Prince2 and Agile Project Management Methodologies Approach - Term Paper Example

Prince2 and Agile project management methodologies approach Name Instructor The table of contents 1.0 Introduction 2 2.0 Comparison of the Methodologies 3 2.1 The PRINCE2 methodology 3 2.2 The Agile methodology 5 2.3. Merging the two methodologies 6 3.0 The context 7 3.1 Application of PRINCE2 methodology, case study of a resort construction industry 7 4.0 Conclusion 9 5.0 Bibliography 12 1.0 Introduction The project management methodologies approaches encompass very many steps, and outline the long styles from commencing off a project. The origin of these processes is where one manages a product delivery inside its stage boundaries and then end the project down to hand it over to the business as usual. The projects management methods for an extended period became the gold standard for all project management certification in Australia for the corporate use. They are usually prerequisites for project controllers, and have also got much recognition when it comes to controlling projects efficiently and smoothly. The project management methodologies are sometimes referred to many scholars as the engine for successful projects management for effective execution procedures. There are a number of the project management methodologies worldwide; however, this discussion will explore two of the management methodologies. These project management methodologies are also popular among technical project managers, and they are as well the processes of project implementation over their explicit management. Their objectives outline that the success of the project depends mostly on acceptance whose requirements are probably to change and the most important way of accepting change. The success comes through close collaborating with customers, and all project stakeholders. The two methodologies which are PRINCE2 and agile project management methodologies are the most preferred in the UK since their features are well organized and easy to master. Many project managers find PRINCE2 very suitable to use due to its simplicity features. 2.0 Comparison of the Methodologies 2.1 The PRINCE2 methodology The prince2 project management methodology has got very many assumptions from various scholars that it prescribes a lot waterfall approach in its project execution strategies. In this project management method, every stage is equivalent to a stage, and there is a stage for each of the analysis, its design, development, and testing (Alleman, 2005). During prince2 process before jumping from design to development, the project will need a locked down, complete and very detailed set of requirements. However, prince2 project management methodology is not appropriate for small projects and in some cases where the requirements keep on changing throughout the project. It is the case because there is significant workload in devising and maintaining its documents like books and lists. Due to these feature of prince2 project management methodology, the office for government commerce in the United Kingdom recommends that it processes should be scalable and designed purposefully to serve particular projects requirements and problems in the business environment (Špundak et al, 2014). In fact, failure to tailor these project activity steps, in case a project needs a quick adoption in the environment, business expectations, stakeholders expectations and even the needs of the system then the project can end up becoming bogged down in autocracy. Moreover, another failure to design it properly can lead to poor reporting, committee meetings and lengthy approval procedures by the business stakeholders. It will, in turn, paralyze the business instead of enabling the project to adapt the change direction. This difficulty in adapting changes in an organization is, however, the reason why the prince2 project management methodology sometimes fails to materialize (Bustard, et al. 2013). PRINCE2 methodology assists organizations to improve their management and to control of projects efficiently. It provides sufficient guidance to the major stakeholders of business on how they can ensure that their plans get managed accordingly. This methodology in many cases helps the managers to assess the growth and development of the projects they undertake in their companies (Wells, 2012). In project management system the PRINCE2 methodology proves to be better than agile methods hence attracts many corporate globally. 2.2 The Agile methodology The agile project management methodology requires more than just performing like engaging stand up meetings. It involves massive and straight forward mechanisms of practical steps control, where results constitute a significant percentage of the management technique in contrary to the traditional project management systems (Špundak, 2014). Unlike prince2 and other popular project management methodologies, the agile project management methodology has got a design to be a pick and choose the method. It is because the project team can fail to pick the pieces out of the Scrum and still believe that it will work with the surrounding and the team might prefer most. The commonly known agile is the Scrum, and it is the complete set of steps to project planning, controlling and its requirements, governance, and implementation. Scrum sometimes fails due to inexperience with agile project management methodology. However, many project managers nowadays claim to be doing agile and Scrum at the same time though what they are referring to is merely the use of daily stand-ups and the continuous involving command and control. They fail to note that prince2 task driven methods, rather than Scrums, are just ongoing planning, commitment and execution steps in delivering products at the end of every Sprint (ur Rehman et al, 2007). Agile brings participative management and decision-making strategies to every operational level for transparency and accountability in every business management set up. It also enables the decision-making at every executive level of management to happen due to operational certainties at a project level instead of applying assumptions. 