Explore Project Management Methodologies

Learning Objectives

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Define project management methodology.
• Explain the difference between traditional and Agile.
• Choose a project management methodology suited for your project.

What Is a Project Management Methodology?

Did you ever look at a beautiful house or skyscraper and wonder: How did they build that? Did you ever attend a formal event that was so well orchestrated that you wished you knew how the host pulled it off? Have you ever used a cool app on your phone and thought about how it was developed and launched? 

Each of these accomplishments was brought to you by project management! Neither the event host nor the builders may have realized it at the time, but they were, nevertheless, practicing project management. More specifically, they were applying some approach—or method—to their project efforts.

Project management methods, or methodologies, are sets of principles and practices that guide the management of projects. Methodologies serve as frameworks that help project managers determine activities, establish actions, and make decisions. Walden University instructs that since no two projects are alike, it stands to reason that there is no one ultimate project management methodology. In fact, there are many!

Waterfall vs. Agile

Waterfall is more traditional, and focuses on well-defined requirements, extensive planning and documentation, and a single delivery or outcome following a linear sequence of defined steps. For example, building a skyscraper starts with a design, then blueprint, then you break ground, then you set the foundation, then you build the frame, and so on—each step needs to be accomplished before you move to the next.  

Agile is less traditional, and focuses on progressively elaborated requirements, iterative planning and execution, and incremental delivery of an outcome or result. Think about apps that have a limited set of features. But as time goes on, the company adds new features. Customers provide feedback. Bugs get fixed. The company adds more features. And the cycle goes on.

Here’s a handy table outlining the differences even more.

Let’s dive deeper into each.

Traditional Project Management: No Change, Please

The waterfall approach assumes that all of the requirements are known upfront and the outcome or expected result of the project can be fully defined before the work begins. All planning is done at the beginning and documented in a comprehensive project management plan. 

The project manager involves the sponsor and key stakeholders in planning the project and then engages them at key milestones for reviewing progress and performance. The project manager also sets up the schedule and cost estimates in the planning stage and closely manages them during execution. 

The project manager also identifies and analyzes project risks during planning. The risks are typically documented in a risk register that includes the probability of occurrence for each risk, the impact if the risk arises, and one or more possible responses for each risk. Changes are not anticipated; in fact, they are avoided.

To sum up the traditional waterfall approach, there’s a lot of planning up front to ensure minimal to no change during the execution phase.

Weigh the Pros and Cons of Traditional Project Management

Traditional approaches to project management offer the benefit of structure and predictability, thanks in part to the extensive planning and documentation required. This facilitates long-term and complex projects such as construction.

Here’s a review of the pros and cons.

Agile Project Management: Change? Please!

Agile is actually an umbrella term for methodologies that support a more flexible, customer-centric approach to project management. They share the characteristics of the values and principles of Agile, set out in the Agile Manifesto, which was devised by experienced software developers to address the issue of failed software development projects. 

Agile project management, also known as an adaptive approach, is iterative in nature. Project managers elaborate on requirements as the project moves forward. The outcome or expected result of the project is delivered out of short cycles, or iterations, of planning and executing. 

The project manager involves the sponsor and key stakeholders throughout the project and expects them to play an important role in iterating expectations with the project team to continuously define and refine requirements. As requirements evolve, the project manager also defines and refines time and cost estimates. 

The project manager conducts risk management during each cycle as new risks are identified and previously identified risks are addressed or dropped. Changes are expected and incorporated as new or modified requirements during the planning/executing cycles.

Get to Know Common Agile Methodologies

The three most commonly used Agile methodologies are Scrum, Lean, and Kanban.

Scrum 

• Framework for iterative delivery of project outcomes and results
• Often used for software development projects
• Working software is delivered in incremental releases
• Highly collaborative team and stakeholders
• Easy to follow, scalable method

Lean

• Applies Lean manufacturing principles of efficiency and value delivery
• Focuses on eliminating waste associated with unproductive tasks
• Efficient use of team resources
• Phased approach for speed of delivery
• Empowers team with decision-making authority

Kanban

• Continuous delivery of quality project outcomes
• Visual workflow approach via a Kanban board typically divided into three sections—To Do, Doing, and Done
• Feedback loop allows for collaborative improvements
• Optimizes work in process
• Highly collaborative and efficient project team

Weigh Pros and Cons of Agile Project Management

Agile approaches to project management offer the benefit of flexible, adaptable development processes and iterative planning. This facilitates projects in environments subject to frequent change, such as software development.

Make the Choice

Traditional project management is best for projects that:

• Are small and predictable.
• Have fixed scope, time, and cost requirements.
• Do not depend heavily on stakeholder feedback once the project begins.

Agile project management is best for projects that:

• Are larger and more complex.
• Require flexibility to change scope.
• Rely heavily on stakeholder feedback throughout the project.
• Need to make rapid development a priority.

Notice that the above lists say nothing about whether you're working on software, or a service, or a physical product. Despite Agile's reputation for being mainly for software projects, it's a viable option for non-software as well. In the next unit, Walden University lets us know why.