PRINCE2 Agile™ from AXELOS combines flexibility, responsiveness and agility to the PRINCE2® project management method. In order to be successful, PRINCE2 Agile™ addresses additional areas that need particular prominence in an agile environment.
1. The Agilometer. This focus area describes how to assess an environment in terms of ‘agile’ so that PRINCE2 can be tailored effectively. The Agilometer seeks a balance between an appropriate level of control and predictability versus being too prescriptive. The key areas (‘sliders’) are:
- Flexibility on what is delivered
- Level of collaboration
- Ease of communication
- Ability to work and deliver incrementally
- Advantageous environmental conditions
- Acceptance of agile
2. Requirements. Requirements (also referred to as product descriptions or user stories) are important in any project; in an agile context they have a particularly special role. In an agile environment requirements are inevitably subject to change. Areas that need to be explored include:
- Prioritisation approaches – MoSCoW and ordering
- What happens if everything is a ‘must’?
- Decomposing requirements (epics, user stories)
- Detail change versus baseline change
- Technical stories
- Definition of ‘ready’
3. Rich communication. Effective communication is critical to success in all projects. This PRINCE2 Agile™ focus area emphasises the value of good communications for agile working and effective project delivery. It addresses:
- Choosing the appropriate channel
- Difficulties with the written word
- Getting the right blend including workshops, face-to-face meetings, and visualisations (such as models and prototypes)
4. Frequent releases. A fundamental aspect of an agile method is the ability to frequently deliver something of use. This links to the theme of Plans and the configuration management in PRINCE2. Releasing early and frequently enables:
- Earlier delivery of benefits
- Incorporation of feedback
- Reduction of risk
- Greater stakeholder engagement
- Confidence about how the project is proceeding
5. Creating contracts when using agile. Typical or ‘traditional’ contracts that involve the customer engaging the supplier to deliver a set solution or output may be somewhat at odds in an agile environment. When using a contract in an agile context consider:
- Outcomes (not so much specific outputs)
- Defining the level of customer involvement required during the project
- Creating time-based deliveries (e.g based around sprints or releases)
- Allowing for the project to be stopped at any time
- Linking incentives to the amount delivered
- Avoiding detailed requirements in the contract
- Prioritising requirements
- Handling requirements change by ‘trading’ new for existing
- Building the contract based on the ‘minimum’
“…PRINCE2 and agile each have their own strengths and when combined they complement each other and create a holistic approach to managing projects in an agile way”.
PRINCE2 Agile™, AXELOS
Get more information on PRINCE2 Agile™, or speak to one of our professional development consultants
1300 70 13 14.
PRINCE2 is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited PRINCE2 Agile is a trade mark of AXELOS Limited
