Greetings

This months edition of Project Management Tipoffs celebrates our first year of being the host of the UKs Project

Management Training Directory This directory is home to some of the biggest accredited names in the PM training

game today - Parallel Project Training TCC Training and Consultancy Logical Model CUPE Projects Capita AFA and

many more

In celebration of this first year Tipoffs hands over the issue to the trainers In this issue we look at the new PRINCE2 Professional certification on offer from the APM Group David Roberts of CUPE Projects ponders what this new level of P2 hierarchy could mean for your career

Paul Naybour of Parallel Project Training adds some of his thoughts about portfolio management while Logical Models Simon Harris tackles the pyramid of decision-making within an organisation

Dot Tudor of TCC Training offers some expertise on the realities of the iterative changes that Agile adaptees must face Stefan Urbanski of Capita identifies the skills of managers in general managers of projects and managers of IT framing exactly what each party will need And Susan Ferguson of AFA Projects wades through some of the ignored project management certifications that truly are worth a glance

Project Management Benchmark Report 2012

Arras People will release the 2012 Project Management Benchmark Report next week Compiled from over 1500 responses to the Project and Programme Management Census We cannot begin to thank you enough for taking part

Those who took part are already in with the opportunity to receive a free copy available next week in your in-box Those who did not take part should fill in the form to receive a copy in March

PRINCE2 Professional Why Bother

Words David Roberts CUPE Projects

February 2012

PRINCE2 has been the de-facto standard in the UK for years Many of you will already have the Foundation and Practitioner certification

So why continue with the next level PRINCE2 Professional provides you with an opportunity to get your experience accredited With so many Project Managers wondering lsquowhatrsquos nextrsquo this is the perfect time to get ahead of the crowd PRINCE2 Professional is designed to test the existing PRINCE2reg Practitioners ability of applying the method correctly

It confirms you (and your employer) are truly competent not just knowledgeable Unlike the existing PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner qualifications PRINCE2 Professional will not require you to take an exam ndash brilliant

With over 700000 PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner examinations having been taken now is a great time to gain an edge by adding another string to your bow In a very competitive job market for new project positions the PRINCE2 Professional qualification could be the key to being selected for a new opportunity identifying your application as first amongst equals

How will I be assessed

In order to achieve the qualification you will need to pass an assessment that encompasses individual and group work (instead of the multiple choice exam) The assessment process for the PRINCE2 Professional qualification is a two and a half day event It is based on a case study about a project and held at a PRINCE2 Assessment Centre (somewhere like CUPE head office) Throughout the assessment process your ability to manage a PRINCE2 project throughout the lifecycle is tested

PRINCE2 Professional is not just another training course its a PPM Assessment Centre During the event you will be put into small teams given project case studies and asked to demonstrate application of the methodology Evaluators will observe candidates working on the case study and grade against 19 performance areas Get practising your business case product based planning and capturing lessons learned Interestingly your interpersonal skills will also be evaluated (BTW donrsquot worry too much here all CUPE candidates get help with soft-skills insights too)

The assessment moves beyond the PRINCE2 method and syllabus encompassing internationally recognised Project Management competencies So you will be asked to discuss and solve problems related to the project case study with two or three other candidates An Evaluator will collect evidence of relevant knowledge and skills by observing your performance in the group activities and exercises in one of the 19 performance areas shown below

bull Prepare the Project Product Description bull Prepare the outline Business case bull Design the project management team structure bull Tailor corporate strategies bull Perform product-based planning bull Apply the risk management procedure bull Apply the communication management procedure bull Plan the project or a stage bull Refine the business case bull Prepare the benefits review plan bull Prepare the end stage report bull Capture lessons learned bull Prepare a work package bull Apply the issue and change control procedure bull Plan and conduct the closing a project process bull Prepare end project report (Including Lessons Report)

bull Interpersonal Skills bull Manage team performance bull Manage own performance

Based on the evidence gathered during the assessment process the Evaluator will give you a rating for each of the Performance Criteria according to the following rating scale

Level 0 ndash Failed to present any relevant evidence

Level 1 ndash Basic evidence with one or two directly relevant examples

Level 2 ndash Good evidence with three or more directly relevant examples

Level 3 ndash Extensive evidence with six or more directly relevant examples

If you receive a rating of 1 or more for each of the performance criteria as well as an average rating of 16 or more across all of the performance criteria the evaluator can recommend that the accreditation body APMG awards you the PRINCE2 Professional qualification The Evaluators decision is made in conjunction with the moderator (who is appointed by APMG to manage the Assessment Centre) Together they judge whether or not you are capable of acting as the project manager on a non-complex PRINCE2 project

If you pass the assessment process you will be a PRINCE2 Professional Hooray This is the highest level of PRINCE2 qualification and therefore a valuable asset to your career in project management

What about organisations

Completion of this accredited assessment process is a developmental experience levelling-up individual PPM capability amongst other competent PRINCE2 professionals and demonstrating the organisations commitment to continuing professional education So the PRINCE2 Professional qualification will provide organisations with a vital benchmark demonstrating that their Project Managers have been critically assessed by independent experts as professionals in project practice

