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What is Agile Project Management?

agile project management businessman

When you see a reference to “agile,” you may think of the dictionary definition that describes this concept as the ability to move quickly and easily. When the concept is “Agile Project Management,” it’s describing the process of taking a traditional approach to delivery and modifying it to include techniques that produce some immediate results in a shorter period of time.

In Agile Project Management you don’t want to wait until a long period has passed to deliver something to the customer, client or sponsor. Your goal is to deliver something as soon as you can so you get immediate feedback and modify the approach as needed, this is known as a iterative approach.

A way to think about Agile Project Management is to consider a haircut. Assume you’re the barber or stylist and the client is the recipient of the haircut. You could take one of two approaches to this haircut. In the waterfall approach you gather all of the customer’s requirements and deliver the final haircut for approval once you’re done with it. In the agile approach, you continually solicit feedback as you make incremental changes throughout the haircut. The customer has the option to modify a straight cut to a layered cut or to modify the length of any part of the hair as the process goes on.

When to Use Agile Project Management

The Agile Project Management approach doesn’t work well when the client is unwilling to participate in on-going discussions about the project, won’t prioritize his or her requests or doesn’t support flexibility in the evolution of the solution. Those customers might be better suited for a traditional waterfall project management approach.

Clients who support a flexible delivery date, who are anxious to jump in, who provide feedback and answer questions very quickly are well suited for the agile project management approach.

The Agile Project Management approach works well when development team members who are subject matter experts are able to take a concept and figure out the best approach to work through that concept, when team members are willing to adjust to new customer requirements and changing information about a project and when team members support each other during challenging periods. Team members who need detailed directions or are not able to develop solutions themselves may be better suited for a traditional waterfall project, where tasks are assigned to them directly.

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In my opinion, the Agile Project Management approach is about managing the known information you have available at a point in time and regularly evolving the solution as you gain knowledge. There are always unknown factors in a project; but with Agile, you regularly meet to address those factors and plan a way to move forward.

How to Apply Agile to Projects

There are a number of ways to apply Agile methods to your project:

  • Scrum is a methodology that was originally designed to manage software development projects. Some organizations have adopted this approach.
  • Kanban board is another popular agile technique where work is grouped into columns or categories such as “Unstarted,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” The Kanban approach typically provides a very visual way to illustrate the progress.

To view live examples of Agile Project Management approaches that use user stories, story points, mapping information into quadrants, and interpreting burndown examples, watch my hour-long presentation, “Key Agile Concepts Illustrated,” delivered during the MPUG-hosted Microsoft Project 2016 Virtual Conference.

User Stories are a common tool used in Agile software development to document and communicate requirements. However, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution and should not be blindly followed without considering their appropriateness for a given project.

In fact, it is often better to prioritize clarity and effective communication over strict adherence to a particular process or practice. It is important to remember that “if all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail,” and it is important to choose the right tool for the job. While User Stories can be a useful tool when used correctly, it is important to be mindful of the potential pitfalls of shoehorning requirements into a specific format, as this can lead to reduced clarity and increased uncertainty.

Ultimately, the most important thing is to find the approach that works best for your team and project in order to effectively define and review requirements and acceptance criteria.

Agile Project Management Certification

As a follow-up to a question that was brought up in my “Key Agile Concepts” session, I decided to research Agile certification options. Honestly, I was shocked at the number of organizations and types of Agile certifications. If your organization doesn’t have a specific methodology or standard in Agile, I would strongly recommend you spend time researching the options out there. This is a summary of what I found.

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

The PMI-ACP credential is the “fastest growing” credential from the Project Management Institute, a not-for-profit organization that provides membership and certification for project management professionals. The certificate covers multiple approaches to agile, including Scrum, Kanban, Lean, extreme programming (XP) and test-driven development (TDD.)

You need to complete 1500 hours working on agile teams or with agile methodologies — in addition to 2000 hours of general project experience. You also need 21 “contact hours” of training in agile practices. To maintain the credential, you need to earn 30 professional development units in agile topics every three years.

