Project Planning In Traditional And Agile Project

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction.

According to the CIO analysis (2011), about 37 percent of projects fail. And when critically analyzed, these failures were attributed to one or more of the following being missing, insufficient, unclear or too ambiguous:

User involvement;

Requirements;

Resources;

Schedules;

Planning;

Risks management.

Projects are a regular day to day involvement and as project managers, it is mandatory to seek a lasting solution to the constant failures faced with projects. When a project fails, it is not seen as ‘just another failure’; it is a function of the time wasted, the money wasted and the materials/resources put into it.

A project, as defined by BONNIE (2011) is a temporary unique job which has a clear-cut starting point, a clear-cut end point, a specific deliverable, and in most cases a budget. In order to effectively achieve these unique deliverables, a standard and well suited plan has to be developed.

Planning, as an activity in project management lifecycle is to ensure that other activities to be performed in the execution phase of the project are properly sequenced, resourced and controlled (Westland, 2003)

Projects are known to exist in several forms; so also, relevant project planning processes have been identified for different project management techniques/methodologies to cater for these differences.

Organizations that are to remain healthy are the ones that have an effective and widely understood approach to managing projects as a way of implementing change

(Tichapondwa & Tichapondwa, 2009).

OVERVIEW

The traditional project management approach:

Although, project management has been in existence for thousands of years, it was in the

mid-1950s that organizations commenced formal project management and the use of process tools came into play (Tichapondwa & Tichapondwa, 2009).

The Traditional project management approach as implied by its name is a method of management which uses orthodox methods and techniques. I.e. Projects managed based on this methodology are generally expected to follow a systematic/predefined approach of handling one task at a time to reach a final projected destination (HAAS, 2007). The processes in a traditional methodology are: Initiation, Planning/Design, Execution/Implementation, Control/Monitoring and Completion.

More so, a typical traditional process is characterized by its strict predictive approach, comprehensive documentation, processes orientation and tool reliability (AWAD, 2005).

Some models have been established in line with this methodology’s principles,

such as; The Waterfall Model, The Rational Unified Model (RUP), The V-Model etc.

These models have been implemented in several projects. And industries such as the construction, engineering, and the mining industries will be grateful for its existence; having recorded a significant amount of success with it.

But it is important to realize that with every passing day the world is evolving and getting more advanced. Different kind of projects, such as, software development projects have emerged, technologies and requirements have become more complex that with just an orthodox system, project failures might remain inevitable (AWAD, 2005).

The Agile project management approach:

Certain projects exist, which may not follow a sequential approach; they may not work right with the delivery system of a traditional model and might incur several changes before completion is reached. For these kinds of projects, the agile methodology to the rescue.

The Agile project management methodology is a highly iterative and incremental process, where developers and project stakeholders actively work together to understand the domain (HAAS, 2007); this attribute of an Agile Methodology gives it a great deal of advantage while working on complex and dynamic projects. More so, it creates so much room for scope adjustment, bit by bit delivery and a learning avenue while working (Rasmussen, 2010).

In this system of project management, the idea of a level playing field is respected and adhered to, saving the project manager from the drudgery of being a taskmaster thereby, enabling him to focus on being a leader – someone who keeps the spotlight on the vision, who inspires the team, who promotes teamwork and collaboration(CCPACE, 2011).

The Agile methodology can also be characterized by the following, generally known as an agile manifesto;

Valuing individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change over following a plan

Some methodologies that have implemented the agile approach are; Scrum, Extreme Programming, Crystal Clear, Adaptive Software Development, etc.

Project Planning

In order to achieve success with projects, this phase cannot be ignored. Just like the saying "If you fail to plan, you have planned to fail" During planning the following are identified and considered as thoroughly as possible; Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) of processes, activities and tasks that need to be undertaken to complete the project, the sequencing, duration and dependencies of each tasks as well as the generic resources and financial expenditure required to complete the project (DAVIES, 2009). In a project planning phase, the features and deliverables are planned for and are placed in hierarchical order with respect to importance.

A planning phase to some project managers might seem a little time consuming but if properly adhered to, it eventually helps save a lot of time, compared to when is not drawn out at all.

Analysis of project planning process in both Traditional and Agile methodologies:

Project planning is an inevitable phase in both Traditional and Agile and systems but each system has its unique way of carrying out project planning.

What to plan and when to plan:

Identify what needs to be done, assign priority, budget finances and calculate risks.

In a traditional approach all the project deliverables are assumed to be known upfront. Therefore requiring the entire project including all cost and budget to be planned from the very start before implementation begins. A typical example can be described using the waterfall model diagram. {Fig (a)}.

Fig (a)

This method of planning is generally referred to as the big bang approach. Below are some reasons why this approach might be successful or otherwise.

Pros:

All requirements are assumed to be known and clear before development starts.

Good schedule management plan can be achieved where each phase of the project is specified and the methods of accomplishment are laid out with time allocated.

Staffing management plan can be attained where every member of the team knows what he is expected to do and when to do it.

Cons:

Rigid scope management: Changes to plan are not catered for.

Inefficient Cost management: Huge costs are sunk in due to premature planning.

Problems in a particular phase may not be fully solved before moving on to the next phase.

