Adaptive (Agile) Project Management

Many projects executed by both private and public sector organizations fail to realize their expected outcomes. The reasons for this can be subtle. The best laid plans can be subject to small delays that are not suitable for control using a traditional change management system. In a volatile environment (which is increasingly the case in the modern business world), project plans need to be flexible and embrace change as being the norm rather than the exception.

A traditional view of successful projects is that they are highly dependent on well-defined and well-understood requirements acquired from all stakeholders. However, not all work environments are stable enough to enable effective prediction of all project requirements. In volatile situations where requirements change rapidly and stakeholder needs emerge during project execution, stakeholder value (and satisfaction) is best supplied through an adaptive management approach rather than traditional predictive techniques. The Project Management Institute (PMI)® clearly acknowledges the emergence of this paradigm through their increased focus on  adaptive concepts in the ANSI standard “Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, fifth edition, (PMBOK® Guide)”.

This PetroKnowledge Adaptive (Agile) Project Management training course will feature:

• An overview of the traditional or predictive project management approach
• An explanation of subtle wastes that can lead to failure using predictive approaches
• A presentation of the values that underpin adaptive or agile thinking
• An investigation of the principles that guide teams to perform practices that adhere to agile values
• A step-by-step walkthrough the core practices of adaptive project management (SCRUM)
• In-depth reinforcement exercises that serve to provoke reflection on the power of adaptive thinking

This 5-day training course exposes delegates to the most current generally accepted practices of project management. Both predictive and adaptive project management approaches are explained and contrasted so that delegates can make informed decisions on when and how to apply each approach. Key tools and techniques used to establish and control dynamic project plans are explained and reinforced through practical application in a workshop style approach. This enables learners to:

• Appreciate how characteristics of effective teams influence effective adaptive project management
• Apply predictive project management techniques to integrate scope, time, resources and cost management into a dynamic, manageable plan
• Learn the rules and approaches to the implementation of the most widely applied adaptive project management framework - SCRUM
• Identify general considerations that are critical to setting up and applying the Scrum framework
• Critique the value of core practices performed to plan a Scrum sprint
• Apply the core practices performed in the execution of a Scrum sprint
• Evaluate core post-Sprint practices used for review and improvement purposes

This PetroKnowledge Adaptive (Agile) Project Management course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Associate Project Managers
• Project Managers
• IT Project Managers
• Project Coordinators
• Project Analysts
• Project Leaders
• Senior Project Managers
• Team Leaders
• Product Managers
• Program Managers
• Project Sponsors
• Project Team Members
• Customers who will engage with project teams that apply the agile approach

The facilitator will introduce each of the core topics using a lecture format. Presentations are supported by reinforcement exercises to emphasize the application of theory in real-world project settings. The course commences with an overview of the nature of projects and the fundamentals of project management. This enables delegates to reflect on how a project management framework supports effective control processes. The early sections of the course explain how to use the predictive approach to establish the work to be done and use this information to develop a comprehensive plan that guides different aspects of this work. Delegates apply techniques to control both planning and execution of scope, schedule, cost and risk.

Adaptive project management is then introduced and reinforcement exercises are applied to provide delegates with insights into the power of effective team empowerment to foster flexibility, responsiveness and innovation. A practical explanation of the SCRUM framework is supported by team exercises that foster greater understanding of how this approach controls the delivery of value to stakeholders and support continuous improvement within the project team.

Adaptive project management tailors a project to a client's specific, developing needs. This flexible approach allows the team to

• Integrate client feedback continually throughout your process
• Deliver the most valuable product, regardless of prior expectations.
• Create more satisfied clients, communicative relationships with clients and an improved final product.

Adaptive project management becomes more and more important. Participants will learn –

• To define what is needed to meet the goals of the organization
• How to make a realistic “business case” of a change
• To identify the impact of a change on the scope, time and budget
• Ways to get feedback from the stakeholders on delivered products/components.