by: Klaus Nielsen, PMBOK® Guide-Seventh Edition Development Team member
Late 2017 PMI publish the sixth edition of the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) which is PMI’s flagship publication and is a fundamental resource for effective project management in any industry. This time the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition was supplemented by the Agile Practice Guide. The development of a new PMBOK® Guide is often associated with learning new processes, renaming knowledge areas and a bunch of new tools and techniques which also was the case with the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth edition which have been covered in earlier newsletters and so forth however this time changes were far more far reaching. I remember reviewing the new PMBOK® Guide – Sixth edition back in 2015 and was thinking, Yes Go PMI but without spoiling too much the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth edition did not go all the way but it’s a journey.
Project management has never been easy. The 2018 version of the Pulse of the Profession reports that “Organizations are wasting an average of $99 million for every $1 billion invested, due to poor project performance—that’s a decline from one year ago”. We are doing slightly better but still we have a long way to go. One of the positive factors are the growing importance of Agile in project management, with 71 percent of organizations now reporting they use agile approaches to their projects sometimes or more frequently than in the past.
Agile in project management – Let’s take one step back. Project Management Methodologies are based upon software development models ranging from plan-driven approaches like waterfall to agile (spiral model). In-between V, B, incremental and other development models exits as well, but let’s keep it simple for a start. The PMBOK® Guide – Fifth edition was based upon a plan-driven approach. Working agile with PMBOK® Guide – Fifth edition required finding one’s own path, using resources like “The software managers bridge to Agility by Michelle Sliger” or similar. The new PMBOK® Guide – Sixth edition takes steps towards working plan-based and agile in the same project. Combining several software developments models like Agile and plan-driven approaches is called hybrid. Some may also recognize this from PRINCE2 Agile or parts of it in local models such as Project Half Double.
On a complex project making hybrid models work is no easy task however in each chapter of the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth edition a chapter on agile adaptions has emerged. The content is largely derived from the PMI-ACP examination content outline with Scrum as core which also works well with Scrum as the most commonly used agile methods accordingly to Version One (2017) and similar surveys.
Usually, project managers apply a project management methodology to their work. A methodology is a system of practices, techniques, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline. This definition makes it clear that the “PMBOK® Guide” itself is not a methodology. Individual project management methodologies are often derived from references such as the “PMBOK® Guide” and the Standard for Project Management. Specific methodology recommendations are outside the scope of the “PMBOK® Guide.”
Sound project management methodologies consider the unique nature of projects and will be tailored to some extent for use by the project manager. However, even the tailoring that is included in the methodology may still require additional tailoring for a given project. A foundational principle is that there is no single project management methodology that can be applied to all projects all the time to produce a successful project every time. With the increased applications of Agile increases, the need for additional tailoring. The PMBOK® Guide – Fifth edition contain little if any guideline on actual tailoring while the new PMBOK® Guide – Sixth edition include far more guideline on this topic which underlines the importance of project managers are updated with the new edition of the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth edition.
The applications of Agile within a plan-based approach increase the need for tailoring. In addition, the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth edition includes trends and emerging practices in each knowledge area such as use of automated tools, exponential growth of information, project knowledge management, collaborating outside the project boundaries and collaborative methodologies within Project Integration Management. How you want to apply these trends and emerging practices is a matter of additional tailoring.
Some project managers may have experienced that the projects were not running all smoothly as team members are not using processes as they are too many or not the right one, creating own tools and techniques or cutting corners/using shortcuts. In other circumstances we see project managers using the same project management methodology for all projects within the company regardless of size, complexity, culture and so forth. These are just some examples of lack of tailoring. The common consequences are most likely increased use of resources, confusion at best and perhaps even worse. Former PMI research in the Pulse of the Profession indicated a factor 13 in time and cost between companies high performing and not. We don’t know all the reason’s but tailoring or lack of it may plays it part.
As VP of certifications in the Danish chapter last comments must be on certifications. These changes are vital for your company and projects, but they will not be implemented in the changed PMP exam in March 2018, so no need to scare anyone away from taking the new PMP exam. However, I hope to see more of them in the future as it highlights important qualifications of a modern project manager.