David Roberts is Managing Director of CUPE Projects an APMG Accredited Training amp Consulting Company David has provided professional training through in-company courses across the world and open courses in London and Bournemouth Hes a Registered Consultant with APMG completing consultancy and coaching assignments resulting in change using project environments from which the company has taken its name To learn more about CUPE Projects check out their profile in the Arras People Project Management Training Directory

Arras Peoples 10th Birthday Celebration

Arras People is celebrating its 10th Birthday all throughout the 2012 calendar year This year we intend to set aside some time throughout for the purposes of thanking everyone - client and candidate alike - for being so instrumental in our growth into the leading project management recruitment firm in the UK

Arras People proudly presents Ten in Ten A Celebration of Project Management a monthly series of prize draws with project management presents on offer from any of our bevy of acclaimed sponsors

THIS MONTH Gower Publishing is proud to present the lucky draw winner with a bundle of 10 Gower PM books valued at over pound600 including titles like Leading Successful PMOs by Peter Taylor Project Success by Emanuel Camillieri and Tools for Complex Projects by Kaye Remington and Julien Pollack Additionally if you are one of 10 runners up in the draw Gower will

offer you your choice of a single PM book from the Gower PM Catalogue or the website (up to a maximum book value of pound100)

bull Fill out the two-minute March survey to be in for the grand prize bull Learn more about Ten in Ten bull Ten in Ten Monthly Prize Draw Events bull Follow Ten in Ten on Twitter bull Follow Ten in Ten on LinkedIn bull Follow Ten in Ten on Facebook

Now Available at The Camel

David Roberts of CUPE Projects has made extensive use out of the Arras People Media platform provided to him as a member of the Arras People Project Management Training Directory Whether topics are about managing your project team establishing occupational standards in project management or the rise of Management of Value as a new asset to a project managers certification workbelt David and CUPE Projects are leading the way and showing how truly valuable a place in the Training Directory can prove to be If you want to share your expertise first-hand like David has through the Arras People Media Platform and the Training Directory be sure to get in touch with us

bull TODAY AT THE CAMEL David Roberts asks What Makes a Good Project Manager

What is the Role of Project Managers in Portfolio Management

Words Paul Naybour Parallel Project Training

Everyone in the world of project management seems to be getting excited about portfolio and programme management The Association for Project Management (APM) is putting the APM Body of knowledge through major hearts surgery to align it with a portfolio programme and project view of the world

Government departments have identified that the failure of projects is often down to the constraints imposed by the portfolio of projects planned for the year It seems that everyone has moved on from trying to deliver successful project to play with strategic issues like project prioritisation corporate alignment and strategic implementation These are very important topics but are they areas in which project managers can make a significant contribution or are we drifting into areas associated with strategic and business planning areas which have their own well developed and substantial body of knowledge The danger is that this effort on portfolio and programme management will divert us from Mike Nichols vision of a world where all projects succeed

Link between strategy and portfolio management

No one doubts that the strategic choices organisations take has major impacts on project and programme implementation For example the strategic defence review at the MoD will have a significant impact priority and resources dedicated to specific programmes or a decision to invest in high speed rail changes

to strategy of Network Rail Hence strategy and portfolio management are very close bedfellows We can see portfolio as a powerful and structured framework to implement corporate strategy The issue at point is the degree to which project and programme managers should be involved in exploring the strategic options for an organisation and influencing the strategic choices

What is Strategic Planning

While a wide range of models for strategic and business planning - as taught in many business schools as part of MBA and business studies programmes - are well developed they are often highly intuitive and set against a background of high ambiguity and uncertainty In summary the aim is to match the internal capability of the organisation with an understanding of the changing external environment and plan one which is flexible enough to respond to emergent change As a result they rely heavily on the experience expert judgement and vision of the organisations leaders Think about the following examples

1 An electricity generator deciding which type of power station to build nuclear coal gas or wind 2 A technology company deciding if they should enter the tablet market 3 A transport provider deciding which mode of transport to invest in metro heavy rail or bus 4 A water utility deciding which infrastructure investment should get priority

The factors organisations consider when taking these decisions are focused on understanding the market demand understanding the actions of competitors (if any) understanding the organisations current capabilities and an analysis of the general business outlook Project feasibility is only one minor element of an organisations capability The tools and techniques to use to support these strategic decisions are well understood and documented But what is the role of project and programme managers in this strategic planning process

The role of project managers in strategy development and strategic choice

In this article we argue that strategic planning is primarily the responsibility of the leaders of an organisation (normally its board of Directors) and with input from the heads of function Finance HR Marketing Operations etc Project and Programme management has a role to play in these decisions by providing advice of the practical feasibility of the planned changes However this role certainly is no more significant than the evaluation of the market demand or the assessment of the ability of the organisation to raise the finance required to implement the planned changes The strategic decisions and implementation must the owned by the organisations leaders

So what might be the role for portfolio management or a portfolio manager

1 Developing the strategic objectives for the portfolio 2 Evaluating projects and programmes against the strategic objectives to ensure they support the

organisations goals 3 Evaluating the priority of project and programmes within the portfolio to ensure that those that meet the

organisations objects receive sufficient resources 4 Balancing the capacity of the organisation of the organisation to deliver projects and programmes with the

resources available

The problem is that these sound very like the roles of the CEO and a Board of Directors

