Published on February 10th, 2022 | by Bibhuranjan

What is project planning according to Agile management principles?

“How to manage a project in an Agile manner?”. More and more people are searching for the answer to this question. Agility is also more and more often selected management method in companies. Is it worthwhile planning in detail even before work begins, or is it better to rely on short-term planning? There will certainly be supporters as well as opponents of both options. We will try to introduce the idea of Agile methodologies on the example of Scrum.

What actually is Agile management?

Agile project management means delivering the elements of a product that are already working, consistently and yet quickly. Continuous communication is important, both between employees and between the customer and provider. In Agile projects, human interactions take precedence over procedures or tools. The Agile approach is suitable for projects where the scope is not fully specified and where numerous changes are expected as well as, most importantly for the client, where fast and effective results are expected.

Agile approach, while allowing for freedom in modifying your plans by acting quickly, can at the same time make one lose control of the project’s progress. Even when the team is working efficiently, it may happen that the budget or project time is exceeded. Thus, both the agile team and the Product Owner should monitor the progress of project work and its roadmap so that nothing gets out of hand.

Agile planning

Planning, as we know, is a very important part of any project. Let’s explain how it works using the example of Scrum, which according to the “State of Agile Report 2021”, is the most often used Agile methodology. Before work begins in each sprint, the Product Owner and Development Team meet for general product planning and discuss business goals to be achieved. The scope of work and budget are established. Teams are cross-functional, meaning that each person has the competencies necessary to work on the product.

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Sprint in agile project management

The project’s objectives, or its stages, are implemented in short cycles, called sprints. A Sprint in Scrum is a given period of time to complete a task, usually it does not exceed a month. It can also be shorter if the project requires it and there are not many tasks. Generally, sprints have a duration of 2-4 weeks, this is to organize the work of the team, which can focus on specific tasks in the project, and certainly mobilizes to work. It is also important not to change issues priorities in sprints.

At the Sprint level we already plan more specifically, discuss in detail the tasks that the team is able to perform within given time. At this stage, it is important so that the PO evaluated the progress of the product development. He verifies whether a given stage is completed and the team can move on to the next one, or whether they should get back to the previous stage.

Constant communication is essential

Daily planning can also take place in a project. This is more informal, but is quite important for work coordination. In this type of planning, the team holds short, approximately 15-minute meetings each day to present their tasks and establish a plan of action. Any deviations from the plan are corrected on an ongoing basis. Communication is key in any agile project management model. Providing teams with adequate resources and opportunities to communicate regularly plays a very important element in collaboration.

Team cooperation in Scrum

Agile projects are managed by the entire team, primarily at the level of every iteration. In a Scrum team, there is a structured list of all the tasks to develop, maintain, and repair the product, which are called the Product Backlog. Team members should work together to select items from the backlog that will be composed into the current iteration, as well as estimate time, schedule work, and drive the project toward the planned final product vision. It is worth emphasizing that the team is responsible for meeting the project requirements and deadlines.

Final words

Each organization has a different management style. Every idea, change, and its attempt should be thought over by both managers and employees, and well planned. Whether your organization is ready to adopt agile methodology, or to improve its agile strategy, it is important to remember that this approach is certainly different from what people in the organization may be used to, and thereby there is a risk that initially they may reject it or need more time to adapt. Agile as a project development and management methodology can prove to be very effective in any company, but it requires continuous improvement and understanding of its principles throughout the entire project – from start to desired successful completion.

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Tags: agile, agile development, agile project management

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.