Quality management is left until the end of the entire project.

Communication management can be frustrating as there is a huge gap between stakeholders.

(BALAJI & MURUGAIYAN, 2012)

However, agile Project management approach unlike a traditional approach does not create a master-plan which is based on prediction; rather planning is done as required. I.e. Planning is done when a new iteration is about to begin thereby making it possible to draw lessons and feedbacks from the previous iteration. The planning and feedback loop of the extreme (XP) methodology can be used to illustrate this Fig (b).

Pros:

Accurate cost management where fund is only allocated when needed.

Flexible scope management where changes can be accommodated.

Less documentation is carried out during planning

Works with latest information while planning not assumptions

Quicker delivery system enabled by the fact that iterations are supposed to create a deliverable.

Good communication management can be attained when all stakeholders work together to achieve the project aims.

Quality management can also be monitored

Cons:

Flexibility with scope management can turn out to being a project weak point

Schedule management plan can be terrible as planning ahead is not supported.

Staffing and procurement management technique might not be efficient, as it can’t be don ahead.

(Rasmussen, 2010)

Who is responsible for planning and how it is done:

The responsibility of a project with regards to how it is planned is also important to the success of the project.

In a traditional methodology, the project manager is solely responsible this phase and how he does this is entirely his call, he is seen as the intermediary between the client and the project team, he is regarded as a task master where he gets to predict, analyze and create a master plan for the entire project. In the course of the project he is also responsible for monitoring status of tasks and adjusting plans as necessary (CCPACE, 2011).

Pros:

Accords so much power to the project manager giving him the right to manage schedules, scope, cost, communication, staffing and procurement

Regular meetings can be avoided as not everyone will be required to contribute during a meeting and can allow developers more time on their specific tasks.

Cons:

There tends to be a huge gap between the project manager, member of the team and the clients.

It makes team members focus too much on their individual tasks as against team collaboration.

Even when the client is wrong, a project manager takes the hit

Communications management is terrible as client requirement might not be properly communicated by the project manager

On the other hand, in an agile methodology the figure head attribute of a project manager is eliminated. The leadership attribute of a manager is all that is required, where he combines soft managerial skills, communication skills, business vision, ability to plan, technical ability, coordinating skills and executive skills for managing a project (CCPACE, 2011). In particular, when working in a scrum environment the project manager is called a Scrum Master, while the team is regarded as the ScrumTeam (Wilson, 2009).

Planning in an agile system is a collaborative task, where all stake holders come to the drawing board to discuss. The Team (ScrumMaster, Client and ScrumTeam) analyses the previous iteration if any, review the product backlog, discuss the goals and decide on what goes into the next iteration. When this done, a work breakdown and allocation of resources is done (Sutherland, 2010).

Pros:

Good Communication: Co-location enables planning as a collective effort

The client is involved with every aspect of the project

Motivation is heightened with the physical presence of the clients

Co- location enables effective and accurate communication which in turn leads to trust.

Proper Risk management: Issues are easily identified and eliminated

Everyone is responsible for everything

(Rasmussen, 2010).

Cons:

Regular sprint meetings can be stressful and tiring.

There is no main control hub.

Bad staffing management as a requirement for hiring a competent staff will not be considered until it is required and this can turn out late.

Tools and Techniques of project management

Tools and techniques refer to the means adopted in order to achieve a tasks highlighted in a project. In 2005, AWAD. was able to state that tools and techniques can be used to achieve or maintain a specific objective.

In project management, there are several tools and techniques specifically adopted for the purpose achieving certain tasks.

Some of these tools are: Risk management, Gantt chart, budgeting, Work breakdown structure (WBS) critical path analysis, project evaluation and review techniques.

Budgeting process as a project management tool:

It is an essential tool in project planning as it pertains to both traditional and agile methodologies. It is a tool for estimating the costs of individual schedules, activities or iterations and can form a criterion for determining how successful a project has become. Even as a tool, it uses some inputs, alongside specific technique in order to generate an output.

Inputs: Project scope statement, WBS dictionary, Resource calendars, Project schedules.

Techniques: Cost aggregation, Reserve analysis, funding limit reconciliation.

Output: Cost baseline, project funding requirement, requested changes (PMBOK, 2004).

Work Breakdown Structure as project management tool:

A WBS is implied by its name is process for breaking down large jobs into simpler tasks to enable easy understanding and quick delivery. A WBS is also one of the tools that every project uses extensively regardless of the methodology adopted. A typical example is when a project manager receives a large project like manufacturing a car, he can break down the job into several task as follows; engine, wheels, body works, electrical etc. with each session having a specific objective (PMBOK, 2004).

Project life cycle models:

This refers to manner of approach of a project; the route course that project takes so as arrive at a proposed target.

In order to be successful, project managers need to determine the appropriate life cycle model to adopt from a list of possible lifecycle models:. Sequential, parallel, Cyclical, spiral, incremental, adaptive model.

Conclusion:

Project planning in project management can be concluded to be the heart(engine room) of a project, and can inevitably be said that; if a project planning process fails to achieve its purpose, a project will directly or indirectly fail to achieve its purpose. Success in project management is also a factor of making the right choice of methodology in the right scenario.