Will we see project managers joining the board rooms of major organisations

The natural conclusion of this argument is that project and programme managers should have a much stronger voice in the board rooms of major organisations It has long been a cry that engineers are underrepresented in the board room maybe it is time for project and programme managers to get more involved in the strategic planning process For this we do not need to re-write the project management body of knowledge we just need to learn the language of corporate strategy in its many forms To my mind the project management body of knowledge (and APM) should continue to focus on Mikes vision of vision of a world in a world where all projects succeed and leave portfolio management to the world of strategic analysis choice and implementation

Paul Naybour serves as Business Development Director for Parallel Project Training which serves online in print on iTunes and face-to-face APM Project Management Training Paul contributes regularly to our blog How to Manage a Camel Learn more about Paul and Parallel Project Training on the Arras People Project Management Training Directory

Organisations are Hierarchical Decision Makers

Words Simon Harris Logical Model

I would like to drive a global improvement in the state of the art of project management It falls too far short too often to be acceptable as is

Step Change

To create the step-change in capability we need to recognise what the next generation of project management thinking will be inspired by It is Whole of change thinking Thinking that links board-room to engine-room through protocols for escalation and delegation of decisions required across a time span that is from capital injection to capital reclamation

Story

This is a story that should be told by everyone spreading meaningful project management insight Shared with their clients any client every client It is how I position and deliver PM training All that is needed is that story tellers change emphasis or sequence add or delete chapters in any telling to focus on the listeners hot-topics It is about an holistic approach to enhancing all stakeholders interests

Decision Hierarchy

The making of decisions is the duty of all at every level of every organisation The authority to make decisions starts with the Executives

I begin by noting the head-count and so available hours in the working day of any organisation can be viewed as a pyramid There are less people and hours at the top than the bottom At the top decision are bigger their impact flows all the way to the far corners at the bottom Equally there are less hours in which to make these key decisions

Decision Delegation

Because there is a limit to the hours available for decision making the making of decisions is a obligation that must where possible be passed down to others Delegation frees time to making good choices for decisions that cannot be delegated delegation of (comparatively minor) decisions is an inescapable need of each organisational layer

The natural conclusion of this argument is that project and programme managers should have a much stronger voice in the board rooms of major organisations It has long been a cry that engineers are underrepresented in the board room maybe it is time for project and programme managers to get more involved in the strategic planning process For this we do not need to re-write the project management body of knowledge we just need to learn the language of corporate strategy in its many forms To my mind the project management body of knowledge (and APM) should continue to focus on Mikes vision of vision of a world in a world where all projects succeed and leave portfolio management to the world of strategic analysis choice and implementation

Paul Naybour serves as Business Development Director for Parallel Project Training which serves online in print on iTunes and face-to-face APM Project Management Training Paul contributes regularly to our blog How to Manage a Camel Learn more about Paul and Parallel Project Training on the Arras People Project Management Training Directory

Organisations are Hierarchical Decision Makers

Words Simon Harris Logical Model

I would like to drive a global improvement in the state of the art of project management It falls too far short too often to be acceptable as is

Step Change

To create the step-change in capability we need to recognise what the next generation of project management thinking will be inspired by It is Whole of change thinking Thinking that links board-room to engine-room through protocols for escalation and delegation of decisions required across a time span that is from capital injection to capital reclamation

Story

This is a story that should be told by everyone spreading meaningful project management insight Shared with their clients any client every client It is how I position and deliver PM training All that is needed is that story tellers change emphasis or sequence add or delete chapters in any telling to focus on the listeners hot-topics It is about an holistic approach to enhancing all stakeholders interests

Decision Hierarchy

The making of decisions is the duty of all at every level of every organisation The authority to make decisions starts with the Executives

I begin by noting the head-count and so available hours in the working day of any organisation can be viewed as a pyramid There are less people and hours at the top than the bottom At the top decision are bigger their impact flows all the way to the far corners at the bottom Equally there are less hours in which to make these key decisions

Decision Delegation

Because there is a limit to the hours available for decision making the making of decisions is a obligation that must where possible be passed down to others Delegation frees time to making good choices for decisions that cannot be delegated delegation of (comparatively minor) decisions is an inescapable need of each organisational layer

Also inescapable is that delegators set limits on their subordinates discretion This translates to delegators create an obligation on themselves to be available as a result of retaining a decision making right Also inescapable is that delegators remain accountable for the outcome their delegations are targeted at Consequently each interface between delegator and delegate must understand the protocol to handle escalation of decisions outside a delegates authority or expertise

Matching decisions to ability AND authority is central to the good function of every enterprise and useless without shared understanding of how the cycle of delegate escalate works

The Many Fund The Few

Now we must also realise that the top the Execs are only held in place by the functioning of the layers below Indeed it might be better to turn the triangle so we see the few support the many The many generate the revenue that flows down to fund the existence of the few The few determine the direction in which the many will travel and the many make it happen

If all is well the many generate the funds to perpetuate the whole enterprise This is a symbiotic existence It flounders or flourishes by the health of relationships across two interfaces between three layers

