Many organizations today are looking for ways to increase flexibility and speed of response in project execution, drawing inspiration from popular agile approaches (Agile). At the same time, as leaders and decision-makers, we need to ensure an appropriate level of control, predictability, and governance to effectively manage investments and risk. Finding the balance between agility and structure can be challenging. In this context, it is worth examining the Agile Project Management (AgilePM) methodology, which was designed precisely to combine the dynamics and iterativeness of Agile with the necessary project management framework. This article, aimed at decision-makers, team leaders, and L&D specialists, will introduce you to the world of AgilePM, explaining its philosophy, key elements, and showing why building competencies in this area, starting from the Foundation level, can be a valuable investment for your organization.
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- What is AgilePM and why might it be an attractive alternative for your organization?
- What fundamental principles guide the AgilePM methodology and how do they support business goals?
- What key roles does AgilePM define and how do they support collaboration in projects?
- What does the project lifecycle structure look like in AgilePM (DSDM)?
- What techniques used in AgilePM help teams effectively deliver value?
- Why is AgilePM Foundation training crucial for teams implementing this methodology?
- How does EITT support organizations in building AgilePM competencies?
What is AgilePM and why might it be an attractive alternative for your organization?
AgilePM is a complete project management methodology based on the proven DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method) framework. Its main goal is to enable organizations to flexibly and quickly deliver business value while maintaining the control and discipline necessary in a project environment. Unlike some lightweight agile frameworks (such as Scrum, which focuses mainly on the development process), AgilePM covers the entire project lifecycle, from the conceptual phase to implementation and benefits assessment.
What makes AgilePM attractive to many organizations? Above all, it offers a practical combination of agility with governance. It provides clear roles, a defined process, and management techniques, while promoting iterative delivery, close collaboration with business, and adaptation to change. For companies that need more than just a development framework but want to avoid the excessive formalism of traditional methodologies, AgilePM can be the “golden mean,” enabling faster response to market needs without losing control over project execution.
What fundamental principles guide the AgilePM methodology and how do they support business goals?
AgilePM is based on eight fundamental principles that form the foundation of this methodology’s philosophy and guide decision-making and actions in the project. Understanding these principles is crucial for effective AgilePM implementation and achieving business benefits:
AgilePM Principle Description and Significance for the Organization 1. Focus on the Business Need All decisions made in the project must be justified from the perspective of delivering business value. 2. Deliver on Time Timely delivery is a key success factor. Scope is flexible to enable meeting deadlines (through MoSCoW prioritization). 3. Collaborate Promoting close, daily collaboration between all stakeholders (business, IT, users) for better and faster decision-making. 4. Never Compromise Quality Maintaining the agreed quality level is crucial. Quality is defined at the start and checked continuously. 5. Build Incrementally from Firm Foundations The solution is built iteratively, but only after establishing solid architectural and design foundations. 6. Develop Iteratively Using iterations and feedback to gradually build the solution, allowing for adaptation and learning during the project. 7. Communicate Continuously and Clearly Open, honest, and regular communication is essential for project success and effective collaboration. 8. Demonstrate Control Active project management, progress monitoring, and taking action to keep the project on track.
These principles serve as a compass for teams and leaders applying AgilePM, helping them make the right decisions in a dynamic project environment.
What key roles does AgilePM define and how do they support collaboration in projects?
AgilePM places great emphasis on involving the right people and defining roles that ensure effective collaboration between business and the technical team. Unlike minimalist Scrum, AgilePM defines a broader set of roles to cover various aspects of project management:
Key Role in AgilePM Main Focus / Responsibility Business Sponsor Provides overall strategic direction and project funding. Is the ultimate business decision-maker. Business Visionary Represents the business vision of the product, ensures alignment with organizational needs, and guides solution development from the business perspective. Project Manager Responsible for day-to-day project management, facilitating collaboration, managing risk, and ensuring the team works effectively within the DSDM framework. Technical Coordinator Responsible for the technical consistency of the solution and ensuring that the architecture is solid and appropriate for the needs. Business Analyst Acts as a bridge between business and the technical team, supports defining and prioritizing requirements. Team Leader Represents the Solution Development Team and supports it in self-organization and daily work. Solution Developer Responsible for creating solution increments according to requirements and quality standards. Solution Tester Responsible for ensuring solution quality through testing at various stages of development. Business Ambassador Represents the perspective of end users in the team, provides domain knowledge and feedback.
This role structure, although it may seem more elaborate, is intended to ensure that all key perspectives (business, technical, managerial, user) are properly represented and engaged in the project process, which promotes better communication and more informed decision-making.
What does the project lifecycle structure look like in AgilePM (DSDM)?
AgilePM uses a lifecycle based on the DSDM framework, which provides structure for iterative and incremental development while accounting for key control and decision points. It consists of the following phases:
- Pre-Project: The initial phase where the project idea is submitted and preliminarily assessed for business viability.