Accredited Agile Practitioner

This is just one of many Agile-related credentials available from the Agile Certification Institute. The website also references these “accredited” credentials:

  • Scrum Master
  • Product Owner
  • Scaled Agile Practitioner
  • Kanban Practitioner
  • Lean Software Development Practitioner

The AAP, as example, requires passing an exam of 75 questions in 90 minutes. The questions are based on “Master Standards” approved by a council, which apparently advises the institute. You also have to develop a “thesis” of between 600 and 900 words on a topic you choose and get recommendations from three peers or managers with “valid corporate email” addresses. The certification is valid for four years.

Stater certification includes:

  • Certified Agile Associate
  • Certified Scrum Associate

Certified ScrumMaster

This is one of several credentials from the Scrum Alliance, which also offers these certifications:

  • Scrum Product Owner
  • Scrum Developer
  • Scrum Professional
  • Certified Team Coach
  • Certified Enterprise Coach
  • Certified Scrum Trainer

The ScrumMaster, as an example, requires taking a two-day course from a “Scrum Alliance Authorized Trainer” and demonstrating proficiency through an online test. To get a passing score, you have to answer 24 of 35 questions correctly.

Agile Fundamentals

This credential is one of many offered by the International Consortium for Agile. Other certifications include:

  • Agile Development
  • Agile Management
  • Agile Coaching
  • Agile Testing
  • Enterprise Agile Coaching
  • Agile Power Skills

Gaining a credential requires attending a class taught by the company’s training partners. The fundamentals, for example, takes three days of training.

Agile Project Management Certification

The sponsor of this credential, UK-based APMG International, accredits individuals in a number of fields. In the area of agile and project management, other certifications from APMG include:

  • Agile Programme Management Certification
  • AgileBA Certification (for business analysts)
  • PRINCE2 Agile

They all involve participating in paid training, most available online.

Why agile is more suitable for software development

Software development teams can benefit from using agile methods, which are iterative and incremental. This means that teams can break down complex projects into smaller, manageable chunks and deliver working software at the end of each iteration. In addition, agile methods are flexible and adaptable.

This means that teams can easily adjust to changes in requirements or priorities, and can respond quickly to customer feedback. Overall, agile methods can help software development teams to work more effectively and deliver high-quality software to customers.

Learn how a MPUG Membership helps individuals and teams become better project managers and Microsoft Project users through highly cost effective online training.

Join MPUG to attend live training webinars, hundreds of on-demand webinar recordings and earn the Project Management Institute (PMI)® Professional Development Units (PDUs) that you need.

Choosing an Agile Project Management Software

As technology evolves and continues to improve, it continues to shape project management methods and in turn shape project management tools. One example of this is how Microsoft Project, traditionally a tool for waterfall project management methodology has been shaped by agile methodology.

It now includes features and functionality that are specifically designed to support agile project management, such as the ability to create and manage user stories, track progress using agile metrics such as velocity and burn-down charts, and facilitate collaboration and communication among team members.

Additionally, artificial intelligence and machine learning are being incorporated into some project management tools to automate tasks and provide insights and recommendations to users.

Overall, technology is making project management tools more accessible, efficient, and collaborative, helping teams to be more productive and successful in their projects.

So what do you have to consider when choosing Agile PM Software? Consider the following :

  1. The needs of your team: Consider what features and functionality your team needs in an agile project management software. For example, do you need a kanban board, a scrum board, or both? Do you need tools for collaboration, such as chat and document sharing? Make a list of your team’s must-have features to help narrow down your options.
  2. Ease of use: Choose an agile project management software that is intuitive and easy to use. A software program that is difficult to navigate or requires a lot of training can be frustrating for team members and hinder productivity.
  3. Integration with other tools: Consider whether the agile project management software you choose integrates with other tools that your team uses, such as your organization’s CRM or HR software. This can help to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.
  4. Pricing: Compare the pricing of different agile project management software options to determine which one is the most cost-effective for your team. Consider the features and functionality included in each pricing tier, as well as any discounts or promotions that may be available.
  5. Scalability: Choose an agile project management software that can grow with your team. If you expect your team to expand in the future, make sure the software you choose can accommodate additional users and features.

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