Executive Decisions Are Simple (initially)

One layer is the grand simplicity of life in the world of the executives Execs make decisions that protect shareholders revenues today and devise strategies for revenue tomorrow It is only later that the devil in the detail is exposed long after decisions have been delegated These devilish details are often concurrent contradictory constraints that need escalation back to the original decision maker (or beyond) to be resolved

It gets worse Exec power thinkers wear two hats One hat (share holder protection of todays revenue) to impress on the Middle layer the need for efficiency and continuity maximum bang for the buck from a robust day-to-day operation But the Execs then swap hats to entreat the Middle layer to commission and absorb changes to capability that will generate tomorrows dividends

The middle layer is constantly barraged with contradictory messages from above Facility to manage escalations is a key to successful projects

From The Middle Down

The Middle manages day-to-day activity from an army of capable people and plant interacting through intricate processes When those processes are well practiced well known shared and synchronised then supervision is easy Efficiencies can be added by small increments in capability over resource usage The Middle must also tackle the move to tomorrows revenue capability

Tomorrow is full of unprecedented interactions emotions trials and errors recoveries and reworking This Middles reality must include ability to be effective and flexible able to cope with false starts opportunistic agile adaptive and resilient it is rarely efficient It is a mindset alien to repetition and optimisation

The Middle relies on the skills and will of the subject matter expert availability of plant machinery and raw materials whether passing on instructions aimed at maintaining day-to-day revenue or instructions aimed at securing tomorrow

A Traditional Training Perspective That Doesnt Help Project Capability

Extending the capabilities of those in the Middle and the SMEs they depend upon may therefore have one of two goals training can inject capability to do-the-day-job faster or better or cheaper and training can inject capability to think through unprecedented problems devise responses to capitalise in novel ways to opportunities or avoid threats Either way the SMEs have defined authorities and skill-sets within which to make decisions All else must be escalated to the Middle Like wise the Middle have defined authority and expertise within which to make decisions and all else must be escalated to the Exec where expertise and access to capital but not authority are limited

Training that supports the unprecedented must be delivered to both sides of the delegate escalate relationship and there are two of these interfaces in most organisations

Its not Just Hierarchy It Is Also Time

But all this is only one perspective a hierarchical one There is another which is as important Time

Time manifests as a relentless march of change Always change is present as an imperceptible factor in operational business as usual Apparent stability allows enterprises to flourish optimisations abound and return on capital improves perhaps dramatically Sometimes change is perceptible but still gradual perhaps caused by internal discretionary desires But it is inevitably that at some point change will be inescapably mandatory change An unannounced explosion to which response is a survival issue

Succeeding

Any training program to injection faster-better-cheaper capability into subject matter experts so they can optimises day-to-day processes can work even if it focus on just a part of the organisation However a training program with objectives to aid the organisation to handle change cannot succeed by focus on just a part of the organisation

To succeed at change (projects) requires we give all parties to cross-functional and hierarchical unprecedented decisions a common framework of interfaces and protocols by which to engage in sound decision making It is a complex problem

To succeed at change also requires we give each party insight into their unique contribution to the whole It requires we enable both sides of the Exec to Middle dialogue to delegate and escalate effectively It requires we enable both sides of the Middle to SME dialogue to delegate and escalate effectively It requires we addresses the whole organisation with an integrated by different set of tools and duties that deal with the vertical flow of delegation and escalation and the horizontal communications between subject matter experts

Complex but Incomplete

While the above is more complex than we would like it is still incomplete as the subject matter experts at every level are living within a life-cycle of market-place evolution and product life-cycle

A holistic view of training must wrap around the technical skills of software design or testing or configuration management in order to cover the life-cycle of an investment from idea through selection or rejection through product development (project) through implementation and through revenue harvesting and possibly product (capability) retirement and capital reclamation

Linking Board-room to engine-room

Such training needs to link boardroom to boiler room When done right it enables the whole organisation to balance the competing pressures that the Execs twin hats cause A broader view than traditional project management that may be better called Benefits Realisation or simply Governance

Simon Harris PMP CGEIT IPMA-D MoR PRINCE2reg is Principal of Logical Model Ltd Simon speaks consults mentors amp trains on Project Management LML no longer trains just to the exams - their training uses a two-part approach 1) how to do the job for real and optionally 2) exam preparation Email arrasLogicalModelNet or call 0845 257 5707 For more about how

Logical Model can help you with your training needs visit their profile in the Arras People Project Management Training Directory

PRINCE2reg is a trademark of the Office of Government Commerce in the UK and other countries

Agile vs Waterfall ndash Can They Work Together

Words Dot Tudor TCC Training and Consultancy

The Conflict Between Agile and Waterfall

A civil war rages within many traditional organisations between the traditional approach to project management aligned to the separate stages of the waterfall process and the iterative incremental Agile approach A Waterfall approach as it is usually understood is perceived to be a serial process It relies on a detailed up-front specification of requirements plans which fix time cost and functionality and a serial development of the product through the phases of analysis design build test and implement Agile has to achieve all of these phases but involves delivery in small chunks of useable useful functionality to the business It looks for flexibility in the features delivered and allows detail to emerge just as needed rather than all at the outset Agile embraces change during the project and acknowledges that requirements often change as the project progresses

