Are Management Basics Affected When Using Agile Methods?

November 2006 L us start with the basics. First, fundamental to project management is planning, monitoring, and controlling. Monitoring and controlling are achieved by executing a plan and taking appropriate action when a project deviates from that plan. This article focuses on the planning activity. I like to simplify planning for new managers by breaking it down into five easy steps: What? Who? When? How? and How Much? Traditionally, a project management plan is developed at the start of a project to capture the answers to the first four questions. The plan is then used in the How Much? category to develop the cost, monitor and control the project, and communicate to the stakeholders what we are doing. At the fundamental level, planning includes understanding what must be done (scope of effort), who needs to do it (staffing and skills), when it needs to be done (life cycle and schedule), how it is to be done (reviews, methodology, tools, meetings etc.), and how much it will cost (budget). These same five steps occur on both traditional and agile projects.