How PRINCE2 Agile integrates flexibility
In the evolving landscape of project management, PRINCE2 Agile has emerged as a leader. It skilfully merges structured planning with Agile’s responsiveness. PRINCE2’s six aspects of project performance – time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits – are kept intact but are applied with an Agile touch. This means that while PRINCE2 was designed for control and order, PRINCE2 Agile invites change and flexibility. This method appeals across various sectors due to its versatility, from IT to government projects.
Adaptability is at the core of PRINCE2 Agile. It excels at delivering products incrementally, offering valuable insights at each stage. Whether you’re working with the established 6th edition or the latest 7th edition of PRINCE2, the Agile version maintains the framework’s integrity while promoting agility in execution.
Managing project tolerances in PRINCE2 Agile
Setting and managing project tolerances is a cornerstone of PRINCE2 Agile. In establishing clear thresholds for the six performance dimensions – time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits – project teams have a transparent structure within which they can operate. These tolerances are not just guidelines but are strategic tools that empower project managers and their teams to make informed decisions.
The six performance targets is one of the topics on PRINCE2 Foundation training courses.
For project managers, these tolerances serve as a safeguard, defining the space within which they can navigate the project’s challenges. They also clarify the point at which a situation warrants senior management or project board attention, known as an ‘exception’. When such circumstances arise, it’s crucial for project managers to communicate promptly and effectively, seeking guidance and decisions from the project board.
Using tolerances to manage project deviations
The principle of ‘management by exception’ within PRINCE2 allows for project deviations to be managed proactively. This concept gives project managers the leeway to use the tolerances set in one area to manage variances in another, without overstepping the overall project boundaries.
For example, if unforeseen risks threaten to delay delivery, the project manager can reallocate resources within the preset cost tolerance to mitigate these risks.
This strategic utilisation of tolerances ensures that projects can stay on course, or return to it, with minimum disruption. It underlines the importance of agility within the confines of control, allowing for adjustments that respect the project’s defined parameters.
The non-negotiables of time and cost in PRINCE2 Agile
Within PRINCE2 Agile, time and cost are immutable constraints. They stand as the two fixed aspects of any project, ensuring a consistent approach to project deadlines and financial management. This commitment to time and budget requires teams to adopt a disciplined approach to work, with a focus on efficiency and productivity. It contrasts dramatically with traditional project management, where deadlines and costs could often be more fluid.
The nature of Agile projects, with work segmented into sprints or iterations, means that there is a tangible sense of urgency and focus at each stage. This ensures that teams are not just working hard but are working smart, prioritising tasks that deliver the most value within the constraints of the sprint.
Learning about fixing time and cost yet flexing scope and quality is a topic on PRINCE2 Agile Foundation training courses.
Prioritising work within fixed timelines
When a project encounters unexpected challenges, the solution in an Agile environment is not to extend the time but to re-evaluate the scope. This requires a pragmatic approach to prioritisation, often guided by the ‘MoSCoW’ method (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have). By applying this method, teams ensure that the most critical deliverables are addressed first within the time frame available. The result is that even when not all planned work is completed, the most important elements are, ensuring that the project still delivers value.
This pragmatic adjustment of scope allows for a dynamic response to change without compromising the non-negotiables of time and cost. It underscores the principle that while plans may change, deadlines and budgets do not.
Maintaining cost and team consistency
The principle of maintaining stability in team composition and project costs is embedded in PRINCE2 Agile’s ethos. The consistency of the team contributes to a collaborative and familiar environment where everyone understands their role and the group’s dynamics. This stability is a critical factor in maintaining a steady pace and ensuring that each sprint builds on the success of the previous ones.
Similarly, the containment of costs within defined limits ensures that the project does not succumb to financial bloat. Instead, it encourages resourcefulness and innovation, with teams finding creative ways to work within the financial framework established.
Visualising PRINCE2 Agile’s performance balance with the hexagon
The hexagon used in PRINCE2 Agile serves as a visual representation of the balance between the fixed and flexible elements of the framework. It provides a simple yet effective way to conceptualise how the various aspects of project performance interplay. Focusing on time and cost as the constants, the hexagon visually represents how scope and quality can be adjusted to meet project demands while keeping the core elements intact.
Five key targets guiding PRINCE2 Agile
PRINCE2 Agile is underpinned by five primary targets that guide its deployment in projects. The targets in PRINCE2 Agile are about meeting deadlines, safeguarding quality, embracing change, maintaining stability, and understanding that the customer’s early concepts may evolve. Each target is a commitment to not just the immediate project at hand but to the philosophy of delivering projects that are truly responsive to change and customer needs.
By adhering to these targets, PRINCE2 Agile practitioners can navigate the complexities of project management with a clear focus on delivering value. They form a blueprint for success, ensuring that projects are managed with an understanding of the bigger picture and the end goals.
Embracing fixing and flexing for Agile project success
The concept of ‘fixing and flexing’ is at the very heart of PRINCE2 Agile, reflecting a balance between the fixed elements – time and cost – and the flexible elements – scope and quality. This approach is about being proactive and responsive, ensuring that projects are not just delivered on time and within budget but also meet or exceed stakeholders’ expectations.
This strategy endorses a commitment to continuous improvement and customer engagement. It promotes an environment where feedback is not just welcomed but actively sought to refine and improve the project’s output. By embracing this iterative and incremental model, PRINCE2 Agile delivers projects that are both dynamic and reliable, reflective of real-world conditions and customer needs.