In July 2011 Forrester researchers identified that organisations are typically adopting Agile through a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches[i]

The Waterfall approach is still being used to establish project governance whilst Agile approaches such as Scrum and XP have been typically adopted within solution development teams These Agile teams frequently have no control over the environment above and beyond themselves Thus detailed requirements are presented to the Agile team early in the project and plans are made to deliver all of these within a fixed time and budget This waterfall-style approach is perceived to be necessary by management since the requirements are either the basis of a contract between the business and the in-house solution developers or between the customer organisation and a third-party supplier

With the increasing use of off-the-shelf software from third-parties this definition becomes even more rigid Yet we know from bitter experience that this contract is flawed and the insistence on fixing time cost and features jeopardises the quality

Advantages of Waterfall Project Management

There are good reasons why Waterfall still has its stronghold in the management tiers of larger organisations Management are accountable for return on investment of the budgets allocated to development projects and programmes they value the reassurance of the quality gates built into a serially-phased Waterfall process to monitor progress they also need assurance of delivery on time and within budget and although the Waterfall process does not have a good history in this area it is perhaps a case of better the devil you know Organisations are often accredited or regulated and need to be auditable Agile is perceived to be difficult to audit Audit processes have often been embedded in a serial Waterfall process Organisations also strategically value process improvement and the software capability maturity model (CMMI) states that processes must be defined and repeatable before we can even begin to improve them Not all flavours of Agile[ii] have sufficient structure to be considered repeatable

Extending the capabilities of those in the Middle and the SMEs they depend upon may therefore have one of two goals training can inject capability to do-the-day-job faster or better or cheaper and training can inject capability to think through unprecedented problems devise responses to capitalise in novel ways to opportunities or avoid threats Either way the SMEs have defined authorities and skill-sets within which to make decisions All else must be escalated to the Middle Like wise the Middle have defined authority and expertise within which to make decisions and all else must be escalated to the Exec where expertise and access to capital but not authority are limited

Training that supports the unprecedented must be delivered to both sides of the delegate escalate relationship and there are two of these interfaces in most organisations

Its not Just Hierarchy It Is Also Time

But all this is only one perspective a hierarchical one There is another which is as important Time

Time manifests as a relentless march of change Always change is present as an imperceptible factor in operational business as usual Apparent stability allows enterprises to flourish optimisations abound and return on capital improves perhaps dramatically Sometimes change is perceptible but still gradual perhaps caused by internal discretionary desires But it is inevitably that at some point change will be inescapably mandatory change An unannounced explosion to which response is a survival issue

Succeeding

Any training program to injection faster-better-cheaper capability into subject matter experts so they can optimises day-to-day processes can work even if it focus on just a part of the organisation However a training program with objectives to aid the organisation to handle change cannot succeed by focus on just a part of the organisation

To succeed at change (projects) requires we give all parties to cross-functional and hierarchical unprecedented decisions a common framework of interfaces and protocols by which to engage in sound decision making It is a complex problem

To succeed at change also requires we give each party insight into their unique contribution to the whole It requires we enable both sides of the Exec to Middle dialogue to delegate and escalate effectively It requires we enable both sides of the Middle to SME dialogue to delegate and escalate effectively It requires we addresses the whole organisation with an integrated by different set of tools and duties that deal with the vertical flow of delegation and escalation and the horizontal communications between subject matter experts

Complex but Incomplete

While the above is more complex than we would like it is still incomplete as the subject matter experts at every level are living within a life-cycle of market-place evolution and product life-cycle

A holistic view of training must wrap around the technical skills of software design or testing or configuration management in order to cover the life-cycle of an investment from idea through selection or rejection through product development (project) through implementation and through revenue harvesting and possibly product (capability) retirement and capital reclamation

Linking Board-room to engine-room

Such training needs to link boardroom to boiler room When done right it enables the whole organisation to balance the competing pressures that the Execs twin hats cause A broader view than traditional project management that may be better called Benefits Realisation or simply Governance

Simon Harris PMP CGEIT IPMA-D MoR PRINCE2reg is Principal of Logical Model Ltd Simon speaks consults mentors amp trains on Project Management LML no longer trains just to the exams - their training uses a two-part approach 1) how to do the job for real and optionally 2) exam preparation Email arrasLogicalModelNet or call 0845 257 5707 For more about how

Logical Model can help you with your training needs visit their profile in the Arras People Project Management Training Directory

PRINCE2reg is a trademark of the Office of Government Commerce in the UK and other countries

Agile vs Waterfall ndash Can They Work Together

Words Dot Tudor TCC Training and Consultancy

The Conflict Between Agile and Waterfall

A civil war rages within many traditional organisations between the traditional approach to project management aligned to the separate stages of the waterfall process and the iterative incremental Agile approach A Waterfall approach as it is usually understood is perceived to be a serial process It relies on a detailed up-front specification of requirements plans which fix time cost and functionality and a serial development of the product through the phases of analysis design build test and implement Agile has to achieve all of these phases but involves delivery in small chunks of useable useful functionality to the business It looks for flexibility in the features delivered and allows detail to emerge just as needed rather than all at the outset Agile embraces change during the project and acknowledges that requirements often change as the project progresses