2.3. Merging the two methodologies In merging PRINCE2 and Agile together, the key to unlocking these two when it comes to managing product delivery steps will involve a number or processes. In this case the agile will help the staff to focus majorly on the provision of every Sprint that corresponds to PRINCE2 project management methodology system and as far as its reporting requirements and committee meeting cycles are concerned (ur Rehman et al, 2007). These steps in merging the two include project planning which entails a preliminary release plan that will highlight Scrum Sprint cycles. Stage plans should also form part of this merging process, and it will describe the scope that has to get developed according to Scrum’s product backlog. Work packaging is also a process here, and it entails the details of the scope that should get committed to delivery for a Sprint. It should also imply the acceptance and the quality criteria. At every end of Sprint, the complete products should get delivered alongside the associated artifacts and the deliverables as outlined in the work package The lessons learned at each Sprint will conclude the Sprint review and this help to improve the quality and effectiveness of the products for each subsequent Sprint (Charvat, 2003). At the end of these stages, the project manager must compile Sprint review reports in the last scene. Scrum as a project management methodology system assist the teams to coexist and work together harmoniously with their clients and customers. The normally do this by outlining and prioritizing the requirements in developing and testing of the projects. The continuous feedback and repetitive cycles of iterations also must get considered. This method of project management gives sufficient guidance to the business fraternity on how it can work efficiently (Vijayasarathy, 2015). It began in the software industry but nowadays is applicable in many industries besides the software ones. In my resort construction I will apply PRINCE2 project management methodology. 3.0 The context 3.1 Application of PRINCE2 methodology, case study of a resort construction industry PRINCE2 project management methodology system uses some principles in its courses. Constructing a resort applying this method requires these principles to get applied accordingly to record a success. These seven principles include continued business, knowledge of the experience, defined clear roles and responsibilities at each stage, steps management, and the management by exception. It also requires the full focus on the construction materials of the resort and skillful tailoring of the project to cope with the environment (ur Rehman et al, 2007). To construct a big resort the following themes will also go together with the principles mention above the business case, it organization, quality, the plans, risk management and change or progress assessment. Efficient and successful construction of a resort to its completion will also require the seven processes of PRINCE2 to execute the resort development entirely. Starting up of the resort construction is the first step ant it encompasses selecting of the resort construction project team, and the project brief gets produced to them. The full and comprehensive approaches get presented to the building team by the PRINCE2. The most important here is to form the resort construction board and then the board will appoint the project manager.PRINCE2 project management methodology ensures that a proper starting up formula gets executed properly to see it through to the next stage of initiating the project (Špundak, 2014). The real definition of the resort project approach and the skillful preparation of the business case will make this step a success. Initiating a resort construction process using PRINCE2 project methodology builds the work of starting up as per the description of the method. The PRINCE2 approach devised will ensure the effective controlling of the project throughout the resort construction. At this stage, the project files must also get in place to help in highlighting all the necessities of the project. This step ensures quality planning, highlights the business case and the risks that might involve. Setting up of the project will control the setting up of the project files and assembling the project initiation documentation. According to PRINCE2, the project must get directed by the project board. The resort construction board has a role in this stage of directing to ensure that the whole process works as a one unit (Charvat, 2003). Directing of a project will dictate how the project board shall authorize the stage plans which encompasses any exceptional intends to replace an existing step program because of any unseen circumstances. This directing project stage goes as far as outlining the project closure procedures. In the resort controlling management stage, the PRINCE2 suggests that the projects have to get split into stages and each step must get control properly. Especially this scene highlights the ways in which work packages should get authority and welcome among the project workers. This view also gives a solution to the monitoring of the projects progress and how the progress should get to the board. Among the duties of this juncture include authorizing the work progress, assessment of the progress and monitoring the overall project issues to avoid any failure of the project. PRINCE2 project management methodology gives a preview of the fifth stage in this resort construction process which is the managing of the products delivery. It operates by controlling all the links between the project managers and other workers for the consistent performance of the project. The key role of this stage is to accept the work packages, execute them and delivery of the work package. Successful construction of a resort needs a proper boundary stage management using the PRINCE2 system. Unlike the controlling step, the border management highlights the activities that should get incorporated towards the end of construction of a resort and these activities include risk management, updating of the project plans, reviewing of the progress and the approval of any project changes to realize success (Alleman, 2005). The last stage in the construction of a resort is the closing scene. It covers the activities that should get done at the end of the installation, and it includes all the aftermath activities. Skillful constructors must ensure that the project gets decommissioned properly. The PRINCE2 follow-on procedures must get identified, and the resort project itself evaluated accurately. 