The way I see it Agile Programme Management weaves together three threads: Transformation, Alignment and Adaptation. These threads are present in traditional approaches to programme management however an Agile approach subtlety changes each and increases the focus on Adaptation.
In this, the first post in a new series on Agile Programme Management, I’ll explain the three threads within Agile Programme Management.
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In response to my request for questions along the lines of what do I do when … ? Jo asked:
What do I do when the product backlog is not complete and we still want to deliver our product on the agreed date? It is hard for the Product Owner to prepare a complete feature backlog and for developers to estimate the required time in order to get a realistic burndown chart during the sprints. The product backlog is kind of dynamic.
In response I’m going to look at three states for the product backlog and strategies for managing backogs when in each of those states:
The first of these states is, well, normal. You never know everything about the scope. You just have to manage what you do know.
The other two states suggest something is going wrong in the product management space. And that is very much a product owner issue. The agile project manager / scrum master role is to help the product owner and/or organisation realise their problem.
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I’m a Scrumbut and I’m proud of it.
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I’ve managed to publish four pasts each month since June. (Pats self on back.) With that volume of material coming out I’ve decided to put a bit of structure around what gets published when.
So here is my current thinking on a monthly publication schedule …
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For the last couple of years I’ve been running a lean startup within the BBC. No really, I mean it. It is indeed possible to have a successful lean startup inside a large publicly funded corporate. It is all about your outlook.
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One of the interesting things about having an outsider look at my work is that I have an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of what I do and, specifically, what I do differently from others. Joanna Geraldi gave me such an opportunity when she came to interview me about my approach to project management for some research. After the interview Joanna characterised my approach as "’real’ principle-driven agile project management". That got me thinking because for a long time I was far more concerned about practices than principles. It seems that has changed.
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Daily meetings are an essential communication tool within Lean-Agile, specifically for Agile Planning and Agile Project Monitoring and Control. So if you notice that people don’t show up then you could have a problem.
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Personally I think good governance is essential for successful delivery, either within a programme or project, or part of on-going product development.
The recent publication of Governance for Agile delivery: Examples from the private sector July 2012 by the British National Audit Office suggests the UK government is also very interested in Agile and how it can be used to deliver value. But within the constraints of good governance.
However the term “governance” is rarely used along side “Agile”. As a agile programme manager I thought I’d try to answer the question “What is Agile Governance?”
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Simon Baker (@energizr) recently tweeted “If ur a scrummaster protecting the team is a bad move. Help the team fend for itself. Shielding ppl from the big bad world creates ignorance” (04 Sep 2012). Simon might be right about creating ignorance, but the Scrum Master as a shield might also be good for delivering the project.
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Jim Highsmith proposed two simple strategies for successful software development: Build Less, Start Sooner.
Jim’s observation is genius, but I would add “Innovate Constantly”.
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