In July 2011 Forrester researchers identified that organisations are typically adopting Agile through a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches[i]

The Waterfall approach is still being used to establish project governance whilst Agile approaches such as Scrum and XP have been typically adopted within solution development teams These Agile teams frequently have no control over the environment above and beyond themselves Thus detailed requirements are presented to the Agile team early in the project and plans are made to deliver all of these within a fixed time and budget This waterfall-style approach is perceived to be necessary by management since the requirements are either the basis of a contract between the business and the in-house solution developers or between the customer organisation and a third-party supplier

With the increasing use of off-the-shelf software from third-parties this definition becomes even more rigid Yet we know from bitter experience that this contract is flawed and the insistence on fixing time cost and features jeopardises the quality

Advantages of Waterfall Project Management

There are good reasons why Waterfall still has its stronghold in the management tiers of larger organisations Management are accountable for return on investment of the budgets allocated to development projects and programmes they value the reassurance of the quality gates built into a serially-phased Waterfall process to monitor progress they also need assurance of delivery on time and within budget and although the Waterfall process does not have a good history in this area it is perhaps a case of better the devil you know Organisations are often accredited or regulated and need to be auditable Agile is perceived to be difficult to audit Audit processes have often been embedded in a serial Waterfall process Organisations also strategically value process improvement and the software capability maturity model (CMMI) states that processes must be defined and repeatable before we can even begin to improve them Not all flavours of Agile[ii] have sufficient structure to be considered repeatable

Simon Harris PMP CGEIT IPMA-D MoR PRINCE2reg is Principal of Logical Model Ltd Simon speaks consults mentors amp trains on Project Management LML no longer trains just to the exams - their training uses a two-part approach 1) how to do the job for real and optionally 2) exam preparation Email arrasLogicalModelNet or call 0845 257 5707 For more about how

Logical Model can help you with your training needs visit their profile in the Arras People Project Management Training Directory

PRINCE2reg is a trademark of the Office of Government Commerce in the UK and other countries

Agile vs Waterfall ndash Can They Work Together

Words Dot Tudor TCC Training and Consultancy

The Conflict Between Agile and Waterfall

A civil war rages within many traditional organisations between the traditional approach to project management aligned to the separate stages of the waterfall process and the iterative incremental Agile approach A Waterfall approach as it is usually understood is perceived to be a serial process It relies on a detailed up-front specification of requirements plans which fix time cost and functionality and a serial development of the product through the phases of analysis design build test and implement Agile has to achieve all of these phases but involves delivery in small chunks of useable useful functionality to the business It looks for flexibility in the features delivered and allows detail to emerge just as needed rather than all at the outset Agile embraces change during the project and acknowledges that requirements often change as the project progresses

In July 2011 Forrester researchers identified that organisations are typically adopting Agile through a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches[i]

The Waterfall approach is still being used to establish project governance whilst Agile approaches such as Scrum and XP have been typically adopted within solution development teams These Agile teams frequently have no control over the environment above and beyond themselves Thus detailed requirements are presented to the Agile team early in the project and plans are made to deliver all of these within a fixed time and budget This waterfall-style approach is perceived to be necessary by management since the requirements are either the basis of a contract between the business and the in-house solution developers or between the customer organisation and a third-party supplier

With the increasing use of off-the-shelf software from third-parties this definition becomes even more rigid Yet we know from bitter experience that this contract is flawed and the insistence on fixing time cost and features jeopardises the quality

Advantages of Waterfall Project Management

There are good reasons why Waterfall still has its stronghold in the management tiers of larger organisations Management are accountable for return on investment of the budgets allocated to development projects and programmes they value the reassurance of the quality gates built into a serially-phased Waterfall process to monitor progress they also need assurance of delivery on time and within budget and although the Waterfall process does not have a good history in this area it is perhaps a case of better the devil you know Organisations are often accredited or regulated and need to be auditable Agile is perceived to be difficult to audit Audit processes have often been embedded in a serial Waterfall process Organisations also strategically value process improvement and the software capability maturity model (CMMI) states that processes must be defined and repeatable before we can even begin to improve them Not all flavours of Agile[ii] have sufficient structure to be considered repeatable

whereas structured standards based on a serial Waterfall process give the required definition and repeatability

Advantages of Agile Project Management

So if Waterfall is so good for management then why would we want Agile Well Waterfall is used in ways that mean it simply cannot deliver what is needed

bull Its long timeframes and detailed upfront requirements these rely on nothing short of clairvoyance not one of the human racersquos best superpowers We only have a limited horizon on the future and beyond a certain point (perhaps three to six months ahead at best) we should not be making firm detailed plans nor specifying detailed requirements because we just cannot know what the future holds Much of that detailed work will end up as waste

bull Its resourcing we silo the skills required for change and ensure that business and development cannot interact sufficiently frequently nor consistently We form a production line with hand-offs which may work when manufacturing precisely-defined components but is not effective in the discovery-based empirical world of developing business solutions

bull Its culture we stifle learning by laying down an immutable set of standards This has the effect in humans of activating that internal robot we all know we have the one that says I know it doesnrsquot make sense but thatrsquos what I am supposed to do

bull Its attitude to change we know that if change happens which affects our development we should react and yet the Waterfall culture treats change as a problem to be locked out