- Feasibility: A short phase aimed at assessing whether the project is technically feasible and makes business sense. The result is an outline of the Business Case and project plan.
- Foundations: The phase where solid foundations for the project are created - detailed scope (at a high level), architecture, development and testing approach, and detailed Business Case are established. Obtaining agreement from all stakeholders on these foundations is key.
- Evolutionary Development: The main development phase where the team iteratively builds solution increments within short time cycles (Timeboxes), regularly collecting feedback.
- Deployment: The phase where ready solution increments are deployed to the production environment. Can occur after each Increment or as one larger deployment.
- Post-Project: The phase after project completion where achieved business benefits are evaluated against the Business Case.
This lifecycle provides flexibility in the development phase while ensuring that the project starts from solid foundations and is regularly evaluated for business value.
What techniques used in AgilePM help teams effectively deliver value?
AgilePM promotes the use of several key techniques that support an agile approach and focus on delivering value:
- Timeboxing: Work is divided into short, fixed periods of time (Timeboxes), typically lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Within a Timebox, the team commits to delivering a defined set of highest-priority functionality. Time is fixed, and scope can be negotiated (according to MoSCoW priorities), which ensures delivery predictability.
- MoSCoW Prioritization: A technique for classifying requirements into four categories: M ust have, S hould have, C ould have, W on’t have this time. This allows for flexible scope management and guarantees that the most important functionalities are delivered first.
- Facilitated Workshops: Meetings engaging key stakeholders in joint decision-making, problem-solving, or requirements definition. They ensure quick and effective communication and build shared understanding.
- Modelling: Using various visualization techniques (e.g., prototypes, diagrams) to better understand requirements and solution design.
- Iterative Development: Building the solution in short cycles, with regular feedback collection and plan adaptation.
These techniques, applied within a defined lifecycle and roles, create a coherent system enabling effective, agile project management.
Why is AgilePM Foundation training crucial for teams implementing this methodology?
Implementing a new methodology like AgilePM requires not only a management decision but, above all, ensuring that teams have the appropriate knowledge and skills. AgilePM Foundation training and certification play a crucial role here, serving as an essential first step for all individuals involved in projects conducted according to this methodology.
Participation in Foundation training ensures that team members (both business and technical) and their leaders:
- Understand the philosophy, principles, and lifecycle of AgilePM: This creates a common foundation and understanding of “why” and “how” we work.
- Know the key roles and responsibilities: This facilitates effective collaboration and avoids misunderstandings about the scope of duties.
- Learn the basic techniques: They learn how to apply Timeboxing, MoSCoW, or Facilitated Workshops in practice.
- Use common terminology: This streamlines communication and information exchange in projects.
- Are prepared for the certification exam: The Foundation certificate is formal confirmation of having basic knowledge, which builds individual and team credibility.
Providing teams with solid AgilePM foundations through Foundation training is an investment in smooth methodology implementation and increasing the chances of achieving expected benefits from its application.
How does EITT support organizations in building AgilePM competencies?
EITT, as an accredited training organization (ATO), specializes in delivering high-quality training preparing for AgilePM Foundation and AgilePM Practitioner certification. Our programs are fully compliant with APMG International (the certifying body) requirements and are led by experienced trainer-practitioners who can translate theory into real project challenges.
Our AgilePM Foundation training focuses on providing participants with a solid understanding of AgilePM principles, processes, roles, and techniques, preparing them not only to pass the exam but, above all, to consciously participate in projects conducted using this methodology. We offer flexible training delivery formats, including open and closed corporate training, adapting the program to your needs. The training price also includes an exam voucher.
If you are considering implementing AgilePM in your organization or want to enhance your teams’ competencies in agile project management with control elements, we invite you to contact us. We will help you understand the potential of AgilePM and plan an effective development path for your employees.
Read Also
- AgilePM® - A Guide to Agile Project Management
- AgilePM - Guide to Agile Project Management
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who should attend AgilePM Foundation training?
AgilePM Foundation is designed for project managers, team leaders, business analysts, developers, and anyone involved in project delivery who wants a structured agile methodology. It is equally valuable for business stakeholders who need to understand how AgilePM projects operate and what their role entails.
How does AgilePM differ from Scrum at the Foundation level?
Scrum focuses primarily on the development team’s workflow within sprints, while AgilePM covers the entire project lifecycle — from feasibility and business case through delivery to post-project benefit assessment. AgilePM also defines a broader set of roles that explicitly includes business governance and strategic oversight.
Is the AgilePM Foundation certification exam included in EITT training?
Yes, EITT’s AgilePM Foundation training includes an exam voucher as part of the training package. The exam tests your understanding of AgilePM principles, lifecycle phases, roles, and key techniques such as MoSCoW prioritization and timeboxing.
Can AgilePM Foundation knowledge be applied immediately in ongoing projects?
Absolutely. The principles and techniques learned at Foundation level — such as timeboxing, MoSCoW prioritization, and facilitated workshops — can be introduced incrementally into current projects without requiring a full organizational transformation.