Project Management Principles and Agile Methodology
Week 1: Evolution of Project Management
Historical projects have been around for a long time. Notable examples include:
- Tower of Babel
- Egyptian pyramids
- Great Wall of China
- The Manhattan Project
Modern project management development is largely credited to the military, specifically:
- The Navy’s Polaris program
- NASA’s Apollo space program
- Development of “smart bombs” and missiles
Project management is now widely accepted across various industries beyond construction or the military, including:
- Managing legal cases
- Managing new product releases
- Implementing software solutions
The Triple Constraint and Project Success
The three primary project objectives are known as the Triple Constraint or the Iron Triangle:
- Time
- Cost
- Scope
Measuring Project Success
Success is determined by several factors:
- Project efficiency (meeting Iron Triangle measures)
- Impact on the customer or stakeholder
- Business impact on the organization (strategic direction)
- Opening new opportunities for the future
- Health of the project team
- Making trade-offs within the project’s environment
Defining Projects vs. Operations
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. Its three main characteristics are that it is unique, a one-time occurrence, and temporary.
Project vs. Operational Management
Project management is temporary and unique, focusing on a specific set of objectives. It attains its objective and then terminates. Example: Developing a new system.
Operational management involves ongoing and repetitive activities with permanent objectives. It sustains the business in a continuous manner. Example: Help desk support.
Routine tasks, such as generating reports or mail delivery, are not projects because they are repetitive. Quasi-projects utilize scope, schedule, and budget but are not true projects; they only employ certain management methods.
Why Project Management Matters
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.
Forces Fostering Project Management
The main drivers for the acceptance of project management include:
- Exponential growth of human knowledge
- Growing demand for a broad range of complex goods and services
- Increased worldwide competition
- High level of coordination and cooperation between teams
Potential Negatives of Project Management
- Greater organizational complexity
- Higher probability that organizational policy may be violated
- The implication that managers cannot accomplish the desired outcome alone
- Limitations of the methodology
- Potential for conflict
Project Management Organizations
The Project Management Institute (PMI), founded in 1969, is the major global organization. Other notable organizations include the APM and IPMA.
The Project Life Cycle and Effort
Every project moves through the Project Life Cycle, a basic framework used by managers and teams to structure projects for success.
Time Distribution of Project Effort
Effort distribution typically follows a specific curve:
- Minimal effort is required at the beginning.
- Effort increases over time as the project is planned and delivered.
- After reaching maximum effort during delivery, the curve tapers off as the project nears completion.
Agile Project Management Principles
Agile was primarily developed for software development. The Manifesto for Agile Software Development emerged from the search for better development methods.
Characteristics of Agile
- Projects are divided into iterations called sprints.
- Emphasis on simplicity, rooted in lean management.
- Project teams are self-managing.
- Progress is measured by working product functionality.
Benefits of Agile
- High customer satisfaction
- Reduced waste
- Improved adaptability