Mature Agile methods allow us to react to change quickly because we do things in small complete chunks and because we involve the right skills throughout providing an environment in which to share knowledge These multi-skilled teams can see from different skill perspectives where the opportunities and risks are Agile progress is uniquely visible the delivery of working features early and regularly means that there is something finished to see assess and use for business benefit and something to learn from to improve the process as the development progresses

Combining Agile and Waterfall

Agile teams are not always good at providing the structured information that management has come to rely on Thus when these two cultures meet in the middle of the organisation the result is a clash which like any collision results in a wasteful release of energy and distressing levels of damage

So which approach is right Experts seem to be advocating an Agile approach to business change Should we now abandon the old Waterfall ways and welcome in the new pretender In truth we do not have that choice in a large organisation - no transition happens overnight We can however aim to encourage a combination of the best features of both If you have been working with PRINCE2and SCRUM take a look at Agile Project Management(Agile PM) which is accredited by APMG and is based on the agile approach DSDM Atern This has a framework and principles which bridge the Waterfall and Agile worlds It promotes the Agile team culture and directly addresses the team skills issue bringing business representatives and business analysts into the solution development team as full responsible members of the team It advocates planning to develop small complete chunks of functionality within strict timeboxes and thus deliver business value early and often It brings Agile further up the chain of management and governance allowing flexibility and adaptability with the necessary level of rigour and quality

Adopting Agile What Next

If the top-downbottom-up culture gap has resonance for you it is worth assessing honestly where your organisation stands at the moment with respect to Agile transition and the AgileWaterfall governance clash What pain is it causing What damage is resulting Are your Agile teams being drowned by Waterfall governance Are your managers being starved of management information by excessive Agile leanness in this area Do both sides of

this cultural divide understand and believe that harmonising the two approaches can bring greater benefits than either one alone Let us try a few new things

bull Identify old habits and dependencies and challenge their validity in an Agile world bull Donrsquot throw away your proven ways of working but do challenge every standard against the question ldquoIs

this adding more value than costrdquo You may be surprised by the answers bull Try the new approach from both top-down and bottom-up on the next Agile project Involve auditors quality

experts budget holders business managers and business planners and encourage them to find new better ways of working

bull Include business analysts and real end-users of the product fully and collaboratively in the development or customisation of the product

bull Provide the right support and coaching and give the new approach time space and permission to breathe

Appropriate knowledge and education are paramount for the participants in the above initiative A wise investment would be to consider Agile Project Management training for your project managers and Agile Business Analysis training This would give a common Agile framework with the added governance layer already defined to fit with corporate governance Executives will also benefit from Agile Awareness briefings not to discuss the detail of development practices but to see what management information can readily be available to them to allow the necessary level of confidence in and control of the Agile development process The developers may already have the Agile picture but some information-sharing from management to discuss what information is needed at the top (and why) would help - and managers should be prepared to question their own information and control requirements What was once necessary for control may no longer be necessary in the Agile project Your best guide to real progress is what has actually been delivered incrementally frequently and with business involved and inputting directly to the quality

So can you have both Yes you can often you simply must - no large organisation could afford the risk of transitioning from one to another overnight However these are powerful and conflicting cultures Agile holds the promise of flexibility adaptability and earlier delivery of business benefit Waterfall is perceived by management to be more auditable and controllable although benefits may arrive late and change is difficult to accommodate The guidance above will help you to avoid the pitfalls and operate in an environment where they need to co-exist

[i] - Water-Scrum-Fall Is The Reality Of Agile For Most Organizations Today Manage The Water-Scrum And Scrum-Fall Boundaries To Increase Agility by Dave

West with Mike Gilpin Tom Grant PhD Alissa Anderson [ii] - See DSDM which has been audited and meets CMMI level 2

Dot Tudor is a founder and Director of TCC Ltd a leading provider of professional development training and business change consultancy worldwide Dot has been involved with business change projects for more than thirty years and is a recognised figure within the Agile community as a Director of the DSDM Consortium and consultant with APMG in the

establishment of their Agile Project Management certifications Her current passion is the merging of industry best practice approaches with Agile such as PRINCE2 and ITIL Dot was recently awarded Best Agile Coach Mentor at the UK Agile Awards 2011 for driving Agile in a sensible end focused manner to various styles of project and organisations over the years To learn more about TCC Training check out their profile on the Arras People Project Management Training Directory

Waterfall image courtesy enor Flickr and re-used with permission

Skills amp Competencies and the Future of Project Management

Words Stefan Urbanski Capita Ltd

Have you considered the difference between someone who manages a small in-house project and someone who manages a large infrastructure project

After all they are both project managers and they both manage time quality and money In theory they both meet all of the project management definitions

However their competencies surely differ

If we look carefully at a project manager we are really identifying someone who has a broad range of skills These skills are dynamic as they shift and grow depending on the climate of the day For instance in Financial project management risk assessment has a much higher priority today than it did say three years ago