4.0 Conclusion Definitely by evaluating this project it is vital to note the difference between the terms project management approach and the term methodology as they are the key component of this project. These two words have different definitions based on their context. The most important aspect to note here is that there exists a shared understanding between them. It is clear also that there is no harm in using them interchangeably to express one idea. Both the PRINCE2 and the agile project management approaches have their advantages and disadvantages in case they get a comparison to each other’s characteristics. These approaches must get a serious application for the projects to bear any fruit. When considering the two projects methodologies simultaneously, it is crucial also to evaluate the characteristics of the project and the surrounding. It is also good to note that one can combine the two projects into one project as long as they apply them accordingly. PRINCE2 in the construction industry must get applied soberly like in this case study of resort building. In an event where the project management methodology gets used blindly in a formal, bureaucratic form, it will lead to redundancy in time on paperwork and hence false to secure the project. This method becomes very appropriate in particular projects like in this case of resort construction. The reasonable adjustments like replacement of deliverable reports and other project documentations are all provided in the methodology. In the case of the alterations to the structure of the project the board and other project stakeholders must get involved to revise the goals of the project. In resort construction management, a challenge comes when PRINCE2 deliverable structure results to a focus on producing the proper deliverables on the behalf. In such event to tick the boxes rather than useful work, it will mean that the method of management failed to apply the PRINCE2 accordingly. However, it is also good to bear in mind which method will be most appropriate to use. The methodology that the project manager intends to use must be adaptable to the project to make it readily accepted. In the case of the custom software development projects, it will prove that there is sufficient need to combine the two. The same discussion should move further to the types of projects that the manager can as well use. Therefore to be able to tackle the questions that arise during the project method implementation, then the manager must know the challenges that are likely to arise and how to curb them. In this case, the manager has to ensure that he looks at the project methodology approach for elements that make the particular method. It is also probable that the process elements be strategy based. The project manager should also be able to answer the questions like the levels of the details needed for these items and the possible research that might also be in place to apply both PRINCE2 and Agile project management methodology accordingly. Is it possible and how to build methodology with method elements based on different approaches? What is the level of details needed from process part to develop methodology? All of this is the basis for the further research on the topic of project management approaches and methods. PRINCE2 focuses on the project management through the steps with certain levels of governance, and this mandates this method to adopt suitable ways in the environment. It enables Scrum and its Sprint to quickly perform the stage boundaries and inside the managing product delivery stages accordingly. Decisively PRINCE2 and Agile project management methodologies are working hand in hand and entirely consistent. However, they require full knowledge and experience to produce an efficient project management methods and proper framework that can intermingle with changes very easily. 5.0 Bibliography Alleman, G.B., 2005. Agile project management methods for IT projects. The story of managing projects: An interdisciplinary approach, pp.324-333. Bustard, D., Wilkie, G. and Greer, D., 2013, April. The maturation of agile software development principles and practice: Observations on successive industrial studies in 2010 and 2012. In Engineering of Computer Based Systems (ECBS), 2013 20th IEEE International Conference and Workshops on the (pp. 139-146). IEEE. Charvat, J., 2003. Project management methodologies: selecting, implementing, and supporting methodologies and processes for projects. John Wiley & Sons. Dyck, S. and Majchrzak, T.A., 2012, January. Identifying common characteristics in fundamental, integrated, and agile software development methodologies. In System Science (HICSS), 2012 45th Hawaii International Conference on (pp. 5299-5308). IEEE. Everts, P.A.U.L., Pries, F.R.E.N.S. and Nijhuis, S.T.E.V.E.N., 2011, June. Towards agile projectmanagement and sopcial innovation in the construction industry. In Management and Innovation for a Sustainable Built Environment MISBE 2011, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 20-23, 2011. CIB, Working Commissions W55, W65, W89, W112; ENHR and AESP. Fernandez, D.J. and Fernandez, J.D., 2008. Agile project management—agilism versus traditional approaches. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 49(2), pp.10-17. Ferrario, M.A., Simm, W., Newman, P., Forshaw, S. and Whittle, J., 2014, May. Software engineering for'social good': integrating action research, participatory design, and agile development. In Companion Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Software Engineering (pp. 520-523). ACM. Hunt, J., 2006. Agile software construction (Vol. 16). London: Springer. Kane, B., 2007. Estimating and Tracking Agile Projects. Published in PM World Today, 9. Luna, A.J., Costa, C.P., Moura, H.P.D., Novaes, M.A. and do Nascimento, C.A., 2010. Agile governance in Information and Communication Technologies: shifting paradigms. JISTEM-Journal of Information Systems and Technology Management, 7(2), pp.311-334. Špundak, M., 2014. Mixed agile/traditional project management methodology–reality or illusion?. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 119, pp.939-948. ur Rehman, A. and Hussain, R., 2007, July. Software Project Management Methodologies/Frameworks Dynamics" A Comparative Approach". In Information and Emerging Technologies, 2007. ICIET 2007. International Conference on (pp. 1-5). IEEE. Vijayasarathy, L. and Butler, C., 2015. Choice of software development methodologies-do project, team and organizational characteristics matter?. Wells, H., 2012. How effective are project management methodologies? An explorative evaluation of their benefits in practice. Project Management Journal, 43(6), pp.43-58. Read More