% of all software projects fail”

Introduction The Real Problem Everyone is frustrated with the time it takes to complete software. Managers feel powerless to control it. The “on time – on budget” approach aggravates the problem.

Project Models Two Project Models Deterministic Project Model  We can predict how the project will unfold Non deterministic Project Model  Software development is a discovery process

Project Models Deterministic Project Model The amount of time that it will take to complete the project is predictable. Focus is on controlling cost. Process is to establish a plan based on work breakdown structures and “manage to the plan”. The plan is static. The development team, including the project manager, the primary participants. Success is delivering the project “on time / on budget”

Project Models Non Deterministic Project Management Recognizes that software development is a discovery process. Focused on value/cost tradeoffs Process is to identify discoveries that our current assumptions, assess the impact the new information has on the value model and “manage the plan”. Plan is volatile. The project steering committee, including the business and technical sponsors, the primary participants. Success is delivering good value in reasonable time

Project Models Nothin’ New Almost all projects eventually revert to non- deterministic project management. Some core project management truisms are non-deterministic.

Project Models Nothin’ New – cont. Popular process (RUP, Agile, Adaptive Programming…) succeed because they are discovery processes. Still “on-time / on-budget” is the holy mantra.

Legalizing Non-Deterministic Project Management If we recognize the non determinist model as a normal and legitimate tool we can:  Make good business driven decisions in the inception and elaboration phases.  Establish and improve processes  Set realistic expectations  Okay to abandon projects as soon as we discover they are marginal.

Project Models Working together Non-Deterministic Project Management not a replacement for Deterministic Project Management Non – Deterministic Project Management Deterministic Project Management

Project Models Working Together – cont. The deterministic model provides constraints  “the objective is not to provide the best solution we can, but to provide the best solution we can afford” Projects will fail without a well executed deterministic components  The non deterministic model works because the deterministic part actually is predictable.

Non Deterministic Process Strategy Provide early estimates of value and cost referenced to a business process. Create a project plan based on delivering subsystems prioritized by value. As the project progresses, the development team will design solutions to fit in the plan’s resource and schedule constraints. Reevaluate value as the understanding of the application improves and adjust plan.

Non Deterministic Process Roles Project Steering Committee  IT Sponsor, Business Sponsors  Project Manager, Architect, Lead Analyst, Lead Subject Matter Expert Development Team  Project Manager, Architect, Lead Analyst, Lead Subject Matter Expert

Non Deterministic Process Early Estimates They need to be useful for management decision making. Structure more important then accuracy. Understanding how the application is going to deliver value is as important (and as volitile) as understanding what it will cost.

Non Deterministic Process Early Estimate – Value Estimate Artifact List of Business Processes (Business Use Cases) For each Process  Process Description  Frequency of Use  How will the application improve the process  How will the improvement result in business value  What will it cost to operate the application  Quantify the improvement in value

Non Deterministic Process Early Estimate – Cost Estimate Artifact List of Business Processes For each process and supplementary requirement  The system use case(s) to support it  Technical Strategy for implementing the use case or supplementary requirement  Effort estimate Metric for translating effort estimate into hours

Non Deterministic Process Allowance for the Undiscovered Value Estimate  Rows labeled “unknown process” Cost Estimate  Rows for “unknown use cases” to be associated with business processes (at least as many as unknown processes)  Rows for “unknown requirements” to be included in the Supplementary Specification section  Budget for technical solutions to become more complex then originally anticipated.

Non Deterministic Process Project Plan Estimate Negotiations Iterations are ordered to deliver highest value first. Technical Risk needs to be considered Project Plan includes a budget for the undiscovered.

Non Deterministic Process Monitoring Status – Development Team The Development team is responsible for designing solutions that fit within the constraints of the project plan. Monitor and report  Changes in Value Model  Changes in operating costs  Changes in Technical solutions  Changes in Effort to Hours metric  Recommendations to improve value

Non Deterministic Process Monitoring Status – Steering Committee Based on reporting from the development team, adjust the project plan  Choices between alternatives  Priorities  Schedule and Resources

Miscellaneous Value in Software Development Projects The simplest possible solution is the baseline Incremental improvements in value need to be justified  A few key features need Cadillac solutions.  Infrequently used features need Escort solutions. The development team should make most of these decisions to stay within the project constraints

Miscellaneous – Summary Key Phrases “Software development is a discovery process” “not the best solution; the affordable solution” “invent successful outcomes”