Benefits Realisation Framework

Why organisations need a Benefits Realisation Framework Every organisation engaged in business change projects/programmes should have a benefits realisation framework, to maximise the positive impact of change, and to avoid common pitfalls of change programmes (1). It should describe the long-term process of embedding and maximising potential benefits following change projects.  Benefits are rarely automatic.…

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How to write a problem statement

Writing problem statements for Business Cases In this post we discuss: how to develop a clear problem statement; why we need one; common mistakes to avoid, and provide tips on how they can be improved. Why do we need one? When developing a business case, it is often hugely useful to include a clear problem…

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Why Scrum alone does not work

and how to make it much better: The purpose of this post is to describe the limitations of Scrum and why Scrum alone will often not work.  Later we describe what would work much better, while still using incremental product development. In particular, we focus on how to move beyond the mantra of delivering “value”…

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Why Agile will never be a project management framework

This is not a Waterfall-versus-Agile discussion: This post is not about Waterfall-v-Agile.  It is much wider than that. In its pure sense, Waterfall is a very specific and rarely used software development life-cycle.  This post is about the realities of projects in business, regardless of how unpalatable those realities may be, and what the real…

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Effective project sponsorship: key role on projects

What makes a great Project Sponsor? Having an effective project sponsor can be a very key role in a successful project. However, just nominating someone, even the right person, does not always work out as we hope.  This post describes the attributes of successful project sponsors. So what is the role and responsibility of a Sponsor?…

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Product Owner: the things they often don’t mention

Being a Product Owner: the things that are rarely mentioned Having an effective Product Owner (PO) on software development projects is a hugely useful and important role, whether using Agile or other methods.  The way the PO is described, especially by many promoting some Agile methods, is at best ambitious.  In many circumstances, it may not…

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Why it’s a mistake to assume anyone can manage a project:

Why it can be a costly mistake to assume anyone can manage a project: Most people don’t plan to go into project management.  They often find themselves in the role more by accident than design. It’s also common that when people first attempt the role, they have little if any preparation or real support, with…

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Why many Agile projects still need project managers:

The good things in Agile: Firstly let me say, I am a huge fan of the good that Agile can bring, through some of the practices that it encourages (e.g. collaboration, transparency etc). Like all “new” ideas though, there are some whose interpretation goes beyond the bounds of what is good.  There are also some…

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Time for a grown up debate: Methods and Scrum

Time for honesty I have been writing recently on the alarming trends around PM ‘methods’, including the latest edition of the Scrum Guide, which was updated in 2017. There are many people and groups developing and publishing methods, guides and standards etc. and we have to hope they are being written for the good of…

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Why the current focus on methodologies is totally wrong:

There are large numbers of online discussions and posts promoting one project management or product development “method” over another.  As a career-long project management practitioner who has seen everything from excellent practice to very poor attempts at managing projects, I feel this is very wrong, damaging and totally the wrong debate. Where does all this…

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