Agile Project Management

1. Agile Project Management Key learnings from the real world Rob Thomsett London 25 September 2008

2. Agile Project Management the thomsett company and its partners, including Fronde, have been implementing an integrated approach to Agile Project Management and Agile Development over the past 5 years • ccpace, US • e.on, Budget Group (bgl), UK • ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, Aus • ASB, Lumley, IAG, N.Z.

3. So what’s new? "What we have learnt after 10 years of teaching and talking with hundreds of experienced project managers is that projects are all about people" People and project management, Rob Thomsett, Prentcie Hall, N.Y., 1981.

4. The most significant learning Implementing agile practices is a cultural revolution

5. Some interesting perceptions 100% of C-level executives in 6 major organisations (NZ, Aus, UK) believe that : • Project management and development are too bureaucratic • Projects take to long to deliver • Project Business Cases are poorly-developed and managed • The level of transparency around projects is inadequate • They expect to be "ambushed" at some time in a project • Most Steering Committees are a waste of time • Most reports they receive are not accurate

6. APM Evolution Just as Agile Development has evolved from RAD, Timeboxing, Good Enough, Fast-tracking, Microsoft's Daily Build and Production Prototyping, Agile Project Management has evolved over 20 + years … • Project Partnering • Third Wave • eXtreme, Radical • Agile.

7. The past explains the present 1

8. An inconvenient truth When we borrowed engineering and construction project management models we also inherited their prevailing culture

9. The past explains the present 2 1960 - Stage 1: Dark Age Experts Users

10. The past explains the present 2 1980 - Stage 1: Dark Age Experts Users Stage 2 : Tokenism “Clients” Experts

11. The past explains the present 2 1990 - Stage 1: Dark Age Experts Users Stage 2 : Tokenism “Clients” Experts Stage 3 : Pay Back Experts Clients

12. The past explains the present 2 1990 - Stage 1: Dark Age Experts Users Stage 2 : Tokenism “Clients” Experts Stage 3 : Pay Back Experts Clients Stage 4 : Partnership Experts Business Experts

13. Project Management Culture 1 Culture Values Behaviours

14. Project Management Culture 2 Agile Traditional Closed Project management is undertaken by experts who don’t need input from “users”. The project manager owns the project. Open Project management involves full participation and ownership by stakeholders not the project manager Trust Project team members and stakeholders are professionals. They can be trusted to work hard and be committed to the project and the organisation Distrust Project team members and stakeholders need to be motivated, monitored and questioned at all times Dishonesty The true status of the project is to be “positively presented”. Not asking for help and tell management want they want to hear Honesty All people impacted by or involved in the project have a right to be told the truth and asking for help is a sign of strength Courage Undertaking projects requires courage in many areas - telling the truth, asking for assistance, etc Lack of courage Not standing ground, selling out the team and /or stakeholders, asking for help and assistance is a sign of weakness Money Projects consume shareholders and corporate money and this requires a fiscal and ethical responsibility to be shared by all team members and stakeholders

15. Mutual victims Here we go again. It’s Red Hmm. I hope you’ll fix that up asap Wow! It is a mess Cheese, the project is Amber

16. APM Values Open Project management involves full participation and ownership by stakeholders not the project manager Trust Project team members and stakeholders are professionals. They can be trusted to work hard and be committed to the project and the organisation Honesty All people impacted by or involved in the project have a right to be told the truth and asking for help is a sign of strength Courage Undertaking projects requires courage in many areas - telling the truth, asking for assistance, etc Money Projects consume shareholders and corporate money and this requires a fiscal and ethical responsibility to be shared by all team members and stakeholders

17. APM Principles • Simplicity • No bureaucracy • Light touch • Face-to-face over paper • Discretion

18. Development Support Key APM Concept Benefits Support Costs Benefits Realisation Review Costs Support Review Post implementation Review

19. Development Support Key APM Concept Benefits Plan Support Costs Costs

20. Rapid Planning (RAP’s) • Highly-structured • Fast • Involves critical stakeholders • Driven by tools • Driven by CONVERSATIONS The Agile Values in action

21. PROJECTMETRICS Business Case Agile RAP’s Project Concept / Proposal RAP 1 SUCCESS SLIDERS 2 ANALYSE & DEVELOPADDED VALUESCENARIOS 3 DEVELOPQUALITYAGREEMENTS 1 DEFINE SCOPE, OBJECTIVES, STAKEHOLDERS & RELATEDPROJECTS 4 SELECTPROJECTDEVELOPMENTSTRATEGY RAP 2 5 ANALYSEPROJECT RISK &DEVELOP RISKMANAGEMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGIES 6 TAILORTASKS./ METHODOLOGY 7 ESTIMATETASKS &DEVELOP PROJECTQUOTATION 8 DEVELOPPROJECT EXECUTION PLANS 10 DEVELOPCOST & R.O.I. SCENARIOS 9 DEVELOPPROJECTSTAFFINGAGREEMENTS

22. OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON ON ON ON have a satisfied client group/stakeholders meet the project's objectives / requirements meet an agreed budget - resources, capital, equipment OFF ON deliver the product on time add value for the organisation meet quality requirements have a sense of professional satisfaction for the team An example of RAP tools Success Sliders

23. The results from the real world Agile models will exhibit "viral" distribution. Key positive drivers include: • Faster delivery • Increased transparency • Change friendly • More enjoyable for business and technical experts • Embeds great values

24. Do good work & have fun! Rob Thomsett consulting director the thomsett company www.thomsettinternational.com www.thomsett.com Radical Project Management, Prentice-Hall, 2002