PRINCE2 Agile®: blending governance with agility
On this episode of the Knowledge Train, Simon Buehring explains PRINCE2 Agile, a methodology that fuses the structured governance of PRINCE2 with the flexibility of Agile. We address its inception, its unique position in project management, and how it empowers organisations to embrace agile while upholding strong project management principles.
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Transcript
Welcome aboard the Knowledge Train. In this podcast, we explore insights and tips to help you manage your way to success in your career and business. I’m Simon Buehring, your conductor on this journey to knowledge, and I’m thrilled to have you with us today.
In this episode, we’ll be bridging traditional project management with contemporary agility as we discuss the facets of PRINCE2 Agile.
Picture PRINCE2 Agile as an evolution of the tried-and-true PRINCE2 methodology. It’s designed specifically for those who are eager to introduce agile methods into their PRINCE2 frameworks, providing a robust response to the crescendo of demand for agility in project management.
Going back to its inception, PRINCE2 Agile entered the scene in 2015, crafted by AXELOS and agile thought leader Keith Richards. It remains distinct from the continuous improvement focus of Scrum and Kanban, instead enhancing PRINCE2 with Agile’s adaptability without sacrificing its project management strengths.
The rationale behind PRINCE2 Agile lies in its ability to marry PRINCE2’s project governance and structure with Agile’s product delivery expertise. It’s this fusion that empowers organisations with a comprehensive strategy suitable for agile-dominated environments.
PRINCE2 Agile extends its reach by providing specific guidance on tailoring PRINCE2 for agile contexts, ensuring performance targets are met without sacrificing the agility offered by Scrum or Kanban concepts and techniques.
To tailor effectively, it’s essential to grasp the ‘fixing and flexing’ concept within PRINCE2 Agile, which allows scope and quality to be adjusted within set timeframes, prioritising different aspects compared to traditional project management.
Digging deeper into ‘fixing and flexing,’ this approach permits certain degrees of tolerance within project variables, with time and cost being firmly set while scope and quality remain agile.
The seamless integration of PRINCE2 and agile principles is fundamental, yet PRINCE2 Agile views these through an ‘agile lens’ to ensure they align with the flexibility required in an agile environment.
Emphasising customer value, PRINCE2 Agile stresses the importance of delivering a minimum viable product to encourage early feedback and effective risk management.
PRINCE2 Agile encourages continuous learning through retrospectives and the adoption of an ‘inspect and adapt’ approach.
PRINCE2 Agile preserves PRINCE2’s defined roles while incorporating agile responsibilities and introducing new agile roles where necessary.
Stages in PRINCE2 Agile are notably shorter, adhering to sprints that focus on regular product delivery and customer engagement.
The methodology imposes fixed tolerances on cost and time while allowing flexibility in scope and quality, empowering teams to self-organise effectively.
Product focus is achieved through prioritisation, ensuring that quality criteria are met without compromising the agile framework.
The Agilometer tool is a unique aspect of PRINCE2 Agile, serving as an aid in determining the project’s compatibility with agile methods.
PRINCE2’s original themes, now referred to as practices, receive tailored attention within an agile context, with certain practices being spotlighted due to the product-centric nature of agile.
Process tailoring is also crucial, with PRINCE2’s processes being adapted to support agile delivery, emphasising collaborative and iterative development stages.
Project management behaviours must reflect the PRINCE2 Agile ethos, with transparency, collaboration, and exploration being key aspects.
Specific focus areas in PRINCE2 Agile highlight the unique demands of agile methodologies, recommending techniques to enhance their effectiveness.
Management products in PRINCE2 Agile also undergo modification to fit the agile context, often presented in more dynamic and visually accessible forms like information radiators.
For professionals embedded in agile project environments, PRINCE2 Agile certification can be a significant stepping-stone, offering two levels of certification: Foundation and Practitioner.
The certification process involves passing exams tailored to the PRINCE2 Agile methodology, with high pass rates reported for both the Foundation and Practitioner levels.
Most individuals pursuing PRINCE2 Agile certification engage in accredited training courses, provided exclusively by Accredited Training Organisations that ensure the delivery of high-caliber instruction.
PRINCE2 Agile provides a suite of resources, including webinars, manuals, glossaries, and exam preparation materials, all designed to support those seeking to blend the structure of PRINCE2 with the flexibility of agile.
In today’s episode, we’ve navigated through the nuances of PRINCE2 Agile, understanding how it integrates the structure of PRINCE2 with agile’s adaptiveness. We looked at its history, rationale, principles, and key concepts such as fixing and flexing and the Agilometer. We also discussed the significance of roles, principles, themes, processes, and behaviors tailored to meet the agile framework’s needs. Whether you’re pursuing certification, training, or simply seeking to deepen your understanding, PRINCE2 Agile offers comprehensive resources that cater to both organisational and personal growth within the agile project management landscape.
Thank you for joining us on the Knowledge Train as we explored PRINCE2 Agile. Don’t forget to subscribe for more insight-packed episodes, and swing by the Knowledge Train website for resources galore. Until the next episode, keep learning, keep managing, and I’ll see you further down the track. Goodbye!