Adaptive Project Framework
Managing Complexity in the
Face of Uncertainty
Presented by
Robert K. Wysocki, Ph.D.
Enterprise Information Insights, Inc.
Meet Your Discussion Leader
Consultant, trainer, author, publisher
40+ years experience in IS/IT PM
Author of 16 books on PM and IS/IT
Author of the PMI recommended book Effective
Project Management: Traditional, Adaptive,
Extreme, 4th Edition, Wiley 2007
Developed more than 20 PM courses
Trained over 10,000 project managers
Robert K. Wysocki
Ph.D.
Agenda
Contemporary IS project landscape
APF fundamentals
A high-level look at the APF cycles
Adaptations of APF
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
To the traditional project manager
every IS project looked like a nail and
they had the hammer.
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
NEEDS
WANTS
What the client wants is probably not what the client
needs. The PM’s job is to make the client want what
they need.
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
Why do you think over 70%
of all IS projects fail?
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
Projects fail for lack of:
APF
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Executive management support
User involvement
Experienced project manager
Clear business objectives
Minimize scope
Standard infrastructure
Firm basic requirements
Formal methodology
Reliable estimates
Skilled staff
Source: Standish Group
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
One size does not fit all.
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
What basic approach makes sense for
this type of project?
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
Would you rather follow the recipe or
know how to develop the recipe?
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear
Not Clear
GOAL
Clear
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear
Not Clear
GOAL
Clear
TPM
TPM = Traditional Project Management
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear
xPM
Not Clear
GOAL
Clear
TPM
xPM = Extreme Project Management
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear
Not Clear
xPM
GOAL
Clear
TPM APM
APM = Agile Project Management
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
Emertxe Project Management
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear
Not Clear
MPx xPM
GOAL
Clear
TPM APM
MPx = Emertxe Project Management
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
Distribution of Projects across the Landscape
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear
Not Clear
…10%...
GOAL
Clear
20% 70%
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
SDLCs map directly into this Project Landscape
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear
Not Clear
MPx xPM
Extreme
GOAL
Clear
Extreme
TPM APM
Linear
Iterative
Incremental Adaptive
TPM
Linear
Standard Waterfall
Rapid Development Waterfall
Incremental
Staged Delivery Waterfall
APM
Iterative
Evolutionary Development Waterfall
Feature-Driven Development
Adaptive
APF
ASD
Scrum
RUP
DSDM
xPM & MPx
Extreme
INSPIRE
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
Other Factors Affecting Choice of PMLC
This is harder
than I ever
imagined.
Risk
Cost
Duration
Complexity
Market Stability
Business Value
Technology Used
Business Climate
Customer involvement
Goal & Solution Clarity
# Departments Affected
Organizational Environment
Team Skills & Competencies
Completeness of Requirements
Let me help you
get on top of this
situation.
Risk
Cost
Duration
Complexity
Market Stability
Business Value
Technology Used
Business Climate
Customer involvement
Goal & Solution Clarity
# Departments Affected
Organizational Environment
Team Skills & Competencies
Completeness of Requirements
Contemporary IS Project Landscape
Project Management Life Cycles
TRADITIONAL
Linear
Scope
Plan
Launch
Monitor
& Control
Incremental
Scope
Plan
Launch
Increment
Monitor
& Control
Close
Project
Close
Increment
Next
Increment
N
Close
Project
Y
AGILE
Iterative
Scope
Plan
Iteration
Launch
Iteration
Monitor
& Control
Close
Iteration
Next
Iteration
Close
Project
N
Y
Adaptive
Scope
Plan
Cycle
Launch
Cycle
Monitor
& Control
Next
Cyclet
Close
Cycle
Close
Project
N
Y
EXTREME
Extreme
Scope
Phase
Plan
Phasee
Launch
Phase
Monitor
& Control
Next
Phase
Close
Phase
Y
N
Close
Project
Adaptive Project Framework
APF is unique among Agile Models








Product and process development
Scope Change
Scope Bank
Integrative & Probative Swim Lanes
APF can be imbedded in other PMLCs
Meaningful client involvement
Cumulative delivery of maximum business value
Terminate any time without loss of business value
Examples of Projects
TPM:
Install an intranet network in field office
APF:
Put a man on the moon and return him
safely by the end of the decade
xPM:
Cure the common cold
Contemporary Project Landscape
Characteristics of APF
Thrives on change rather than avoiding it
Adapts traditional and agile tools
Based on the principle: learn by doing
Assures maximum business value
Just-in-time planning
Squeezes out all non-value added work
Scope is variable
Working Definition of an Adaptive Project
An adaptive project consists of a number of cycles
each comprising a sequence of unique, complex, and
connected activities that must be completed within
fixed time and budget constraints, and deliver
maximum business value.
Overview of APF
APF originated out of two client engagements:
Supermarket kiosk design and development
Software development project management
process design
Overview of APF
VERSION
SCOPE
CYCLE
PLAN
NEXT
CYCLE
BUILD
CYCLE
CLIENT
CHECKPOINT
POST-VERSION
REVIEW
Version Scope
Adaptive SDPM Strategy for APF Version Scope
DELIVERABLES
 Conditions of Satisfaction
 Project Overview Statement
 Prioritized functionality
 Mid-level WBS and
dependencies
 Cycle length and # of cycles
Version
Scope
Cycle
Plan
Cycle
Build
Customer
Checkpoint
Post-Version
Review
Cycle Plan
Adaptive SDPM Strategy for APF Cycle Plan
DELIVERABLES




Version
Scope
Low-level WBS for this cycle
Dependencies and schedule
Partition activities to sub-teams
Sub-teams develop micro-plans
Cycle
Plan
Cycle
Build
Customer
Checkpoint
Post-Version
Review
Cycle Build
Adaptive SDPM Strategy for APF Cycle Build
DELIVERABLES
 Whatever functionality can be
built before the cycle time-box
expires
Version
Scope
Cycle
Plan
Cycle
Build
Customer
Checkpoint
Post-Version
Review
Client Checkpoint
Adaptive SDPM Strategy for APF Client Checkpoint
DELIVERABLES
 Quality review of completed
functionality
 Adjust next cycle
functionality and time-box
Version
Scope
Cycle
Plan
Cycle
Build
Customer
Checkpoint
Post-Version
Review
Post-Version Review
Adaptive SDPM Strategy for APF Post-Version Review
DELIVERABLES
 Check on business outcomes
 Lessons learned to improve
next version
 Lessons learned to improve APF
Version
Scope
Cycle
Plan
Cycle
Build
Customer
Checkpoint
Post-Version
Review
Characteristics of an APF project











Incomplete requirements
Meaningful client involvement
Short cycles
Daily 15 minute team meetings
Co-located team of professionals
Fixed time and cost
Cycle ends when time-box expires
Cycles converge on a solution
Probative & Integrative swim lanes
No scope change management process
Variable scope
APF is a robust approach






Prototyping
Business justification
Business process improvement
New product development
Research & Development
APF can even be used within a TPM project!
Adaptive Project Framework
Selected Bibliography
“Effective Project Management: Traditional, Adaptive
Extreme, 4th Edition”, 2007, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-0470-04261-8
“Effective Software Project Management”, 2006, John Wiley
& Sons, ISBN 0-7645-9636-5
“Adaptive Project Framework: Managing Complexity in the
Face of Uncertainty”, 2009, Addison Wesley, in preparation.
“Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme,
5th Edition,” 2009, John Wiley & Sons, in preparation
Thanks for being a great audience!!!
Robert K. Wysocki, Ph.D.
Enterprise Information Insights, Inc.
[email protected]