As a subset of risk management governance and corruption prevention is taking a higher standing with the introduction of the Bribery Act and UNCAC

In short project managers are facing a daunting number of skills to develop in todayrsquos day and age

The skills sets in Project Management broadly fit into three main areas

bull General management bull Project Specific Skills bull IT Skills This has taken on huge significance over the last couple of years with a vast range of software in a

variety of areas

Each of these will of course have a complete subset and if we look at Procurement alone this would include

bull Legal framework bull The procurement cycle bull Specification bull Planning bull Sourcing bull Bid preparation analysis evaluation bull Award of contract bull Contract Management bull Audit bull Negotiation bull Etc

We can infer from the diagrams that a project manager cannot simply possess all of the required

skills and that the difference between someone who manages a small in-house project and someone who manages a large infrastructure project is not simply a matter of scale

Not many of us would be too comfortable in buckling a safety belt on a long-haul flight when knowing that the pilots previous experience of flying was that of controlling a model aircraft

A project manager similarly requires careful professional development and to be able to measure individual performance against a series of parameters or a competency framework is paramount Most of these subjects do not exist in schools or colleges but are demanded by most employers These will be identified on appraisal forms or during a training needs analysis and then a panacea training course will be provided The diagrams also indicate that a project manager needs to possess a wide range of skills and competencies and these cannot be developed in a short space of time but can be planned over a period for the right individual

Many organisations who have developed competency frameworks include key soft management skills in their core competencies but then include an all-encompassing ldquoproject managementrdquo competency

As most managers have to manage projects is it time for organisations to reconsider their fast-track schemes management development schemes and leadership development programmes and replace them with project management development schemes This would provide managers with more than just the soft skills required for leadership and management but also a complete range of functional skills at the required level required for tackling appropriate projects

Stefan Urbanski of Capita Ltd has enjoyed a varied career in training visiting sugar plantations gold mines high security mints hydro electric dams oil and gas facilities and wildlife reservations but more recently being involved in procurement reform and training in anti-corruption projects in Sierra Leone and Kosovo and enjoy meeting people and helping them to maximise their potential To learn more about what Stefan and Capita can do for your consulting and training needs across project management and other fields of emphasis check out Capitas profile on the Arras People Project Management Training Directory

Which Project Management Qualification Do I Need

Words Susan Ferguson AFA PM Training amp Consultancy

Quite often we are contacted by people asking which project management qualification they should take For the last 10 years many job adverts have specified PRINCE2 as the required qualification That makes the decision easy but there are alternatives each with advantages amp disadvantages

bull APM Introductory Certificate This introductory qualification is ideal for people at the early stages of a career in project management All the fundamentals are covered during a 2-day training course to ensure

that delegates understand the language amp structure of a typical project environment bull APMP Qualification APMP provides a sound amp comprehensive underpinning to a career in project

management Candidates are expected to have understood the 37 knowledge areas covered by the APM Body of Knowledge (APMBoK) These include planning amp strategy execution techniques commercial considerations organisation and governance amp people and professional issues

bull PRINCE2 Neither of the APM qualifications is a methodology that can tell you what to do and when which is what PRINCE2 does PRINCE2 provides comprehensive step-by-step guidance (with loops back round where necessary) through every stage of a project from start to finish However it is fair to say that a number of considerations (for instance procurement alternatives amp people management) do not form any part of the PRINCE2 guidance

bull APMP for PRINCE2 Practitioners This qualification marries practical guidance encapsulated in PRINCE2 with the fundamental information covered by the APMP qualification It fills in the gaps left by PRINCE2 training whilst giving credit for the prior learning undertaken by PRINCE2 Practitioners The focus of APMP4P2P training is budgeting cost amp earned value management leadership communication negotiation amp conflict management and procurement

bull Agile Project Management Agile PM is a highly flexible and interactive methodology It includes standards rigour and visibility you would expect from an established project management methodology while at the same time enabling the fast pace change and empowerment provided by Agile It is particularly favoured in certain industry creative sectors such as software design and attempts to marry the control offered by conventional project management with the free flow of design activities

But of course project management only tells you how to do the project right It cant help with either choosing the right project or maintaining the balance between business-as-usual and change initiatives For that you need programme management and portfolio managementhellip

Susan Ferguson of AFA PM Training amp Consultancy serves as the companys Commercial Director Her original career was as a structural design engineer culminating in work for Westminster Station and the Copenhagen Metro She joined AFA in 1999 and has since been responsible for a more than four-fold increase in turnover She has established strategic partnerships with

organisations within the UK and globally and expects to see further growth in AFA without quality being compromised To learn more about what AFA can do for your consulting and training needs across project management and other fields of emphasis check out their profile on the Arras People Project Management Training Directory

Links Related to This Months Articles

bull FEBRUARY 2011 Tipoffs Issue for PM Trainers bull PM Solutions - The State of the PMO 2010 (pdf) bull Trainingjournalcom - Almost Half of Managers Fear Further Training Budgets Cuts in 2011 bull ChangeQuest on YouTube - The Project Managers Story bull Viewable Graph - Local Practices Traditional Waterfall bull APM Certifications and Training bull APM Group Website bull PMI UK Professional Development

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